New advice for delivering Care and Support Planning under the Care Act 2014

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New advice for councils on meeting Care Act 2014 requirements to ensure people, families and carers lead development of their own care and support plans has been launched today.

Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) has published Delivering Care & Support Planning ­- supporting implementation of the Care Act 2014 to help councils stick to the letter of the law as well as improve people's wellbeing once the Act comes into force from April.

The guide has been developed with people who use services to show what good care and support planning looks like in practice. It is backed up with examples from councils across England that are leading the way in this area.

Delivering Care & Support Planning describes the principles for what people want in a care and support planning process, the elements that need to be in place and recommendations for councils so they can be both Care Act compliant and person-centred in their approach.

It complements a soon to be released practical tool from NHS England and the Coalition for Collaborative Care on how to make person-centred care and support plans happen for people with long term health conditions.

TLAP co-chairs and members of the National Co-production Advisory Group Marjory Broughton and Clenton Farquharson say: "Councils must be clear, consistent and accessible with people, families and carers right from the start of an assessment process all the way through to the review. We need to know what to expect, how much money is available for us to plan with and we must have all the information we need to plan in a way that is accessible for us. This process is about the whole of our lives, not just our assessed needs and we must be trusted to write our care and support plans, with help if we need it."

TLAP Director Sam Bennett says: "This guide brings together what we know constitutes the best approach to person-centred care and support planning. While there is much positive practice, it is also true that there is wide variation in people's experiences of this in some areas. It remains a concern and a greater emphasis on the individual as well co-production with people, families and carers will ensure people really are in control of their own lives."

ADASS President David Pearson says: "I welcome this guide. While it shows councils how to run a good service that is Care Act compliant, it also emphasises the crucial role people and families play in developing care and support plans in terms of the options they might need to live a good life. This is at the very heart of what the Care Act is all about - the promotion of individual wellbeing; on building strong and inclusive communities that build on people's assets and achieves the outcomes they want; and on the importance of co-production in implementing the reforms."

Guide co-authors Helen Sanderson from Helen Sanderson Associates and Helen Bown, from the National Development Team for Inclusion say: "Not only does this guide describe what good looks like based on what people want, it shows how it is Care Act compliant by linking directly to the relevant parts of the legislation and accompanying statutory guidance. Delivering Care & Support Planning shares ideas, lessons and practical examples for designing and delivering care and support planning, as well as template care and support plans."

Delivering Care and Support Planning is available to download from www.thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk/selfdirectedsupport