Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

Community care law specialists martin searle solicitors offer FREE community care law training for voluntary advice agencies

After years of consultation and controversy, the new National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare (also known as continuing care funding) and NHS Funded Nursing Care will be implemented in October.

The Government says that decisions on whether an individual qualifies for fully funded care or a nursing care contribution will now be “fairer, faster and easier to understand”. The goal is to ensure consistent access to funded care and clear national policies for deciding eligibility.

Community care law specialists Brighton-based martin searle solicitors (www.ms-solicitors.co.uk) are running a FREE seminar to help voluntary sector advisers understand the changes and ensure they continue to give clients quality advice.

Community care law solicitor martin searle solicitors’ Cate Searle says: “This seminar will increase advisers’ awareness of this changing area of law and practice, providing an introduction to those unfamiliar with the issues and building on the knowledge and confidence of those who already have some understanding of the subject.”

Topics to be covered include:

•What is NHS Continuing Healthcare?
•What is NHS Funded Nursing Care?
•Understanding the eligibility criteria
•Understanding decisions – applying the law to the facts
•Challenging decisions – procedure and tactics
•Retrospective decisions
•Understanding the overlap and difference between NHS funding and local authority funding
•Section 117 of the Mental Health Act, after care services and free care

The session will finish with a number of case studies to illustrate how the law can help clients challenge wrong decisions.

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For further info about the event or continuing care funding contact Cate Searle on 01273 609911 or cate@ms-solicitors.co.uk.

Visit www.ms-solicitors.co.uk for more information.

For further media information about martin searle solicitors contact Belinda Gannaway on 01273 551448.

Notes to editors:

martin searle solicitors is Sussex’s leading specialist in the area of continuing care law and is one of only two law firms in the region with a Legal Services Commission community care law Specialist Quality Mark. The firm offers affordable community care law advice relating to all issues in community care law. This includes needs assessments, waiting lists and eligibility, charges and funding, accommodation, respite care, hospital discharge, care in the home and service reduction.

NHS continuing care is a fully-funded package of health and social care. If individuals aren't eligible for continuing care, they may be eligible for an NHS registered nursing care contribution provided in a nursing home. Currently, this funding is a tiered system based on the level of input required, but the Framework proposes to streamline this so that the NHS provides the same contribution to everyone receiving this type of care. When individuals do not receive NHS funding, social care provision is subject to means-testing by the Local Authority. In addition, individuals who own their own home may be able to enter into a deferred payment agreement with the Local authority to delay the sale of their homes.