On 11 July 2012, the government published a White Paper, ‘Caring for our future: reforming care and support’, and its draft Care and Support Bill. The White Paper and Bill follow on from the Law Commission’s report on adult social care which was published last summer.
The government describes the Bill as follows: “This draft Bill consolidates provisions from over a dozen different Acts into a single, modern framework for care and support. It is intended to do more than bring those Acts together; it achieves a fundamental reform of the way the law works. It places the wellbeing, needs and goals of people at the centre of the legislation to create care and support which fits around the individual and works for them. It provides a new focus on preventing and reducing needs, and putting people in control of their care and support. For the first time, it brings carers into the heart of the law, on a par with those for whom they care.”
The draft Bill has been published for public consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny in Parliament. The Bill and White Paper may be found on the Department of Health’s website (www.dh.gov.uk).