Decision details

Date of Decision:

21 July 2021

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Anne Marie Lubanski

Strategic Director, Adult Care, Housing and Public Health

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

Non-specific

Brief Description of Decision:

To allocate 70% (£376,892) of the Rapid Testing Fund Round III in accordance with the mandatory grant conditions, and to distribute the 30% (£165,700) discretionary element as set out below.

Additional guidance has been issued indicating that £35,549 of the 30% discretionary element should be ringfenced for Community Care providers in respect of the associated costs of PCR testing.

It is proposed to offer a range of organisations the opportunity to bid for a grant from the discretionary fund.

These organisations are:

·       Any CQC registered provider of residential care to adults with a registered location in Rotherham.  This includes care homes for older people and under 65 provision, including smaller homes to implement lateral flow testing as they may face relatively higher costs compared to larger homes.

·       Supported Living Providers.

·       Extra Care Housing Providers.

The above is in line with the conditions of the 30% discretionary grant.

In terms of reviewing the applications, these will be considered in this order of priority:

·       Supported Living Providers – providers not able to access the 70% mandatory grant.

·       Extra Care Housing Providers – providers not able to access the 70% mandatory grant.

·       Smaller care homes – as they may face relatively higher costs compared to larger homes.

·       Any CQC registered provider of residential care to adults with a registered location in Rotherham.  This includes larger care homes for older people and under 65 provision.

For care homes, the provider will need to have spent (or forecast to have spent due to the timescales of the reporting) their mandatory allocation (70% element).

This element will be allocated based on an assessment of the emerging risks, and in line with the wider testing strategy.

The providers will be asked to certify actual expenditure at the end of the reporting period and any unspent allocations returned to the council.

Any unspent grant funding is to be returned to Government.

Reasons for the Decision:

On 2 July 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced the extension of the Infection Control and Testing Fund 2021. The Fund has now been extended until 30 September 2021 and will provide an additional £251 million to support Adult Social Care.

The Council has been allocated £542,592 from the Rapid Testing Fund Round III.

The two grants do have some distinctions in how the monies are to be distributed. Both parts of the Fund are time limited, and need to be spent by 30 September 2021, and have clear eligibility criteria.

The Council has facilitated the distribution of the specified 70% of the Rapid Testing Fund in accordance with the mandatory grant conditions. If a provider refuses its allocation the funding will be added to the 30% discretionary element, in accordance with the grant conditions. This is recorded via the Record of Officer Executive Decision from the Strategic Director of Adults, Housing and Public Health.  

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

None considered.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Executive Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

No conflicts of interest declared.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

N/A.

Reports or parts of reports considered

None considered.