
The Care Act 2014 sets the standard how the care worker should assess the care and support needs of the people. It also included how the care should be planned, or to be delivered in England. The act mainly aims to promote the well-being and independence of the people. Additionally, ensures their protection from abuse and neglect.Â
The Care Act 2014 has introduced several key principles. For instance, six key principles of safeguarding. They are empowerment, prevention, proportionality, accountability, partnership, and protection. Moreover, it also offers 9 areas of the well-being principles.Â
However, in today’s guide, we will walk through comprehensively the Care Act 2014 principles. Just read on till the end to clarify the whole thing.
1. The Care Act 2014: An Overview
The Care Act 2014 was implemented in 2015 and has overhauled the social care systems. The act has changed the support and care delivering way for the elderly and people with disabilities.Â
Before the introduction of the Care Act 2014, individuals received different types of care and support based on a standardised basis. As a result, the system is always complicated.Â
However, the Care Act 2014 has simplified the whole process by focusing on the individual’s needs. This law uses a standardised assessment process for everyone, which ensures fair treatment for all.Â
2. What Are The Key Principles Of The Care Act 2014?
The Care Act 2014 is typically based on several key principles that emphasise the well of the individual, protect them, and offer personalised care. Key principles of the Care Act include-Â
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2.1 Promoting the well-beingÂ
The act considers the needs, goals, and preferences of the individual. Thus aims to promote well-being for the vulnerable people. It also enables them to live the life they desire.Â
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2.2 Putting in control
The act places the individual at the center of their support and care. It offers them the right to make their own decisions and choices.Â
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2.3 Offering high-quality support and care
The Care Act 2014 targets to prevent the needs of the people from becoming more acute or serious. To do so, the act identifies and addresses them as early as possible.Â
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2.4 Promoting partnerships and integrationÂ
It promotes and maintains the partnership and integration between health and social care, the NHS, local authorities, and other partners.Â
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2.5 Preventing requirements from escalating
When the matter is about providing care, the act ensures that the provided care and support is of high quality. The act ensures that the provided care service is tailored to meet the needs of the individual.
3. Safeguarding Principles Under The Care Act 2014
The Care Act 2014 sets out the legal requirements for health and social care, local authorities, and other agencies. It helps to assess and develop the effectiveness of their care and local safeguarding arrangements.Â
The act offers a clear framework of the local agencies’ responsibilities in protecting the adults. For safeguarding the adults, the Care Act 2014 has introduced 6 key principles. They are-Â
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3.1 EmpowermentÂ
No wonder a person knows best about what support and care they need, and their views, wishes, and beliefs that should be considered.Â
The empowerment principle of the Care Act means to ensure that the people are being supported and cared for while encouraging them to make their own decisions.Â
The aim is to empower them so that the people can give informed consent. To ensure that the aim is implemented right away, the professionals responsible in this field should discuss all the possible outcomes of the patient’s decision.Â
If the patient is unable to give their consent, then a professional decision can be made for them. All in all, the practitioners should work alongside them so that they are safe on their own terms.
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3.2 PreventionÂ
This principle recognises the importance of taking action even before the harm occurs and seeking ways so that they don’t even occur.Â
The act clearly states how people can raise concerns about the safety and well-being of the people who depend on the care.Â
The professionals must take action immediately if there is a concern that neglect or abuse has taken place or maybe. For instance,
- If needed seek medical assistance
- Keep a record of what you have foundÂ
- Take advice from the lead of safeguardingÂ
- Inspect for the other indicatorsÂ
- Discuss the concern with the supervisor or the managerÂ
- Also, monitor the situation to see if it gets improvementÂ
- If the situation does not even improve after all these steps, raise your voice.Â
3.3 Proportionality
The proportionality means choosing the least intrusive response that matches the individual presented with the risk level.Â
The care acts recognise the importance of considering the wishes and unique situations of the individuals, moreover not making the decision just based on the assumption of the appearance of the individual.Â
The act ensures that the responses are fair, and balanced considering the whole person.Â
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3.4 ProtectionÂ
This principle of the Care Act involves organisation and delivering the ultimate support to the people who need it the most, who can’t do it for themselves.Â
The main focus of the professional should be the ultimate well-being of the individuals and always should work to protect them from abuse or neglect.Â
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3.5 PartnershipÂ
Offering ultimate safeguarding to vulnerable adults is never possible without the partnership and multi-agency collaboration who interact with the care needed person.Â
You can achieve the best local solutions for safeguarding by collaborating with the professionals, communities, and services as a whole. It also applies to the family or friends involved with the person.
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3.6 AccountabilityÂ
According to the Care Act 2014, there are ways that practitioners, services, or systems are held responsible for their actions.Â
The professionals should ensure that any action they take to support the people affects their rights and freedom as little as possible.Â
The principle of the act states that safeguarding is the duty of everyone and every person in contact with vulnerable people will be responsible for recognising the risk and taking actions to prevent any harm identified.
4. Wellbeing Principles Of The Care Act 2014
In paragraph 1.21, the Statutory Guidance of the Care Act 2014 says,Â
Section 1 of the Care Act 2014 is about promoting the well-being of the individual. The act highlights that ensuring the well-being of individuals is one of the key responsibilities of the local authorities.
The Care Act places a duty for the local authorities where they should always consider the well-being of the person before making decisions or planning the services. Here in the Care Act 2014 the local authorities are indicated toÂ
- A district council for an area in England
- A county council in England,
- A London Borough Council orÂ
- The Common London CouncilÂ
Well-being principles in relation to the individual can be related to any of the following-Â
- Personal dignity that also includes providing treatment with respectÂ
- The well-being of the physical and mental health as well as emotional well-being
- Protection from neglect or abuse
- Control over day-to-day life by the individualÂ
- Work, education, training, or recreation participationÂ
- Economic and social well-beingÂ
- Family, domestic, and personal relationshipsÂ
- Suitability of living accommodation
- Contribution of the individual to the societyÂ
5. Implementation of the Care Act 2014 well-being principles
To implement the functions under the well-being principles, the local authorities have to follow some key considerations. For instance,Â
- The local authority should start by knowing what is best for the individual to judge their well-being.Â
- Consider the views, wishes, feelings, and beliefs of the individualÂ
- The need to protect the individual from neglect and abuseÂ
- Focus on preventing or delaying the need for support and care.
- Considering the entire situation of the individual while making decisions.Â
- Striving to balance the well-being of the individual with the friends and relatives who are helping in caring.Â
6. FAQs
Now at this point of the discussion, let’s check out some queries that are mostly asked about the Care Act 2014. It will also be a help for additional knowledge.Â
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6.1 Are there any weaknesses of the Care Act 2014?
There are several potential problems with the Care Act 2014. For instance, it has no list defining what is the role of the local authority to offer to meet the needs. Moreover, rather than providing a particular set of services, the duty under the act is to meet individual needs.Â
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6.2 What is the responsibility of the caregivers under the Care Act?
Typically, the Care Act 2014 offers a person-centered approach. It encourages the caregivers to provide care according to the needs they are caring for. They should recognise the needs and ensure that vulnerable people receive appropriate support.Â
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6.3 How does the Care Act 2014 assist in safeguarding?
The Care Act 2014 assists safeguarding by introducing new requirements and duties of the local authorities in safeguarding adults. It is the first that provides the legislative framework for those who are working for adult safeguarding.Â
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6.4 What are the care principles of Wales?
The act is built on five principles. First of all it is voice and control. Next is prevention and early invention. As for the other three, they are co-production, multi-agency and well-being.Â
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6.5 What is the general principle of care?
As for the general principle of care, they are typically five in number. For instance they are independence, dignity, privacy, communication and safety.Â
7. Final Words
The Care Act 2014 was designed to help improve the independence and well-being of the people. The principles of the act offer a strong framework aiming to ensure high-quality and person-centered care supporting the adults.Â
Here the local authorities play a crucial role in assessing the needs of the adults and offering appropriate support. The caregivers are also given a significant role in recognition and assistance.Â
Ultimately the Care Act 2014 promotes a fairer, more personalised care to support the individuals to gain the outcomes that matter most to them.