A revolution in social care?

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The government has announced what it hails as a revolution in social care. Money will now be placed directly into the bank accounts of those entitled to help, meaning they can pick and choose both the kind of care they want and who they want to provide it. So for instance, instead of meals on wheels, an elderly person could - in principle at least - use the money to pay for someone to come in and help with the cooking. Instead of respite care for a disabled person, the money could be spent on a holiday. Chris Moon-Willems, who took part in one of the pilot schemes for the new programme, helped her elderly parents to hire their own carers. "We now act as employers," she says. She is a great supporter of the new system, which she says provides much more freedom and flexibility to those who need support in their homes. The scheme, Putting People First, will be rolled out across the UK from next April. It will involve an extra £520m on top of the existing social services budget over the next three years, and according to the prime minister, puts "real control into the hands of those in care and their carers". But concerns have been raised as to who will benefit, and whether it is really wise to place potentially complex decisions into the hands of some of the most vulnerable members of society. Market forces There will of course be restrictions on how the money is spent, and safeguards against people dipping into the budget for items one would be hard pressed to describe as care related. The money is paid into a bank account which is separate from the individual's own current account: under the pilot scheme, every month the local authority received a statement, detailing how the money has been spent. It must only go on items which have been agreed in a care plan, but this could include anything from membership fees to a local club in place of attending a day centre, or a hotel break instead of respite care. When it comes to services such as cleaning, cooking or providing personal assistance, those entitled will be able to employ who they wish: while the details have yet to be finalised, it is not unfeasible that a relative or neighbour could be engaged to take on these tasks.