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This document analyses the responses received to the Law Commission’s consultation paper, Adult Social Care, published on 24 February 2010. The consultation paper set out 57 provisional proposals and 25 consultation questions on reforming the legal framework for adult social care. The overall aim of the reform is to provide a clearer, modern and more cohesive legal framework for adult social care.

This bulletin provides a picture of the wellbeing of people who received care and support, and carers who received support in the last 12 months, and where possible, provides a comparison to the rest of the respondents in the survey (those that had not received any care and support services). Due to the small number of respondents receiving help from care and support services, results are published at a Wales level only. 

"Together for mental health" is our ambitious strategy aiming to improve the mental health of the people of Wales and setting out our vision for 21st century mental health services. It is our first mental health strategy to cover all ages and centres on the 6 high level outcomes set out below:

a. The mental health and well-being of the whole population is improved.

b. The impact of mental health problems and/or mental illness on individuals of all ages, their families and carers, communities and the economy more widely, is better recognised and reduced.

Currently, around 56% of people die in hospital, 20% at home, 20% in nursing or residential homes and 4% in hospices. Yet surveys suggest that the majority of people would prefer to be supported to die in their own homes. We note the recent economic analysis which Marie Curie has produced of the potential cost benefits arising from a shift towards more patients dying at home and recommend that the Department assesses this carefully.

The Health and Community Care Ministerial Steering Group (MSG) of Scotland is leading the drive to “re-invigorate the Joint Future Agenda”, in order to improve outcomes for individuals and their carers. As part of this drive, it has decided that local partnerships should be asked to agree local improvement targets which could demonstrate improved outcomes, as a result of better joint working. It is likely that these local improvement targets will build on existing local performance frameworks which partnerships are already developing, eg.

The Care Act aims to make the care and support system clearer and fairer for those who need it. It includes provision for a national minimum eligibility threshold, gives carers a legal right to assessment, and reforms the way that care is paid for. The Act also makes provision about care standards, establishes and make provision about Health Education England, to establish and makes provision about the Health Research Authority. The Act was passed on 14 May 2014 and comes into force in April 2015.

This consultation seeks the views of interested parties on the draft Young Carers' (Needs Assessments) (England) Regulations to put into effect Section of the Children and Families Act 2014. A local authority must assess whether a young carer within their area has needs for support and, if so, what those needs are, if - (a) it appears to the authority that the young carer may have needs for support, or; (b) the authority receives a request from the young carer or a parent of the young carer to assess the young carer's needs for support.

This compendium of good practice and carers and young carers stories accompanies Caring Together and Getting it Right for Young Carers. Earlier in the year the Scottish Government invited local authorities, Health Boards, the Third Sector and other organisations in Scotland to submit examples of good practice about support for carers and young carers. They also invited personal ‘stories’ from carers and young carers.

The aim of this revised guidance is to assist councils with adult social services responsibilities to determine eligibility for adult social care, in a way that is fair, transparent and consistent, accounting for the needs of their local community as a whole as well as individuals’ need for support. It replaces Fair Access to Care Services: guidance on eligibility criteria for adult social care which was issued in 2003, and has been written in the light of recommendations made in the Commission for Social Care Inspection’s review Cutting the Cake Fairly.

A shared approach to improving the care and support for people with dementia, their families and carers receive following a diagnosis. The declaration sets out: a shared commitment to joint action across government, health, social care, the third sector and all other relevant partners; the ambition to deliver better quality post-diagnostic care; and the need to deliver integrated and effective services that meet the needs of people with dementia and their families and carers.