My Care Consultant has launched My Care Hub, which it described as an independent ‘one-stop-shop’ for care related advice, from advanced care planning and decision making, to becoming a family carer and those needing formal care.
The idea is to help carers and those in need of care to navigate the complexities of the UK adult social care systems, often for the first time.
Given an ageing population, research already suggests that 1 in 4 of us will need care at some point in our lives, and that 1 in 2 of us are likely to be unpaid carers by the time we reach age 50.
Recent commentary from a range of significant organisations, including the House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee, the ABI and ADASS, has identified a growing consumer need for access to timely and accurate information, advice and support, enabling them to make well-informed choices about their future care related needs.
My Care Hub is designed to help consumers to plan for the future. It offers access to financial and practical support when caring for an older adult, and support when they find themselves or a family member in need of adult care, right through to support with bereavement.
My Care Hub will initially be available only to clients of financial advice firms across the UK. It supports advisers to meet regulatory expectations in respect of Consumer Duty and Vulnerability, including the avoidance of foreseeable harm and the pursuit of the wider financial objectives of their clients.
Jacqueline Berry (pictured, above), Founding Director of My Care Consultant, said: “We established My Care Consultant in 2016 as an independent, nationwide care navigator service, and the need for quality care related advice has only increased over time. Consumers are having to navigate the plethora of ever complex rules and processes across the UK care systems, at a time when most are trying to address urgent needs, have no prior experience of doing so and are often in a state of stress and anxiety.”
“My Care Hub will enable us to make the extensive knowledge we have built up over time available to a far greater number of people. It will provide valuable support for advice firms, providing an automatic care referral system which will give their clients 24/7 access to much needed online information and guidance. One-to-one support from the expert care advisers at My Care Consultant is also available, as well as qualified signposting to related professional services such as legal advice, care provision, and property management support.”
Sarah Morris-Simpson, Retail Lending, Care and Proposition Services Director, Just Group, said: “Research for our annual Care Report consistently highlights that the vast majority of those accessing the care system find it difficult and stressful to navigate. Unpaid carers and those in need of care may represent a significant segment of vulnerable clients within an advice firm’s customer base, with the regulatory onus on the adviser to identify and understand the additional needs of these clients and their family members. We are delighted to partner with My Care Consultant to provide this truly valuable resource to advisers, ensuring their clients have easy access to accurate social care information and support in one place, presented in a way that cuts through the confusion and complexity.”
Keith Richards of the Financial Vulnerability Taskforce and Consumer Duty Alliance, said: “The demand for care advice and support will soon catch up with the evident need and we all need to be alert to the key role that financial planning is expected to play against Consumer Duty requirements to avoid foreseeable harm. It’s great that My Care Consultant are on the case to provide expert support and resources for the sector.”
Robin Melley, Founder of Matrix Capital, Chartered Financial Planners, said: “The ability to direct clients to an online ‘one stop shop’, providing self-service access to clear and accurate information, guidance and support for those who are caring for another adult, in need of care or are already in receipt of care, is in our view an invaluable service aligned to the regulator’s stance on both vulnerability and consumer duty. At Matrix Capital we have no hesitation in recommending this service to other firms, whether they are specialists in this area or not.”
