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About The Care Act 2014

The Care Act 2014 sets out the responsibilities we have for providing adult health and social care in Croydon. Its aim is to improve people’s independence and wellbeing.

The act makes it clear that local authorities must provide or arrange services that help prevent people developing needs for care and support, or delay people deteriorating such that they would need ongoing care and support.

When we provide support

The Act sets out a legal duty for an adult's 'eligible needs' to be met by the local authority, subject to their financial circumstances. Their eligible needs are those that are determined after an assessment of those needs.

Our guide to applying for social care will explain the process for getting support.

Read request support for an adult to find our more on how we assess your financial circumstances to work out if we can provide some, or all of, your care.

The Act says clearly that a person will be entitled to have their needs met when:

• the adult has 'eligible' needs
• the adult is 'ordinarily resident' in the local area (which means their established home is there)
• any of 5 situations apply to them

These are the 5 situations:

• the type of care and support they need is provided free of charge
• the person cannot afford to pay the full cost of their care and support
• the person asks the local authority to meet their needs
• the person does not have mental capacity, and has no one else to arrange care for them
• when the cap on care costs comes into force, their total care and support costs have exceeded the cap

Read more information about The Care Act 2014 on GOV.UK.