Adult social care
Council celebrates 75th anniversary of adult social care
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On Wednesday 5 July 2023, the adult social care system in England, Wales and Scotland marks 75 years of service.
Over 4,000 people in the borough were supported from April 2022 to March 2023 with their long-term care needs by Walsall Council and 1,790 new people were assisted to regain their independence. Over 500 carers were assessed and supported during the year too.
Satisfaction rates are high. Findings from the council’s annual adult social care user survey conducted during January 2023, which surveyed 2,593 people, found that 89.8% were satisfied with their care and support, 90.1% felt that the care and support services helped them have a better quality of life, and 91.8% of service users said that the care and support services made them feel safer.
The wide range of services supports all ages and services include personal care and help to live at home, residential care, day care services, reablement services to help people stay active or regain their independence and prevent hospital admissions or facilitate a timely discharge, safeguarding and providing support for carers.
“ As we mark 75 years of adult social care, we are reflecting on our history and achievements as well as looking to the future. There is much to be proud of and celebrated and we are committed to providing excellent care provision in Walsall that is centred around the individual and their needs,
“I’d like to thank staff, both past and present, and all our partners for the invaluable work they have done and continue to do. People are the heart of our communities and we care about them. We want to ensure that every resident who needs adult social care has the right care at the right time, with an equal voice in co-ordinating their care
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All local authorities have a legal duty to meet a wide range of needs in relation to social care. This includes providing personalised and practical support to residents who are older or living with disability or physical or mental illness and helping them stay independent, safe and well so they can live their lives the way they want to.
The foundation of the NHS and modern adult social care was The National Assistance Act, which received Royal Assent on 13 May 1948 and came into force across England, Wales and Scotland on 5 July 1948. This act forms the basis of the current adult social care system in England and brought to an end more than 300 years of the Poor Laws, introducing a requirement for local authorities to provide publicly funded social care support to those who were ‘without resource’.
Over the last 75 years, this landmark piece of legislation has been developed and built upon, most notably by The Care Act 2014, The Mental Health Act 1983 and The Mental Capacity Act 2005.
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