Councils Prepare To Implement Care Act With ‘Accountable Officer’

Every council in England will be required to appoint a senior officer to be accountable for local implementation of the Care Act 2014 reforms, the Department of Health (DH) has said.

Known as a senior responsible owner (SRO) they will be required to participate in three ‘stocktake’ exercises to assess councils’ readiness to implement their statutory duties under the Care Act from April 2015. The exercises will be jointly coordinated by the DH and regional networks of the Association of Directors of Adult Services (ADASS).

The requirements are outlined in a ‘memorandum of understanding’ sent to all councils. Under the scheme every local authority will receive £125,000 in 2014-15 to help them prepare to implement the Care Act reforms.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/316212/Care_Bill_Implementation_Grant_MoU.pdf