Over the last few years, and in anticipation of legislative changes in the form of the Care Bill, we have seen the emergence of a number of organisations whose role is to provide information and advice to those in need of care and their carers. These organisations have included Local Authority/Government and charitable services, as well as the private sector. The services they offer vary widely from the provision of information (often in the form of factsheets), through comparison tools and websites, to bespoke independent advice and support.
The Care Bill, which is currently going through the parliamentary process and due to come into force in April 2016, aims to empower those in need of care, help them understand their options, give them choice, ensure the quality of care they receive, and allow people to stay active, independent and connected to their communities.
Free information resources, such as factsheets and comparison websites, are useful for making the wealth of information available to all. At the other end of the spectrucm, Independent Care Advisers and support brokers provide specific options and choices relevant to the individual based on an assessment of needs. In other words, they take the available information, analyse it and extract what is relevalnt to the individuals concerned.
The difference between an Independent Care Adviser (ICA) and a broker is that ICA's provide a holistic service to their clients and their carers. This includes bespoke independent care advice and support to help clients and their carers find the right care at the right time to meet their specific needs and wishes. It typically begins with a face-to-face consultation to help understand the needs and wishes of all parties and to agree a support plan. This is followed by a detailed analysis of all local care options which offer the right service of the right quality to meet a clients needs and wishes. ICAs then help clients and their carers choose and arrange the right providers for them. After care services have begun, ICAs continue to monitor them to make sure that their clients are receiving the care and support they need and any matters arising are attended to. In addition, ICAs will advise on or refer clients to experts who can help them manage related matters, e.g. health issues, their means of funding their care, legal matters and wealth management.
A broker's role is slightly different. Brokers tend to work on behalf of local authority funded service users to help them get the most out of their personal budget. A Local Authority social worker typically carries out a needs and means assessment in order to identfy eligible needs (those of an urgent or particular level of severity, which the Local Authority must provide care for) and set a personal budget for the amount the Local Authority will contribute towards that care (if any). At this point a broker might be engaged, either by the Local Authority or by the service user directly, to help a service user find suitable care providers to fulfil their care plans.
Clearly there is some crossover between the roles. In short, however, Independent Care Advisers offer a holistic and integrated approach to care. They work on behalf of their clients and are, in effect, a private alternative to social services for clients who are either not eligible for social services support or Local Authority funding.
Independent Care Advisers help clients and their carers navigate the emotionally challenging waters of care, whether that's healthcare, social care or general well-being. By helping clients find and arrange the right care at the right time to meet their specific needs and wishes, Independent Care Advisers should be able to improve quality of life and reduce the overall cost for all concerned. In the wake of the Care Bill we expect them to be the lynchpin to integrating care.
The Care Bill, which is currently going through the parliamentary process and due to come into force in April 2016, aims to empower those in need of care, help them understand their options, give them choice, ensure the quality of care they receive, and allow people to stay active, independent and connected to their communities.
Free information resources, such as factsheets and comparison websites, are useful for making the wealth of information available to all. At the other end of the spectrucm, Independent Care Advisers and support brokers provide specific options and choices relevant to the individual based on an assessment of needs. In other words, they take the available information, analyse it and extract what is relevalnt to the individuals concerned.
The difference between an Independent Care Adviser (ICA) and a broker is that ICA's provide a holistic service to their clients and their carers. This includes bespoke independent care advice and support to help clients and their carers find the right care at the right time to meet their specific needs and wishes. It typically begins with a face-to-face consultation to help understand the needs and wishes of all parties and to agree a support plan. This is followed by a detailed analysis of all local care options which offer the right service of the right quality to meet a clients needs and wishes. ICAs then help clients and their carers choose and arrange the right providers for them. After care services have begun, ICAs continue to monitor them to make sure that their clients are receiving the care and support they need and any matters arising are attended to. In addition, ICAs will advise on or refer clients to experts who can help them manage related matters, e.g. health issues, their means of funding their care, legal matters and wealth management.
A broker's role is slightly different. Brokers tend to work on behalf of local authority funded service users to help them get the most out of their personal budget. A Local Authority social worker typically carries out a needs and means assessment in order to identfy eligible needs (those of an urgent or particular level of severity, which the Local Authority must provide care for) and set a personal budget for the amount the Local Authority will contribute towards that care (if any). At this point a broker might be engaged, either by the Local Authority or by the service user directly, to help a service user find suitable care providers to fulfil their care plans.
Clearly there is some crossover between the roles. In short, however, Independent Care Advisers offer a holistic and integrated approach to care. They work on behalf of their clients and are, in effect, a private alternative to social services for clients who are either not eligible for social services support or Local Authority funding.
Independent Care Advisers help clients and their carers navigate the emotionally challenging waters of care, whether that's healthcare, social care or general well-being. By helping clients find and arrange the right care at the right time to meet their specific needs and wishes, Independent Care Advisers should be able to improve quality of life and reduce the overall cost for all concerned. In the wake of the Care Bill we expect them to be the lynchpin to integrating care.