Decision details

Currently charges for customers of Adults and Health in receipt of home care, are calculated on the basis of one individual care worker providing care to them, regardless of the actual number. 

The maximum assessed charge (MAC) cap that any individual is asked to pay according to a financial assessment per week is currently set at £482.

All customers of Adults and Health were invited to respond to a consultation exercise concluding in August after a period of 8 weeks.

The key decision required is in response to this consultation, in combination with financial modelling regarding these proposed changes, and their impact:

·  Removal of the MAC cap

·  Basing financial assessments on the full cost of providing homecare services where one or more carers are required and assessing chargeable contribution against this.

There are a variety of options regarding implementation, with respective variances impacting output.  To give a high level overview of the financial impact of these changes:

·  £1.4m 2:1

·  £1.8m MAC cap removal

The Director of Adults and Health submitted a report presenting the outcomes from the consultation undertaken regarding the review of charging for non-residential Adult Social Care services. Specifically, the report provided options and made recommendations for changes to charging.

In introducing the report, the Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships provided a detailed overview of the changes to the Council’s current non-residential care charging policy which were being proposed and the reasons for such proposals. Information was also provided on the measures proposed to monitor and mitigate against the impact on those affected, as detailed within the submitted report.

Responding to Members’ enquiries, the Board received further detail on the financial basis for the proposal, the number of service users who would be affected, the phased approach being proposed, how the impact upon service users would be monitored and the affected individuals supported, with Members also receiving further detail regarding the level of response received in relation to the associated consultation exercise.

As part of the review process and in response to a Member’s specific request, it was undertaken that Executive Board Members would receive briefing papers at 6 and 12 months in order to monitor how the changes were progressing and the impact that they were having.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That changes to the current charging policy, as detailed within the submitted report, be approved, so that where more than one care worker is required to deliver home care services at the same time, the customer is required to contribute towards the costs of all workers present;

(b)  That approval be given to the removal of the Maximum Assessed Charge (MAC) cap of £482 a week;

(c)  That it be noted that the approach for the implementation of such matters will be a phased approach; with it being noted that the approach is recommended to be a staggered percentage increase, with charges increasing by 25% of the difference between the current charges and the new charges initially; by a further 25% after 3 months, a further 25% after 6 months: and with customers expected to pay the full amount of their new charges after 9 months;

(d)  That further to resolution (b) above, it be noted that the charging policy will be amended so that customers in Supported Living will be charged for this service at the cost of their individual Placement Agreement (subject to financial assistance);

(e)  That it be noted that the officer responsible for the implementation of the decision to amend the charging structure will be the Chief Officer of Resources & Strategy;

(f)  That it be noted that an update on the impact of this decision will be brought to Executive Board within six months of its implementation, with it also being noted (as detailed above), that Executive Board Members would receive briefing papers at 6 and 12 months in order to monitor how the changes were progressing and the impact that they were having.

The Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adults was consulted on 9^th November 2021

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