The Care Act

The Care Act 2014 came into force in April 2015. The act places general responsibilities on local authorities for:

  • promoting people's wellbeing
  • focusing on prevention
  • providing a universal information and advice service

It also included:

  • the introduction of a consistent, national eligibility criteria for social care support
  • new rights to support for carers, on an equivalent basis to the people they care for
  • legal right to a personal budget and direct payment
  • the extension of local authority adult social care responsibility to include prisons
  • new responsibilities around transition, provider failure, supporting people who move between local authority areas and safeguarding.

Our 7 minute animated video gives a simple summary of the Care Act and what it means for Surrey.

Detailed guidance

More detail on the Care Act from the Department of Health is available through the following links:

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