Issue - meetings

Report from the Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.

Recommendations:

That approval is given to consult on a new Adult Care Charging Policy, that includes both non-residential and residential charging and will include consideration of the following areas:

1. The removal of the maximum charge for non-residential care,  ...  view the full agenda text for item 157

Consideration was given to the report which provided an update on the proposed review of the Non-Residential Charing Policy. The Policy was last reviewed in 2019 and focused on ensuring ongoing compliance with charging regulations and to ensure equity in approach to charging for all who received services and required  ...  view the full minutes text for item 157

Report from the Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.

Recommendations:

That approval is given to consult on a new Adult Care Charging Policy, that includes both non-residential and residential charging and will include consideration of the following areas:

1. The removal of the maximum charge for non-residential care, while maintaining the minimum charge of £1. Recommended.

2. The introduction of an administrative charge for organising care for people who fund their own care. Recommended.

3. The inclusion of all disability benefits when carrying out non-residential financial assessments for services. Not Recommended.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health presented the report explaining that the Council charges for social care based on the ability to pay. The policies for non-residential charges were last reviewed in 2019, and it was recommended that another review be undertaken after five years. The report sought approval to consult on introducing two changes to the non-residential element of the policy and incorporating residential charging into a new combined policy.

Regarding the proposal to abolish the maximum charge it was noted that the current policy capped the amount charged for home care, direct payments, and support for living at the standard rate for in-borough residential care (£690 a week). The proposal was to remove this cap, affecting those assessed as able to pay more but currently subsidised by others.

Concerning the proposal to charge a feel for arranging care for self-funders it was noted that the Council had the right to charge for arranging care for people who funded their care themselves. The proposed fee was around £250 a year, affecting 224 people currently in this category.

As regards to the proposal regarding the inclusion of all disability benefits in financial assessments, it was noted that this proposal was considered but not recommended for inclusion in the consultation.

The consultation would be conducted through an online questionnaire and face-to-face drop-in sessions over a 12-week period during the summer. Letters would be issued to inform people of their opportunity to provide feedback. The outcome of the consultation exercise would inform a future joint residential and non-residential charging policy for adult social care, subject to Cabinet approval before the end of 2025.

The Strategic Director for Adult Care, Housing and Public Health clarified that this was part of the process in terms of seeking approval to consult but explained that the Council had gone through a process of reviewing the non-residential policy and upon legal advice, felt the residential and non-residential charging policies should be combined. This would be a new policy even though there would not be any material changes.

The Chair highlighted that additional benchmarking information had been circulated by email outside of the meeting to members of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

The Chair invited members of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board (OSMB) to raise questions and queries on the points raised earlier.

Councillor McKiernan asked for clarification on what the lower middle rate and higher rate was? The Strategic Director for Adult Care, Housing and Public Health explained that the numerous benefits discussed came at different rates depending on the assessment that the person had received in terms of their needs by benefit agencies. There could be a lower rate and a higher rate or different rates within that which were dependent on the assessment for the disability benefit. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health explained that people were asked a number of questions about things such as feeding, washing, their mobility, and interactions with the social environment etc.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 120