The Care Act 2015 is going to changing all care and support in England from April 2015. The Care Act will help to make care and support more consistent across the country and puts the wellbeing of individuals at the heart of health and social care services.

What does the new Care Act aim to achieve?

• Clearer, fairer care and support
• Wellbeing – physical, mental and emotional – of both the person needing care and their carer
• Prevention and delay of the need for care and support
• People in control of their care
• A new emphasis on wellbeing

The Care Act is aiming to consolidate good practice and should help to embed and extend personalisation in social care as well as increasing the focus on wellbeing and prevention.

For people who need care and support, and their carers, there will be:

• better access to information and advice, preventative services, and assessment of need
• an entitlement to care and support
• a new model of paying for care, with a cap on the care costs for which an individual is liable
• a common system across the country (national eligibility threshold)

You can read more about the key changes to the Care Act at the links below:

• What is Changing with the Care Act?
• Support for Carers
• Changing needs and eligibility
• Deferred Payments Agreements
• Cap on Care Costs

For all of the other Care Act factsheets follow the link.

• To see Kent information on the Care Act go to: www.kent.gov.uk/careact
• or if you live in Medway follow this link: http://www.medway.gov.uk/carehealthandsupport/thecareact.aspx