FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (FOI) RESPONSES We received responses to 149 out of 152 FOI Responses to question 1 requests. The responses varied in detail as well as content. Local authorities have responded to Section 1. What actions your council has taken to comply 2 of the Care Act in a range of ways, including with Clause [Section] 2 of the Care Act 2014 enhancing or expanding existing preventative services (“Preventing needs for Care and Support”). and changing their approaches to commissioning. Various themes were identified within the responses Despite financial pressures, some have allocated to question 1. These included: working with the new funds or set out to gradually shift more voluntary and community sector, working across resources from reactive to preventative services. departments, new services, the expansion or Some are looking for ways to increase the number enhancement of existing services, reviewing of people accessing preventative services by, for services, revised guidance or training, the creation example, not charging for them. of new boards, roles, programmes, strategies, plans, policies or priorities, revised procedures, Bexley Council demonstrated a full understanding implementing new approaches, identifying needs of the new duty to separate access to preventative and services, funds, information and advice. services from decisions about whether a person’s needs meet the national eligibility threshold: Information and advice Over half of the responses to question 1 ‘The eligibility identified for included ‘information and advice’. This was prevention is simply, if we the most commonly recurrent theme within responses to this question. think there is a risk of the The information and advice referred to was focussed individual requiring access on a range of issues, including available services, in the future without an new policies and new rights. immediate intervention, then the Local authorities report providing information and intervention should be actioned.’ advice in a variety of ways (including booklets, face to face, written, fact sheets, videos and via the telephone), but primarily via “universal” websites. However, the overall impression was that local authorities’ responses demonstrate a mixed level Section 2 (“preventing needs for care and of understanding about the new prevention duties, support”) and Section 4 (“information and and developments haven’t been as groundbreaking advice”) of the Care Act have been conflated in or innovative as hoped. This is despite the Care Act some cases. ‘embracing innovation and flexibility, unlike previous legislation that focussed primarily on traditional Information and advice is recognised within the 35 Care and Support Statutory Guidance as a ‘vital models of residential and domiciliary care’. component of preventing or delaying people’s need 36 for care and support.’ However, while good quality information and advice may be necessary for effective prevention, providing information and advice is not sufficient to fulfil the prevention duty. 35. LGA (August 2015) Guide to the Care Act 2014 and the implications for providers: local.gov.uk/documents/10180/6869714/L14-759+Guide+to+the+Care+Act.pdf/d6f0e84c-1a58-4eaf-ac34- a730f743818d 36. Department of Health (October 2014) Care and Support Statutory Guidance, Chapter 3 (3.1) 37. Care Act 2014, Section 4: legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/section/2/enacted British Red Cross Prevention in action [email protected] 16 l l