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<p>The Department has not had any recent discussions with providers of residential
care for people with physical impairments and learning difficulties on proposals for
home closure.</p><p> </p><p>The new Care Act, which will come into force in 2015,
will give local authorities a core duty to promote their local market, with a particular
focus on ensuring diversity, quality and sustainability which, importantly, will mean
there should be sufficient high quality services available to meet the needs of individuals
in their local area.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has worked with stakeholders, including
provider organisations, to develop draft statutory guidance to support the implementation
of the Care Act. The guidance will describe how local authorities must meet these
new duties, including encouraging sustainability through appropriate fee levels. The
draft guidance was published as part of a 10 week public consultation on the full
package of regulations and guidance under part 1 of the Care Act on 6 June.</p><p>
</p><p>The Government believes that people who wish and who are able to live in their
communities, rather than in an institutional care setting, should be given the support
they need to do so.</p><p> </p>
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