A step-by-step online tool to help councils develop their information and advice strategies

Councils developing their information and advice strategies to meet new Care Act requirements by April 2015 have even more help on hand thanks to an online strategy tool published today in draft version.

The online tool offers a bank of resources to help councils prepare to meet new Care Act duties and it is the next step following on from the guide Information, Advice & Brokerage: Shaping the Future, Gearing Up & Seeing the Benefits published in October. That guide drew on the examples of six volunteer councils that are addressing the challenges and seeing the benefits of meeting their information and advice duties under the Care Act.

The online tool is designed around a six stage process for developing an information and advice strategy. Each stage of the process contains material including questions to be addressed, tools, links to useful resources and case examples. While it is geared towards officers and especially council officers responsible for reviewing information and advice, and for developing a new strategy, it will also be of interest to all organisations that provide information and advice around care and support.

Sam Bennett, Programme Director at TLAP says:

"Many councils up and down the country are doing great work to service the information and advice needs of people with social care needs and their carers but are now under new and intense pressure to meet Care Act requirements. The online tool will prove an invaluable guide. We are keen to collect as much feedback as possible to help refine it which is why we have produced the tool today in its draft (beta) format".

This information and advice strategy toolkit is part of a suite of resources commissioned by the Department of Health in partnership with the Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Adult Social Services to support those commissioning and providing care and support in implementing the Care Act 2014.