Social care is essential for most people at some time in their life. It embraces the most intimate care for people, often at times of great distress. It is about helping people and their carers to live independent lives.

The new Government policy is built on two key reforms that Liberal Democrats have been campaigning for over the last decade.

The first is that people – and not service providers – will have control over their care. By extending the roll out of personal budgets, first proposed by the Liberal Democrats in 2004, we will give individuals the freedom to decide what their money is spent on. By 2013 councils will provide everyone who wants one and is eligible with a personal budget.

The second key reform, that Liberal Democrats have consistently championed, is guaranteed respite care. We believe that this is a lifeline – not just for carers but for whole families. The Coalition Government’s vision for social care will deliver on our Party’s manifesto commitment to provide guaranteed respite care by making over £400million available in additional funding over the next four years to hundreds of thousands of carers.

These changes include a committment to invest £2billion into social care by 2014/15.

Councillor Allan Siao Ming Witherick is the Liberal Democrat spokesman for Adult Care Services on the County Council.