Charities support Law Commission’s demand for ‘joined up’ social care system
Britain’s Third Sector welcomed the call from the Law Society today to replace the 40 separate laws that govern Social Health Care in England.
Frances Patterson QC, of the Law Commission, outlined that she wanted to ‘sweep away’ current regulations and replaced by a single adult social care statute.
"Our role is to produce a clear, consistent and comprehensive legal framework to reform the way adult social care is delivered across the country," she said.
Robert Ashton, one of UK’s most successful social entrepreneurs and a mental health campaigner said: “The current inconsistencies are very confusing. Councils have no obligation to provide care for the elderly until they become disabled. Arguably, they’d remain able for longer if supported sooner.”
“If we’re to successfully create a Big Society we must have clarity and transparency so that charities and social enterprises that are providing care in the health and social care sector can plan for the future,” he said.
Michelle Mitchell, of Age UK, said the Law Commissions were a ‘one-off opportunity to replace this dog's breakfast with a clear, logical and consistent framework’.
Social enterprise and health care are among the topics being discussed at the POPse! Conference in London this week.
POPse! describes its self as 'the world’s first pop-up social enterprise think-tank' and brings together some of the UK’s leading social enterprise thinkers to 'create a burst of critical energy and robust analysis of social enterprise policy and practice'.
Robert Ashton, who is leading some of the debates at POPse! said: “Moving the goalposts as many Councils currently seem to do in social care will inevitably result in more own goals than stirring victories!”
Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: "This report (from the Law Commission) provides foundation for the most significant single reform of social care law in 60 years."