How to get the right support from your local authority: a guide to the Care Act 2014 and other laws, for family carers of an adult with learning disabilities and/or autism.
Who is this guide for?
This guide is for family carers who have a relative with learning disabilities and/or autism and who want to know more about their rights under the Care Act.
What is this guide about?
Through our one-to-one support with family carers, we speak about the most relevant laws, policies and resources to help strengthen their cases when communicating with local authorities. This guide brings all that information together in one place.
The main focus is on the Care Act 2014 (and the accompanying Care and Support Statutory Guidance) and how it can be used to support family carers in conversations with their local authority. We have also included a section that outlines the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. There are examples throughout of how these laws can be used in practice, and we have referenced links to useful resources.
We haven’t covered all aspects of the Care Act, but have included what we think are the most important aspects for family carers to be aware of.
Contents
We have kept in mind that a family carer reading this guide may already have encountered a problem and be looking for ways to resolve it. Knowing where to start can be daunting, and so the first chapter offers general information on how to challenge when things aren’t right.
The rest of the content will support your ability to promote your relative’s rights under the Care Act, and yours as a family carer, when communicating with the local authority. It may also make you aware of rights that you didn’t realise you both have.
- How to challenge when things aren’t right
- Wellbeing
- Supporting people at an early stage (preventing needs for care and support)
- Information and advice
- Independent advocacy
- The Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Care Act assessment for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism
- The care and support plan for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism
- Personal budgets and financial assessments for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism
- The review process for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism
- Carer’s assessment, and support plan
- Housing and choice for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism
Why did we write this guide?
We recognise that there is a lot of information already available about the Care Act, but feel that a lot of it is targeted at carers in general. Therefore, we wanted to create a guide that is specifically for family carers who have a relative with learning disabilities and/or autism.
Download your PDF of the guide
Requesting a copy by post
This guide is available in print. If you would like a printed copy, please phone 0808 801 0448 or e-mail familycarersupport@hft.org.uk
