Agenda

- guidance note below

Any county councillor may, by giving notice to the Proper Officer by 9 am three working days before the meeting, ask a question on an item on the agenda.

The number of questions which may be asked by any councillor at any one meeting is limited to two (or one question with notice and a supplementary question at the meeting) and the time for questions will be limited to 30 minutes in total. As with questions at Council, any questions which remain unanswered at the end of this item will receive a written response.

Members of the public who wish to speak on an item on the agenda at this meeting, or present a petition, can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection.

Requests to present a petition must be submitted no later than 9am ten working days before the meeting.

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting.

Requests should be submitted to committeesdemocraticservices@oxfordshire.gov.uk

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you may submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that if the technology fails, then your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9am on the day of the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

Cabinet will receive the report and recommendations of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Adult Social Care Charging Policy

Cabinet Member: Adults

Forward Plan Ref: 2026/079

Key decision

Contact: Jake Finley, Project Manager

Jake.finley@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by the Director of Adult Social Care

The Adult Social Care (ASC) Charging Policy Review is a major programme to modernise, align and consolidate Oxfordshire County Council’s charging arrangements across three core areas: Disability Related Expenditure (DRE), Transport Charging, and Telecare Charging. The project brings previously separate policies together into a single, coherent ASC Charging Policy to improve fairness, transparency, sustainability, and financial viability for the Council and service users.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

Note the contents of this report and confirm its agreement for

a.    Reducing the initial Disability Related Expenditure (DRE) allowance from 35% to 25% which is the level that was in place before April 2022,

b.    Introducing an Adult Social Care Transport Policy (Annex 2) that explains the council’s approach to transport and sets out a flat rate of £10 per day for transport arranged by Adult Social Care,

c.    Charge all people using the telecare the actual cost of the service at £9.87 per week. 

It is RECOMMENDED that the public be excluded for the duration of item 7 since it is likely that if they were present during that item there would be disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and specified below in relation to those items and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 

THE ITEM HAS NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC AND SHOULD BE REGARDED AS ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ BY MEMBERS AND OFFICERS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THEM. THIS ALSO MEANS THAT THE CONTENTS SHOULD NOT BE DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS AND NO COPIES SHOULD BE MADE

Cabinet Member: Adults

Forward Plan Ref: 2026/061

Key decision

Contact: Naomi Taviner, Head of Joint Commissioning Brokerage

Naomi.taviner@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report of the Director of Adult Social Care

The information contained in this report is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed category Paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

The Oxfordshire Care Partnership is a joint venture between Order of St Johns Care Trust and BPHA, operating under a Project Agreement to maintain council-owned care homes and provide care services. The contract began in 2001 and was extended in 2013 to 2032. Options for service delivery and home management will apply from April 2027. Approval is sought to complete negotiations and vary the existing contract.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)    Consider and approve the recommendations outlined in the exempt report.