Information and advice

Care Act 2014

Outline of content

Introduction What the Act says: a duty on local authorities What information and advice needs to be provided? Who needs information and advice and when do they need it? Proportionality and accessibility How effective is information and advice? A strategic approach Summary

A vital component

Information and advice is fundamental to enabling people to take control of, and make well-informed choices about, their care and support and how they fund it

Not only does information and advice help to promote people’s wellbeing by increasing their ability to exercise choice and control, it is also a vital component of preventing or delaying people’s need for care and support

It is an essential building block of the Care Act reforms

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What is information and advice?

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Self-help information

Websites, leaflets, NHS Choices etc

No interaction

Assisted information

Telephone helplines,

directories, libraries, one stop shops,

CAB, charities, information

centres, GPs, frontline staff

etc

Limited to moderate interaction

Advice

Telephone lines, information

centres, one stop shops,

CAB, support groups, carers centres, CIL,

social workers, GPs, outreach staff/workers

etc

Moderate to high interaction

Specialist advice and advocacy

Independent financial

advisers, legal help on complex

matters in specific areas

of law, independent

advocates

High interaction

Major problems with information and advice

1. The social care system is too complex and localised to comprehend

2. Decisions are typically taken in a crisis

3. There are problems with the quality and availability of information, advice and referral

4. The availability and quality of council information services and assessments is patchy

5. There is a lack of independent support for the assessment process

6. There is a lack of joined-up advice covering care and housing/benefits options

7. There is a lack of information about service availability and quality

8. There is a lack of signposting to financial advice

Advice and information needs in adult social care. Think Local, Act Personal 2013

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A duty on local authorities

Section 4 of the Care Act places a duty on local authorities to ensure the availability of information and advice services for all people in its area, regardless of whether or not they have eligible care needs

A wide definition including care and support related aspects of health, housing, benefits, and employment

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Who provides information and advice?

Local authorities do not have to provide all elements of this service

They are expected to:

Understand, coordinate and make effective use of all the information and advice resources that are available

Think about how they are reaching out and joining up with other providers of information and advice to ensure the coherence of the overall ‘offer’

Signpost or refer people to relevant independent and impartial sources of information and advice

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What needs to be provided?

Information about how the local care and support system works

How people can access care and support services

What types of care and support are available, and the choice of providers

Care and support related financial information and advice, including how to access independent financial advice

How to raise concerns about the safety or wellbeing of someone who has care and support needs

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Financial information and advice

The local authority must provide financial information and advice, including:

understanding care charges

ways to pay

money management

As well as identifying those who may benefit from independent financial advice or information and help them to access it

Broader awareness raising about how care and support is funded

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Who needs information and advice?

People

Wanting to plan for their future

Subject to safeguarding

concerns

Who are family members or

carers

Who are assessed as being in need of

care and support

Who contact the local authority

Who may develop care and support

needs in the future

In prison

Transitioning to adulthood

Self funders

Self funders often not well served for information and advice by many councils in the past:

many do not seek help

while those that do find little information was offered and that signposting to other sources of support was a negative experience

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The Barriers to Choice Review

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When do they need it?

On contact with the care and support system

Targeted at key ‘trigger points’ in people’s lives

Proportionality

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Complexity of issues

Methodology and timing

Volume of information

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Accessibility

Information and advice must be open to everyone who would benefit from it. They authority should ensure that: There are a range of delivery mechanisms that are accurate and

up-to-date Staff are aware of accessibility issues and appropriately trained Websites meet accessibility standards Printed materials are clear and in plain English Materials are adapted as necessary e.g. easy read versions and

translations Help from independent person is available to help people access information and advice

Supporting a person’s involvement

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Duty to arrange for

independent advocate

Is there an ‘appropriate

individual’ – a carer, friend or

relative – that can facilitate their involvement?

Agree ‘appropriate individual’

Provide support and

make adjustments

Yes

Yes

No

Might this person have difficulty in

being involved?

Can they be better supported to enable their

involvement? [Reasonable

adjustments under the Equality Act 2010]

Yes

Do they still have

‘substantial difficulty’ inbeing

involved?

Yes

How effective is information and advice?

“Information and advice should only be judged as clear if it is understood and able to be acted upon by the individual receiving it.”

Local authorities will need to check that information and advice is understood and able to be acted upon: Check understanding Check impact

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“I couldn’t find any information on local services. I just got gobbledegook from the phone.”

A strategic approach to information and advice

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Develop and

implement a strategy/

plan

Co-production

Mapping

Co-ordination

Impact

Information and advice principles

1. Involve people who use services and carers in determining what is needed and how it is provided

2. Be available at the right time for people who need it, in a range of accessible formats and through a range of channels

3. Meet the needs of everyone in the community served

4. Be clear, comprehensive and impartial

5. Be consistent, accurate and up-to-date

6. Meet quality standards

7. Be based on a detailed analysis of the needs of the local population

8. Be commissioned in tandem with other relevant support and advocacy services

9. Avoid reinventing the wheel

10. Signpost people to sources of further information

11. Be used to inform future planning

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Principles for the provision of information and advice (TLAP 2013)

Summary

Information should be available to all, regardless of how their care is paid for

Good quality, easily accessible information will help people to make good decisions about the care and support they need

Local authorities have a key role in ensuring good quality advice is available locally and for sign posting people to independent advice

Information and advice needs to be targeted at key ‘trigger’ points in people’s lives

Information and advice should be accessible and proportionate

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