Govdoc

White paper setting out detailed proposals to establish a new statutory framework to ensure that those with severe mental disorder get care and treatment to meet their needs and, secondly, that the public is protected from those who may, occasionally, pose a threat to their safety. The proposed changes will affect: local and health authorities; service providers in the statutory, independent and voluntary sectors; and people with mental disorders and their carers.

The aims of this publication are to improve the awareness of co-occurring mental health and substance misuse problems, to improve support and service provision for people who have both mental health and substance misuse problems (and their carers), and to reduce stigma and influence positively attitudes towards this care group.

Dementia is a term for a range of progressive, terminal organic brain diseases. Dementia affects over 560,000 people in England and costs some £14 billion a year. Parallels can be drawn between attitudes towards dementia now and cancer in the 1950s, when there were few treatments and patients were commonly not told the diagnosis for fear of distress. There are also stigmas associated with mental health and older people's issues, which present barriers to improving awareness, understanding and openness about dementia.

The main effects of the Act are: in Part 1, to provide for a local authority to make a payment to the healthcare provider for each day of delay when an NHS patient's discharge from hospital is delayed and the local authority is responsible for that delay; in Part 2, to provide the power to remove, in circumstances set out in regulations, local authorities' power to charge for certain community care and carers' services.

Care and support is something that everyone in this country will experience and be part of at some point in their lives. Some people have impairments from birth, or develop an impairment or mental health condition during their working life, and use care and support to maintain active and independent lives. Many, as they become older, become more frail and rely on care and support from others. As the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia has already shown, we are committed to improving the lives of people with care needs.

This consultation paper reviews the law relating to adult social care in England and Wales. Current law has been identified as complex and outdated and these proposals aim to establishing a simple, consistent, transparent and modern framework. The paper is in 14 parts. Part 2 considers the approach to the reform of adult social care law. Parts 3 to 10 are concerned with how social services decide on what services to provide.

Self-directed support is defined in the Scottish national strategy on self-directed support as the principle that the citizen has informed choice and control over their care and support. This draft Bill presents the Scottish government's legislative proposals to underpin the strategy. It is a consultation draft, and is accompanied by a consultation paper and discussion document, which invites the views of individuals, organisations and professional bodies by 17 March 2011. The consultation paper explains the terminology used and summarises the provisions contained in the draft Bill. 

The draft standards contained in this document have been developed following discussion with a wide range of interests, including the public, people who use health and social services and their carers, as well as HPSS organisations themselves. The standards are grouped in five themes: safe and effective care; timely delivery of quality services; promoting, protecting and improving health and social well-being; open and effective communication; and leadership and accountability of organisations.

This guide is for carers who are concerned that the person they care for is unable to take action or make some or all decisions in relation to their finances, personal welfare or health, due to a mental disability or severe communications difficulties, such as a stroke.