Slicing up the pie: allocation of central government funding of care of older people

Authors:
DARTON Robin, et al
Journal article citation:
Social Policy and Administration, 44(5), October 2010, pp.529-553.
Publisher:
Wiley

This article discusses how resources are allocated to local authorities, and how they are important in providing an equitable system of delivery of social care. A variety of approaches have been used in the past, and the most recent uses a ‘needs-based’ formula. The Department of Health for England commissioned research in 2004 to inform the improvement and updating of the formula. The results of individual-level analyses were compared with the results obtained from analyses of ward-level data on service users. Both analyses were affected by problems of data availability, particularly the individual-level analysis, and the Department of Health and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister decided that the formula calculations should be based on the results of the small area analysis. Despite the differences in approach, both methods produced very similar results. The article outlines the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. It highlights developments that could allow a normative approach to incorporate future policy objectives into formulae that, to date, have been based on historical data and service patterns.

Subject terms:
local government finance, needs, older people, resource allocation, social care provision, central government, financing;
Location(s):
England
Link:
Journal home page
ISSN online:
1467-9515
ISSN print:
0144-5596

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