Adult Social Care Reform - What Lawyers Need to Know About the National Care Service

Introduction

The Government's plans for a National Care Service could bring significant changes to the way adult social care is funded and delivered in England. Proposals under discussion include free personal care for older people based on need and a phased move towards a National Care Service. Lawyers will therefore need to understand what has been announced, what remains uncertain and the potential implications for clients.

This practical new virtual classroom seminar will explore the emerging reforms, their potential impact on local authorities, care providers and individuals and the key developments that lawyers should be monitoring as the legislative framework evolves.

The session will also examine previous attempts to reform adult social care, the factors that prevented those reforms from succeeding and the lessons that may be relevant to the current programme.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive session will cover the following:

• The proposed National Care Service and the current timetable for reform
• Previous attempts to reform adult social care, what went wrong and the key lessons for the current programme
• The proposed introduction of free personal care for older people
• The relationship between personal care, accommodation costs and other care-related expenses
• The future role of means testing, individual contributions and local authority funding
• The implications for Care Act 2014 assessments, eligibility and care planning arrangements
• The role of the Casey Commission and its anticipated recommendations
• The potential impact on local authorities, care providers and commissioning arrangements
• What the reforms could mean for individuals and families, including those who self-fund their care
• Transitional arrangements and the interaction with existing charging and deferred payment arrangements
• Developments in workforce reform, including the proposed Fair Pay Agreement
• Key areas of uncertainty and the issues lawyers should be monitoring
• Practical considerations when advising clients during a period of legislative and policy change

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.