The context of adult social care will be shaped by government legislation over the next decade
The legal framework underlying adult social care fundamentally drives the organisation, standards, regulation and competences of the workforce. It is predicted that incoming legislation will increase demand for social services and the overall social care workforce.
Legislation, policies and professional frameworks will shape how adult social care is organised and delivered over the next decade:
The Department of Health’s (2010) A Vision for Adult Social Care set out the government’s broad strategy towards adult social care, including devolving services, encouraging plurality and greater health and social care integration, an increase in personal budgets and supporting new models of provision.
Transparency in outcomes: a framework for quality in adult social care (Department of Health, 2012) defines a set of standards against which services can be benchmarked. The standards include supporting adults with learning difficulties or secondary mental health problems into paid employment, and ensuring that people feel equal partners throughout the duration of the care process, increasing the proportion of adults who feel physically safe and secure.
No Health Without Mental Health (Department of Health, 2011) highlights the critical link between physical and mental health, emphasising the importance of promoting good mental health, improving outcomes, access and choice. The emphasis in healthcare policy towards an increase in preventative measures and reducing hospital admissions will increase demands on social care services. From 1 August 2012 all regulatory functions move from the GSCC to the HPC.
The Professional Capabilities Framework sets out a common framework outlining what is required of social workers at each stage of their career, from training through to advanced practice.
Sources or references
- Carr, S., (2010). Personalisation: A rough guide, Social Care Institute for Excellence, Skills for Care
- Social Work Reform Board (December 2010). Building a safe and confident future: One year on. Overarching professional standards for social workers in England
- Fletcher, P., Riseborough, M., Price, N., Saddington, M., Wistow, J., Craig, L., and Coyle, D., (2011). The Invisible Workforce – Developing PAs in the Adult Social Care Workforce
- Community Care (2011), “What future for adult social work?”, 29 September 2011
- Care Quality Commission (2012). Annual Report and Accounts, 2010/11, CQC, London
Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.
