The Care Act could bring back the postcode lottery by the back door, one of the UK’s largest providers of social care services has warned.
Home Group, which provides social care services to 30,000 people each year, said ambiguity in the rules and guidance could ‘undermine the Government’s desire to create a national set of care standards’.
It believes that a lack of clarity around the terms used within the Care Act legislation could mean that some ill and vulnerable people with a major support need will no longer receive the care they need.
Executive director of care and support at Home Group, Rachael Byrne, said: ‘Leaving individual local authorities to determine the meaning of the term “some or all” could result in the reintroduction of local variations in eligibility and bring back the postcode lottery by the back door.
‘The requirement to fulfil “some or all” basic care activities could exclude people who have a major need in one specific basic care activity, but not in others.’
Home Group added it remained concerned around the exclusion of moderate care needs from the eligibility criteria.
