Overview
About The Care Act
The Care Act on GOV.UK sets out the responsibilities we have for providing adult health and social care in Croydon. Its aim is to improve people’s independence and wellbeing.
The act makes it clear that local authorities must provide or arrange services that help prevent people developing needs for care and support, or delay people deteriorating such that they would need ongoing care and support.
When we provide support
The Act sets out a legal duty for an adult's 'eligible needs' to be met by the local authority, subject to their financial circumstances. Their eligible needs are those that are determined after an assessment of those needs.
Our step-by-step guide to applying for social care will take you through the process for getting support.
Our guide to paying for adult social care explains how we assess your financial circumstances to work out if we can provide some, or all of, your care.
The Act says clearly that a person will be entitled to have their needs met when:
- the adult has 'eligible' needs
- the adult is 'ordinarily resident' in the local area (which means their established home is there)
- any of 5 situations apply to them
These are the 5 situations:
- the type of care and support they need is provided free of charge
- the person cannot afford to pay the full cost of their care and support
- the person asks the local authority to meet their needs
- the person does not have mental capacity, and has no one else to arrange care for them
- when the cap on care costs comes into force, their total care and support costs have exceeded the cap
Read more information about The Care Act on GOV.UK.