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The Care Act: An Overview (F): e-learning training course

The Law Commission has reviewed the laws that affect social care. As a result, the new Care Act 2014, which comes into play in April 2015, will replace several statutes going back many years.

The Act will introduce a number of significant changes to rights and practice which affect people needing care and support, their carers and the local authorities involved in arranging care provision.

This e-learning course, The Care Act – An Overview, has been produced to meet the needs of local authorities in training all frontline staff, assessors and more senior decision makers.

The course comprises an introduction and three easy-to-follow study units. The online materials include quizzes and activities to help reinforce learning as students work through the course. There is also an assessment to test learners’ understanding after studying the materials.

Unit Titles

• An Introduction to the Care Act
• New Duties and Responsibilities
• Assessments, Eligibility and Support Planning

Unit 2: focuses on the purpose, framework and key components of the Care Act. It also provides a list of the duties and responsibilities that the Act introduces. The unit describes why integration, cooperation and partnerships are important under the new legislation and emphasises the role that the wellbeing principle must play in providing care and support.

Unit 3: explores the new duties and responsibilities being introduced by the Act in more detail. It also examines independent advocacy and when it is required, the guidelines that apply to safeguarding and the Act’s focus on the importance of continuity of care.

Unit 4: looks at the changes that the Care Act is introducing, including those relating to assessments (practical and financial) and the new eligibility threshold. It also discusses how care and support will need to be planned and reviewed from now on. Finally, you will look at the effects of the Act on people receiving care, their carers, local authorities and other organisations involved, and start to work on your own Action Plan.

Learning Objectives: on completion of this course learners will be able to:

• outline the purpose of the Care Act
• describe the basic structure and key components of the Act
• understand the wellbeing and the prevention duties
• explain how local authorities must provide accurate, up-to-date information and advice under the Act
• recognise the importance of co-operation and integration between local authorities and the health and social care sector
• identify the new responsibilities that the Care Act introduces, including an increased focus on prevention
• describe the new duties outlined in the Act including those relating to:
  • independent advocacy
  • safeguarding
  • continuity of care
• describe the changes that the Care Act will introduce including those to
  • assessments
  • determining eligibility
  • financial assessments
• explain how the Act will affect the way care and support is planned and reviewed
• identify how the changes the Care Act requires will affect the way you work.