Children and adult social services

Question 1

Roughly how many adults and children rely on social services and who provides these?

Answer 1

Around 1.5 million people, including 400,000 children.

They are provided largely by local authorities.

Question 2

What must local authorities provide by law and give one example.

Answer 2

Under various Acts they are required to provide services by law, for example child protection.

Question 3

What is this known as?

Answer 3

This is known as statutory spending, that the local authority has no option other than to provide.

Question 4

What is additional spending known as and what does it entail?

Answer 4

Discretionary spending, is not required by law and much of this has been cut as a result of austerity measures.

Question 5

Which 3 main areas are included in social services?

Answer 5

1. Child protection.
2. Domestic and residential care for elderly and disabled people.
3. Care for those who need mental health care.

Question 6

what did the Green Paper ‘Every Child Matters’ become in 2004?

Answer 6

The 2004 Children’s Act

Question 7

Under the Act what did Local Authority Social Services Departments become and what do these include?

Answer 7

Children’s Services Departments, which include social care and education.

Question 8

Who are they the responsibility of?

Answer 8

County councils, unitary authorities and London boroughs.

Question 9

What type of Board did the Act set up and what does it do?

Answer 9

Council-run Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards (LSCB). They are charged with coordinating the various agencies involved in delivering services and monitoring their effectiveness.

Question 10

What type of Plans did the Act introduce and what do they do?

Answer 10

Individual Child Protection Plans, drawn up by professionals to assess a child’s degree of risk.

Question 11

What role did the Act set up?

Answer 11

The Act set up the role of the Children’s Commissioner, currently Dame Rachel de Souza.

Question 12

How does a local authority determine whether someone needs their services?

Answer 12

They carry out an assessment of an individual’s needs

Question 13

Give 3 examples of care that councils provide to adults

Answer 13

1. Home helps (assistance with washing, dressing and housework), hot meals etc.
2. Day centres
3. Luncheon clubs.

Question 14

In which context can councils charge for some services?

Answer 14

If the client has sufficient income or savings.

Question 15

Which two other types of organisation may provide services?

Answer 15

Private companies or the voluntary sector.

Question 16

What is the savings limit at which elderly or infirm people taken into residential care may be required to pay for their care?

Answer 16

If they have savings of more than £23,250.

Question 17

How do many elderly people have to pay for their care?

Answer 17

By being forced to sell their homes

Question 18

What did the Dilnot Enquiry recommend?

Answer 18

That there should be a cap on these charges.

Question 19

How much is the cap that anyone in England will need to spend on their personal care over their lifetime and when will it be introduced?

Answer 19

£86,000

This was supposed to be introduced in October 2023 - now pushed back until 2025.

Question 20

What is the upper capital limit and what will it rise from and to?

Answer 20

The point at which people become eligible to receive some financial support from their local authority.

It will rise to £100,000 from the current £23,250.

Question 21

Who regulates council run and private care homes and what do they do?

Answer 21

The Care Quality Commission.

It carries out inspections and issues reports