Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Adult Social Care

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/049

Contact: Ben Threadgold, Policy & Performance Service Manager Tel: 07867 467838

Report by Director for Adult Services (CA7).

The Adult Social Care Contributions Policy outlines how the Council ensures a fair approach to assessing the financial contributions made by people with eligible care needs towards the cost of the social care services they receive.

Social care is not necessarily a free service and the Care Act 2014 permits the Council to recover a reasonable charge from service users who have insuffiicent means to pay for services themselves.

A review of the Contributions Policy in 2017 identified several changes that would ensure a fairer and more consistent approach to assessing people’s financial contributions, simplify the process, and better align the Policy with the Care Act 2014. A public consultation on these proposals was held between January and April 2018 to gather people’s views on the potential impact of the changes. This paper proposes changes to the Contributions Policy as a result.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)      Consider the results of public consultation on the proposed changes to the Adult Social Care Contributions Policy,

(b)      Approve the recommended policy changes, and

(c)      Approve the implementation of the policy changes from October 2018

Recommendation agreed.

Cabinet had before them a report seeking approval of a revised Adult Social Care Contributions Policy that outlined how the Council would ensure a fair approach to assessing the financial contributions made by people with eligible care needs towards the cost of the social care services they receive.

A review of the Contributions Policy in 2017 identified several changes that would ensure a fairer and more consistent approach to assessing people’s financial contributions, simplify the process, and better align the Policy with the Care Act 2014. A public consultation on these proposals was held between January and April 2018 to gather people’s views on the potential impact of the changes.

Councillor Afridi, Shadow Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, spoke against the proposals querying what message it sent to the Council’s residents particularly the elderly and vulnerable. Councillor Afridi referred to the proposal to charge people the full cost of home care services, based on what care providers actually charge the Council, rather than an average hourly rate which she felt would be perceived by the public as a post code lottery. Councillor Afridi stated that direct provision of services was the way forward.

Councillor Bartholomew responded commenting that it was not a postcode lottery but was about reflecting the true cost of services provided where a person lived. He added that those affected were self-funders and there was no reason for them to pay less than the going rate. It was about looking for equality for everyone. Councillor Stratford, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, added that the proposal was about being fair and more transparent in the distribution of funds. Self-funders have sufficient funds to source their own provision and choose to come to the Council. Three-quarters will have no change or pay less. All saving would be reinvested in adult social care for those who needed it most.  It was not a new principle and most Councils were already doing it that way. Benedict Leigh, added that the increase would be no more than £30 and 1,300 would be better off. Referring to the direct provision of services Councillor Stratford stated that this was being reviewed in line with the decision at full Council.

Responding to questions from Cabinet, Benedict Leigh explained that the savings being reinvested would benefit older people receiving care at home.

Councillor Stratford moved the recommendations:

RESOLVED:            to:

(a)      consider the results of public consultation on the proposed changes to the Adult Social Care Contributions Policy,

(b)      approve the recommended policy changes, and

(c)          approve the implementation of the policy changes from October 2018.