The Care Act 2014 introduces a number of reforms to the way that care and support for adults with care needs are met. It requires local authorities to adopt a whole system, whole council, whole-family approach, coordinating services and support around the person and their family and considering the impact of the care needs of an adult on their family, including children.
The provisions for young carers included in the Care Act 2014 are intended to link with provisions in the Children and Families Act 2014. This is to provide a clear framework for local authorities to take a whole-family approach to assessing and supporting adults and young carers and deliver support in a coordinated way.
Whole-family working is not a new concept and there is already a considerable focus on whole-family approaches in some services. The new duty placed on local authorities to consider the impact on family members and their support network, makes it essential to learn from these approaches and develop them further within adult social care.
A whole-family approach to promoting wellbeing and preventing need for care and support might include helping families to plan ahead for potential changes, such as an anticipated increase in care and support requirements or changes in family circumstances that will affect support levels.
Supporting carers to prevent, reduce or delay their need for support might include a wide range of activity. For example, it could include helping them to look at how to get the right balance so that they have a life alongside caring, to pre-bereavement support or support with re-establishing a life after caring including work, recreation and community engagement options.
Nearest tube: Elephant & Castle underground station (Northern and Bakerloo lines).
Nearest Railway Station: Elephant & Castle
Buses from Elephant and Castle: ask bus driver for Burgess Park. Bus numbers: 12, 171, 148, 176, 68, 484, 42, 40, 45