Care plans face chop

Community care plans may be abolished under proposals put
forward by the Department of Health this week.

Under the NHS and Community Care Act 1990, councils must produce
a community care plan that covers the planning and delivery of
services for all client groups. But the DoH wants to do away with
the plans because of the proliferation of other planning processes,
including joint investment plans, health improvement plans,
national service frameworks and community strategies.

Currently some councils produce separate community care plans
while others meet their statutory obligation through the
development of joint investment plans and health improvement plans.
The plan aims to remove this inconsistency, thus avoiding “a
duplication of effort and a replication of information”.

“The need for rationalisation of plans has been highlighted in
discussions between central and local government,” says the
proposals sent out by Denise Platt, chief inspector of the Social
Services Inspectorate and DoH director of children, older people
and social care services.

Councils have been asked to respond to the proposals by 4
November, particularly on the needs of smaller groups of service
users, whose needs might not be identified in plans outside
community care plans.