Social care is not the same as social services. The definition of social care is the provision of support services to people with physical disabilities or illnesses, learning disabilities, or mental illness. This support allows people to live as comfortably and independently as possible through a combination of physical assistance and activities, personal care and grooming, and social work.
How Does Social Care Work?
Social care is a catch-all term for different kinds of support services, and the type of social care a person receives will depend on their eligibility of needs as underlined in the Care Act 2014. This can be in the form of access to specialist equipment and therapies or full-time residential care, but in many cases, it also means providing services to people who need support in their own homes.
These services are commissioned from local authorities, self-funders, and/or, if a primary health care need is identified, by CHC/CCG. These services are not always free. An applicant’s local authority will assess candidates and determine whether or not they need to pay for these services and how much they will cost.
Who is Eligible to Receive Social Care in the UK?
First of all, it is important to remember that eligibility criteria are slightly different in England and Wales. In England, an applicant must be able to demonstrate that their needs for care or support are the result of a particular health condition/s, where they are unable to perform certain activities as a result, and that this has a significant impact on their wellbeing.
Eligible health conditions include mental health problems, physically ill-health, physical disability, mental/cognitive disability, learning disability, and alcohol/drug dependency. Keep in mind that a person does not need a specific diagnosis to be eligible for social care. To be eligible, these health conditions must impact certain activities, including eating and drinking, personal care and hygiene, using the toilet, dressing, home safety, personal relationships, work, using necessary community amenities, and carrying out care responsibilities.
An applicant will need to show that the person’s condition impacts two or more of these domains as per the Care Act and, as a result, they are unable to maintain their social or economic wellbeing.
For example, if a person has experienced a stroke which impacts on their ability to both wash and work in their profession then they will be eligible for social care.
In Wales, the eligibility criteria is a bit different. While a person will need to show that their need for care and support is a result of a health problem that leaves them unable to do particular things, they will also have to demonstrate that they don’t have a carer or access to support through their community. This means that they will be unable to maintain their wellness without social care services from the local authority.
Another difference is that they need to show that they cannot achieve one or more of the listed activities, which include domestic activities (eating, drinking, cleaning, meal preparation, etc.), communicating, protecting themselves from neglect or abuse, being involved in social or economic activities, maintaining relationships, or caring for a child. If an applicant is unable to receive caregiving from a family member or on a voluntary basis, then they can access social care.
What are the Steps for Accessing Social Care?
Getting access to social care services means taking the following steps to assess a person’s needs which will determine if a person is eligible for social care services. If a person is deemed eligible, it is the local authority’s duty to provide social care services or other, if not eligible, they will be networked to other organisations that may be able to meet certain needs. It is everybody’s right to be assessed under the Care Act.
Referral
While somebody can be referred by their doctor, a hospital staff member, a family member, or a friend, a person can also refer themself to social care. All they need to do is contact the local authority to start the assessment process.
Assessment
A trained social worker will be sent by the local authority to assess the person’s case. They’ll look at their eligible needs (called a needs assessment) and their potential financial contribution towards their care (financial assessment).
Eligibility
Once this information has been gathered, their case goes to their local authority to assess it against the eligibility criteria. They will determine if their needs meet the requirements for social care and if they need to contribute personally towards their care.
Social Care
If the applicant is granted social care eligibility, their local authority will create a care plan with them. Their local authority will also be able to give them more information on how the social care system works in their area, the types of services available to them through their community, how to access them, how to get financial support, and how to raise concerns. Once this is agreed by all parties, a personal budget will be issued along with how their needs are going to be met. A copy of the Care Plan should be issued to the person eligible for support.
What Types of Health and Social Care Services are There?
There is a wide range of social care services for both children, adults, and the elderly in the UK. Example include:
Advocacy
Legal support, advice and representation regarding an person’s rights and wellbeing. If someone is deemed to lack capacity and/or struggles to understand the eligibility care planning process, they are entitled to a Care Act Advocate.
Personal Care
Assistance with personal tasks relating to hygiene, grooming, and dressing.
Residential Care
Support in the home through light housekeeping, meals, getting involved in the community, and independent daily life.
Home Safety Services
Making the house senior-friendly or disability-friendly, fall prevention services, home maintenance services, and fire safety.
Day and Drop-in Centres
Community activity centres, social events, respite care for family caregivers.
Medical Care
Post-operative and post-hospitalisation nursing care, 24/7 nursing care, medication management, and wound care.
Therapeutic Care
Rehabilitation, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
What are Some Key Challenges Facing the Social Care Sector?
Adult social care is a key service in the UK, and it’s under increasing pressure which includes:
Reaching People who Need it
There is concern that there are as many as 1.5 million people in England alone who need some assistance with day-to-day living, but they are not getting it. This is generally thought to be because social care is means-tested. It is also financially limited, as a person needs savings and assets of less than £23,250 to qualify for free care in England and Northern Ireland, and £24,000 for non-residential care but £50,000 for residential care in Wales. In Scotland, the Government has legislated to ensure that by 1 April 2019 adults of any age, no matter their condition, capital or income, who are assessed by their local authority as needing this service, are entitled to receive this without charge.
Reduced Funding
Government funding spent by local authorities on social care is 3% lower than it was 10 years ago. Most of the funding that is spent on social care comes from the central government and local authority fundraising efforts such as council tax. This is due to the decrease in funding from the central government by a significant 17% between 2010 and 2019. In September 2021, the Government announced a new tax to close a funding gap of £8 billion, called the Health and Social Care Levy. The £5.4 billion this will raise will go some way towards improving funding issues, as £3.6 billion will be used to fund reforms on how social care is paid for, and £1.7 billion towards reforming the sector in general.
An Ageing Population
Adult social care includes adults of all ages, but an especially large sector is the elderly. The UK has a fast-growing senior population, which means that more and more people will rely on these services in the coming years. By 2040, for example, it’s anticipated that the number of elderly people with dementia will more than double to 1.6 million.
Not enough care workers – Working in social care is as challenging as it is rewarding, but too few people are choosing a career in this sector. According to data for England, there are as many as 112,000 vacancies in this sector alone. An increasing number of local authorities are struggling to reach their Care Act duties as there are limited vacancies for care settings. This includes care workers as well as social workers, management, outreach and community support workers, therapists, activity coordinators, and much more.
How will Social Care Funding Change in the Next Few Years?
In light of these challenges, the government has issued a White Paper which sets out plans to reform health and care. In the paper, the government says they will fund improvement in the social care sector. This revenue will be generated by increased tax revenue of £12 billion per year.
This will initially go to relieve pressure on the NHS, and £5.4 billion of spending allocated specifically to social care over the next three years, with £1.7 billion directly funding the improvement of services and the remainder to improve the means test.
The government hopes that this will help increase the quality of the services, the range of services local authorities can provide, and the eligibility criteria to make this support more accessible to those who need it.
In addition, there will be a lifetime cap of £86,000 on social care fees, which will cover fees for personal care (help with dressing, washing, toileting, etc.) but not living costs, including food costs and utilities.
Further funding will be set aside to develop supported housing to combine social care and accommodation to those who are eligible, new technologies to assist with social care and social care services, training and education for social care workers, and educational outreach to inform those in need how to access these services.
To lower the burden on adults requiring social care, the government will also allow those with disabilities to claim larger payments through the Disabled Facilities Grant from their local authority to fund housing adaptations that make homes more accessible and easier to use.
This will help people stay independent and in their own accommodation for longer, taking the strain off long-term care homes.
Although these are steps in the right direction, a key area of concern – a lack of social care workers – is still apparent. Increased funding may be needed soon to attract more people to these careers and make these roles a more appealing vocation.
Do I Have Rights to Social Care if I’m a Carer?
All adults acting as carers have the right to have their care needs assessed by their local authority. Based on the eligibility criteria and results of the assessment, you can qualify for social care services.
Carers are defined “as an adult who currently provides or intends to provide support and care for another adult who is unable to support their wellbeing independently. However, to be eligible for social support, providing this care cannot be part of your job, paid or voluntary. To access your social care rights, you will have to be assessed by your local authority to determine what your needs for support are, this will be measured against the eligibility criteria, and a support plan will be developed if your case is successful.
In the assessment, your local authority will look at your needs for support (now and in the future), your abilities and willingness to provide support, the impact of this role on your wellbeing and ability to work, and more. The eligibility criteria for England requires that you are firstly needing support because you are caring for another, that this is impacting your physical or mental health or your ability to care for dependents, and that this will therefore have a significant impact on your wellbeing.
In Wales, you will have to demonstrate that you need support because you are caring for another adult, that the support you need is related to specific tasks (domestic tasks, communication, fulfilling other caregiver responsibilities, etc), and that you cannot meet your needs alone or with the support of your friends/community, and that this will have a significant impact on your wellbeing.
In Scotland, support is governed by The Carers Act, which gives you the right to work with your local council to develop a support plan. They will perform an assessment of care needs for the person you are caring for to assist you. In addition, you also have access to carer centres that supply resources, advice and information, and information and support at your place of work or education.
If your assessment finds you eligible for carer support, then your local authority will develop a social care plan and begin supplying the services required as per your needs assessment. This will generally be free of charge, but you may be required to undergo a financial assessment in some local authorities to see if you can afford to pay.
3 Trees Care & Support is a supportive environment for carers and clients alike, supporting adults with learning disabilities, mental and physical health issues, and more. We deliver a forward-thinking and innovative approach to adult social care, specialising in services for adults with complex care needs while truly valuing the work of our team. For us, the health, happiness, and wellbeing of our carers is just as essential as that of the adults we care for!
Experience what it feels like to be part of a tribe. A family of like-minded individuals trying to do some good in the world.
Experience what it feels like to have nurturing leaders who genuinely care about you as a person and co-workers who step in and support you when you most need it.
Experience a company where you can make new friends and develop deeper relationships with not only those you support, but those you work alongside too.
Become part of our tribe, hit the ‘Apply Now’ button below.
Comments