Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) social care providers and (b) local authorities on ensuring (i) choice, (ii) control and (ii) flexibility in the provision of care as enshrined in the Care Act 2014.

We are committed to working in partnership with social care professionals and providers, local authorities, and crucially the people who draw on care and support, to give people more choice and control over their care.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population. That is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes encouraging a wide range of service provision to ensure that people have a choice of appropriate services.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing local authorities' delivery of their adult social care duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. The assessments undertaken by CQC identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, helping us to target support where it is most needed. If CQC identifies a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act to an acceptable standard, my rt. Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has powers to intervene.