The Care Act 2014 introduced historic changes to the system of adult social care in England by imposing new legal responsibilities on local authorities. The focus on the wellbeing of individuals, personalisation, preventing, reducing and delaying the need for care and support were some of the significant changes. The act, for the first time, gave carers a legal right to receive assessment and support for specific needs, and it introduced new national eligibility criteria. The statute has implications for the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, managing the care markets, promoting cooperation, the integration of services within the local authority departments and between the authority and the health agencies. The Act also introduced changes to how and when people are required to contribute towards the cost of their care. The reforms are intended to improve the cost-effectiveness of the care system and to manage the increasing demands for care demands in an ageing population. However, the implementation of some aspects of the legislation has been impaired by the current policy of fiscal austerity.
