Community care and social services.

The aim of community care is to enable people with various types of disability to live in their own homes, rather than in institutions. This involves the provision of support and services at home by various agencies. After a critical report in 1986 identified problems with coordination and flexibility of community care services, the white paper Caring for People (1989) stated the government's aim to provide a "needs led," responsive range of services, promoting maximum independence of those wishing to live at home rather than enter institutional care. New arrangements were introduced in 1993, involving a formal assessment procedure and the production of a personalized care plan for each individual, incorporating services provided by private and voluntary agencies as well as by social services departments. This article describes the components of community care services supplied by local social services authorities, including housing adaptations, equipment, telephones and alarms, home care, meals, and respite care.