The Care Act 2014 was a landmark piece of legislation intended to change adult social care.
Our recent adults Partnership Conference brought together over 100 partners from adult social care to reflect on the impact of the Care Act 2014 over the past decade and to explore its future.
We were honoured to hear from speakers who represented a broad spectrum of professional and lived experiences within adult social care.
It consolidated existing law relating to adults with care needs, emphasised the importance of wellbeing and addressed the support needs of carers for the first time. However, it was followed by an unprecedented ten years, including massive political upheaval and global impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opening the conference session was Anita Mottram with a powerful reminder of the evolving role of occupational therapy, emphasising how the profession has modernised over the last 10 years. Tricia Pereira, Lyn Romeo, Phillip Anderson, and Richard Humphries discussed the transformative changes in the sector, highlighting how the Care Act laid a strong foundation for strengths-based and preventative practices, while also acknowledging the challenges of inconsistent implementation and funding constraints.
Our first presentation, from Michiko Clark, illustrated how Coventry City Council’s occupational therapy service bridges the Care Act and housing legislation to enable independence through home adaptations and assistive technology. She shared how the Care Act has been liberating, allowing for creative, person-centred approaches that truly make a difference.
Gavin Butler then took us through the history of adult social care, showing how the sector has adapted to societal changes and uncertainty. He emphasised that, as permissive legislation, the Care Act enables emerging practice and innovation.
In the second half of the day, Dr. Clenton Farquharson shared his personal experience of accessing care and support, highlighting the shift from crisis response to prevention. He reinforced that social care must prioritise love, joy, and meaning in supporting people to live fulfilling lives.
Presenters and facilitators did well to get people away from getting bogged down in negative themes - the usual themes of funding, lack of recognition, being unappreciated came up; however, they were reframed as opportunities and the focus came back on to people drawing on social care.
Partnership Conference delegate
Hannah Scaife and Amy Hurst shared a moving personal story from Amanda Threlfall, demonstrating how creative interventions, such as direct payments for small personal pursuits, improve wellbeing and sustain caregiving. They also presented practical examples – such as a hearing loop for a grandfather to engage in family events and a therapeutic toy sloth to support dementia care – that are transforming lives.
What will it take to improve the Care Act over the next decade?
In our final panel discussion, we considered what it will take to continue improving over the next decade. Tricia Pereira called on social workers to ‘advocate and be activists’, while Robin Miller stressed the need for investment in practitioners and redistributing power and leadership.
Amanda Taylor-Beswick explored the emerging role of technology in social care, emphasising the importance of maintaining human oversight and ethics. Isaac Samuels spoke about the potential of the Care Act to help people live a ‘gloriously fabulous life’, urging that co-production should become ‘business as usual’ in social care practice.
The conference concluded with a strong call to action: it’s time to move beyond discussion and implement solutions that uphold the principles of the Care Act, ensuring that everyone can live a meaningful and fulfilling life.
A series of new videos share a few of those perspectives from the conference, highlighting the extent to which embracing the Care Act made a difference, for those receiving care and support but more so for those delivering it.
The enthusiasm of our participants throughout the day, reflected in the lively discussions and messages of hope, love, and advocacy, signal a collective commitment to ‘making good trouble’, being change-makers and continuing to drive progress within the sector.
Ten years of the Care Act and beyond: A range of perspectives
These videos share a few of those perspectives, highlighting the extent to which embracing the Care Act made a difference, for those receiving care and support but more so for those delivering it.
