Sheffield City Council has provided information explaining the changes it may need to make, if necessary, to social care provision in accordance with the new Coronavirus Act 2020 legislation.
“We may need to prioritise resources so that people’s most urgent and acute care and support needs are met, even if this means not meeting some of our statutory duties, or taking longer to meet these duties. The Coronavirus Act 2020 gives us powers to streamline present assessment arrangements and prioritise care. These measures are referred to as the Care Act easements. They are temporary, and can only be used if absolutely necessary. We can only decide to begin exercising the Care Act easements if the social care workforce is significantly depleted, or demand on social care increased, to an extent that it is no longer reasonably practicable for us to comply with our Care Act duties (as they stand prior to amendment by the Coronavirus Act) and where to continue to try to do so is likely to result in urgent or acute needs not being met, potentially risking life.”
The changes would fall into four key categories though there is a stated intention to continue to respect the principles of personalisation and coproduction and observe the ethical framework for adult social care.
Sheffield City Council have said that they will do everything they possibly can to avoid exercising the Care Act easements.
If Sheffield City Council do begin exercising the Care Act easements they will communicate the decision to care providers and to the people and carers they support, and their full service will be restored as soon as is reasonably possible.
You can view their full document ‘ Explaining the Care Act Easements ‘ here
The following local authorities so far have already declared Care Act easements as provided for under the Coronavirus Act:
Solihull
Birmingham
Warwickshire
Sunderland
Middlesbrough
Staffordshire
Disability Rights UK is calling for transparency in such decisions saying “We will be asking councils to state their reasons for suspending Care Act duties, only a few days after the government committed to an additional £1.6 billion pounds to local government. We will also be asking what new processes they have put in place to ensure that no-one with support needs falls through the net.”
