The Care Act: assessment and eligibility

The Care Act 2014 sets out in one place, local authorities’ duties in relation to assessing people’s needs and their eligibility for publicly funded care and support.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities must:

carry out an assessment of anyone who appears to require care and support, regardless of their likely eligibility for state-funded care
focus the assessment on the person’s needs and how they impact on their wellbeing, and the outcomes they want to achieve
involve the person in the assessment and, where appropriate, their carer or someone else they nominate
provide access to an independent advocate to support the person’s involvement in the assessment if required
consider other things besides care services that can contribute to the desired outcomes (e.g. preventive services, community support)
use the new national minimum threshold to judge eligibility for publicly funded care and support.

Assessment and eligibility resources

SCIE has developed a range of resources to support local authority staff, social workers and others involved in assessment and eligibility.

Process map: A flowchart of the processes involved in assessment and eligibility with accompanying description of each stage.
Supported self-assessment guide: a short guide to minimum standards and the approach to supported self-assessment.
Ensuring assessment is proportionate guide: a guide to ensuring assessment is both proportionate and appropriate.
Eligibility guide: a guide to what is involved in understanding and making eligibility determinations
Working with fluctuating needs guide: a short guide on what to consider in relation to fluctuating needs
Assessing fluctuating needs film: two people talk about how their needs can fluctuate and the impact this has on the care and support they need.
Using a strengths-based approach guide: a guide to how a strengths-based (or asset-based) approach works in relation to assessment.
Using a strengths-based approach film: a short film on what is meant by a strengths-based approach and how practitioners, through the assessment process, can enable people to be at the centre of their own care and support needs.
Practice examples: a selection of examples to help practitioners explore assessment issues.

Implementation support

Care Act training: Bespoke training to understand and implement the Care Act
Care Act consultancy: Support to develop, deliver and evaluate your Care Act programme