Independence,Well-being and Choice: our vision for the future of social care for adults in England

The long-awaited Green Paper on the radical reform of adult social care was published by the Department of Health on 21 March 2005. Older people using social care and other local authority services will be given individual budgets so that they can buy in the services they need. 'They will be able to choose their own carer or instead of receiving institutional care opt to go on a holiday that will benefit them, and their families, in other ways', said John Reid. Social workers will take on the role of navigators of services.

Main points from the Green Paper include:

• setting clear outcomes for social care against which the experience of individuals can be measured and tested. These are: improved health; improved quality of life; making a positive contribution; exercise of choice and control; freedom from discrimination or harassment; economic well-being; and personal dignity
• putting people in control by giving everyone better information and signposting of services, putting people at the centre of the assessment process and creating individual budgets that give them greater freedom to select the type of care or support they want
• giving more prominence to preventative services with more medical technology and equipment provided so people can retain their independence
• establishing a new model for supporting people accessing services, which might be a care navigator, a care broker, a person-centred planning facilitator, and/or care manager
• emphasising the role of the wider community in providing care, through family networks, the voluntary and community sector, as well as universal services provided by local authorities
• implementing a new model of social care will need to be managed within existing funding and improvements therefore will depend on making better use of funding
• introducing a new post of Director of Adult Social Services (DASS) to deliver the change in focus and improved services, and to develop the necessary strategic approach
• developing a strategic commissioning framework with partners to ensure the right balance between prevention, meeting low-level needs and providing intensive care and support for those with high-level complex needs.
• building capacity through workforce development

CPA Press Release

Responses to the consultation on adult social care in England: analysis of feedback from the Green Paper Independence, Wellbeing and Choice

This report presents the feedback from the consultation process on the Green Paper Independence, Wellbeing and Choice, which ran between 21 March and 28 July 2005.

Your Health, Your Care, Your Say: improving community health and care services

This public consultation process is designed to shape the White Paper on improving community health and care services covering all aspects of care people need in the community and in their own homes. The White Paper due to be published in early 2006 will combine the outcomes of this consultation and work already carried out on the Adult Social Care Green Paper.