The Care Act (2008) has undergone over 100 changes that will come into force from April 2015. This is a significant piece of legislation as it represents England’s biggest change to social care for over 60 years. These amendments are intended to make care more personal and will leave directors needing to make adjustments.
But exactly what changes are required? How will they be implemented? And how will they affect your staff and the running of your care home?
The Care Act 2014
Some of the most significant changes include:
- A new focus on providing preventative care. Local authorities will be charged with providing services to maintain a person’s health, rather than focusing on crisis management.
- Those who receive publicly funded care will be protected under the Human Rights Act. However, this will not apply to those individuals whose care is privately funded.
- The Act states that care homes must undertake a transparent investigation into complaints. But paradoxically, residents will not need to be informed of complaints procedures.
- Individuals will be entitled to more financial assistance. Those with up to £123,000 worth of assets will be entitled to financial support, as opposed to the previous amount of £23,250.
Changes for Staff
These changes come at a crucial time, after a series of high profile abuse cases, and a recent study that indicates a lack of staff means 20% of nursing homes are unable to provide a sufficient level of care. Staff are facing an increasing work load as the population and average age expectancy increases. Staff duties in a care home are varied and include: helping someone to wash and dress; assisting with eating; making beds; toileting; and monitoring illness or conditions.
Many of these responsibilities require specific knowledge, such as palliative care, or the skills to deal with a patient who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Training staff is vital part of a director’s responsibility to ensure that care homes can meet the required standards. Staff will also need to ensure that they adopt a humanitarian approach. If a resident is not happy with the care they have received, they should offer assistance and advice. With a focus on preventative care, all staff will need to possess a larger breadth of knowledge.
Essentially, the changes largely apply to local authorities, who will have greater financial and care responsibilities. The Care Act 2014 will allow the individual to be more decisive about their care; this in turn will lead a requirement for more staff training, which, as a care home director or manager, it will be up to you to provide.
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