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<p>The statutory guidance to the Care Act 2014 is clear that local authorities should
commission services to meet the needs of individuals and that very short home care
visits would not normally be compatible with high quality care.</p><p> </p><p>Local
authorities are responsible for commissioning decisions, accountable to their local
populations through elected members. The Government does not routinely intervene in
individual decisions, but both the Government and the Association of Directors of
Adult Social Services (ADASS) agree that inappropriately short home care visits are
unacceptable.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has worked with local government and the
care sector to develop and encourage good practice in commissioning and managing local
markets. A suite of guidance is now available at the online Hub that is now published
on GOV.UK under market shaping and commissioning.</p><p> </p><p>In particular, the
guidance ‘Commissioning for Better Outcomes’ (under Resources for Commissioners) is
being actively used in the sector to improve commissioning and directly asks commissioners
to review how short home care visits are used.</p><p> </p><p>We are working with the
Local Government Association (LGA) and ADASS through a sector-led improvement approach
to encourage best practice and improve local commissioning skills. Specifically, the
Department funds the LGA to deliver the Care Health Improvement Programme.</p>
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