Plans to create a single legal framework for social workers dealing with adult care, look set to go ahead.

The Law Commission's plan won 'unanimous support' from leading figures within the sector, who want the 'confusing and complex' assessment framework changed.

At present, there are a number of duties that must be considered by those in social work jobs, when assessing people for community care services. The commission described the method as 'overlapping, complex and confusing,' which is why one legal framework is needed.

According to the story in Community Care, law commissioner, Frances Patterson said respondents were strongly in favour of their proposal to institute a single duty to assess in law, which would be applied when a person shows signs of needing care which could be met by local care services.

This is similar to the current duty under section 47 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. The commission will publish the final plans for the single statute for social care in April 2010.

There were a number of other areas that also received universal backing, which included a duty to co-operate between councils and other social care agencies, powers for councils to assess children aged 16 or over for adult services to encourage a smooth transition and plans for a legal framework, which enables users to move areas, but to retain access to services.

Patterson said: "The consultation process has gone extremely well, we are satisfied that it has been comprehensive."

The commission's final report will be published on 28 April 2011, following calls from the government to bring the date forward from the summer.