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Abstract
The Care Act 2014 introduced historic changes to the system of adult social care in England by imposing new legal responsibilities on local authorities. The focus on the wellbeing of individuals, personalisation, preventing, reducing and delaying the need for care and support were some of the significant changes. The act, for the first time, gave carers a legal right to receive assessment and support for specific needs, and it introduced new national eligibility criteria. The statute has implications for the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, managing the care markets, promoting cooperation, the integration of services within the local authority departments and between the authority and the health agencies. The Act also introduced changes to how and when people are required to contribute towards the cost of their care. The reforms are intended to improve the cost-effectiveness of the care system and to manage the increasing demands for care demands in an ageing population. However, the implementation of some aspects of the legislation has been impaired by the current policy of fiscal austerity.
Key words: Care Act 2014, social care reforms in England, social care prevention, care integration, formal and informal care, social care costs, social care eligibility criteria
Słowa kluczowe: Ustawa o opiece zdrowotnej 2014, reforma opieki społecznej w Anglii, prewencja w opiece społecznej, integracja służby zdrowia i pomocy społecznej, formalna i nieformalna opieka, koszty opieki społecznej, kryteria przyznawania pomocy społecznej
Introduction
The Care Act 2014 (the Act) represents the most significant legislative change to the care and health sector in England1 since the establishment of the welfare state. The previous laws stretched back to the Beveridge reforms2, particularly the National Assistance Act 1948 (NAA) which at the time was ground-breaking legislation. The NAA established a social safety net for those who did not pay their national insurance contributions, such as the homeless and the physically disabled. It provided assistance for elderly people who required additional benefits to attain subsistence living and obliged the local authorities to provide accommodation for individuals who were in need of care and assistance which was not otherwise available. Local authorities were required to promote the wellbeing of disabled people and to grant financial assistance to the voluntary organisations which provided recreational facilities or meals. Over the intervening years...