17Provision of information, advice and assistanceE+W
(1)A local authority must secure the provision of a service for providing people with—
(a)information and advice relating to care and support, and
(b)assistance in accessing care and support.
(2)In subsection (1)(a), “information” includes, but is not limited to, financial information (including information about direct payments).
(3)The local authority must seek to ensure that the service—
(a)is sufficient to enable a person to make plans for meeting needs for care and support that might arise, and
(b)provides information, advice and assistance to a person in a manner which is accessible to that person.
(4)The service must include, as a minimum, the publication of information and advice on the following matters—
(a)the system provided for by this Act and how the system operates in the authority's area,
(b)the types of care and support available in the authority's area,
(c)how to access the care and support that is available, and
(d)how to raise concerns about the well-being of a person who appears to have needs for care and support.
(5)A Local Health Board or an NHS Trust providing services in the area of a local authority must, for the purposes of this section, provide that local authority with information about the care and support it provides in the local authority's area.
(6)Two or more local authorities may jointly secure the provision of a service under this section for their combined area; and where they do so—
(a)references in this section to a local authority are to be read as references to the authorities acting jointly, and
(b)references in this section to a local authority's area are to be read as references to the combined area.
(7)In this section, “care and support” includes support for carers.
Commencement Information
I1S. 17 in force at 6.4.2016 by S.I. 2016/412, art. 2 (with art. 4, Schs. 1, 2)