Guiding approaches - national

The Care Act (2014) outlines the legal duty of local authorities to promote the efficient and effective operation of a market in services for meeting care and support needs. It emphasises:

• Sustainability of the market: a local authority must ensure that sufficient services are available for meeting the needs for care and support of adults in its area and the needs for support of carers in its area
• Continuous improvement: local authorities support and encourage innovative practices to enhance care delivery
• Workforce skills: staff must be trained to meet the demands of high-quality care

Local authorities must implement systems that allow for effective market shaping and commissioning. This includes evaluating market needs, signalling to providers what services are required and ensuring that fee levels (including contract terms and conditions) for care and support services are appropriate. Providers who do not meet market needs for the provision of care and support do need to adapt and develop their operating model, to ensure they remain sustainable within the care market.