Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Supporting Adults)

This report details the outcome of the recent review of Council Adult Social Care Fees for Care Homes and Care Homes with Nursing. It proposes fee uplift for the current financial year with an effective implementation date of 6 April 2015 . It also proposes a further light touch review in February 2016 to confirm a settlement figure for 2016/17 in light of the introduction of the national living wage and identifies the need for a commissioning strategy within the Stockport Together programme ahead of the formal pooled budget for 2016/17.

The Executive is asked to agree:

·         the proposed fee uplift as detailed in section 6.6 (Table 4) for the current financial year with an effective implementation date of 6th April 2015;

·         to develop a joint strategic commissioning strategy within the Stockport Together programme ahead of the development of further formal pooled budget arrangements on 1 April 2016;

·         to undertake a light touch review in February 2016 to take into account the final settlement for social care locally and to incorporate where appropriate the work of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ North West Finance & Resources Group to clarify the potential scale of the financial impact of the National Living Wage on social care budgets across the region.

Officer contact: Vincent Fraga, 0161 474 4401, vincent.fraga@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Supporting Adults) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive to consider the outcome of a review of Council fees for care homes and care homes with nursing care. The outcome of the review was a proposal to increase the fee for the current financial year (payment backdated to April 2015). It was hoped that the uplift would ensure more sustainable services and fees that reflected the cost of providing the service.

The Executive Councillor further report that a further ‘light touch’ review would take place in February 2016 and that it was anticipated that care home services would in time be procured through a joint commissioning approach with the Clinical Commissioning Group.

RESOLVED – That in relation to Adult Social Care Fees for Care Homes and Care Homes with Nursing:-

·         The proposed fee uplift as detailed in the table below be approved for the current financial year with an effective implementation date of 6 April 2015

·         a joint strategic commissioning strategy within the Stockport Together Programme be developed ahead of the development of further formal pooled budget arrangements on 1 April 2016;

·         a light touch review be undertaken in February 2016 to take into account the final settlement for social care locally and to incorporate where appropriate the work of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ North West Finance & Resources Group to clarify the potential scale of the financial impact of the National Living Wage on social care budgets across the region.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Service to People.

The report contains the proposals for the uplift in residential and nursing fees for the current year and 16/17 and what may arise from those proposals.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Vincent Fraga on 474 4401 or email: vincent.fraga@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Service to People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the outcome of the recent review of Council Adult Social Care Fees for Care Homes and Care Homes with Nursing. The report proposes a fee uplift for the current financial year with an effective implementation date of 6 April 2015.  It also proposes a further light touch review in February 2016 to confirm a settlement figure for 2016/17 in light of the introduction of the national living wage and identifies the need for a commissioning strategy within the Stockport Together programme ahead of the formal pooled budget for 2016/17.

The Executive Councillors for Supporting Adults (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The report was due to be amended prior to its submission to the Executive to allow for the inclusion of additional technical information.

·         It was commented that the Council was only able to claim back £112 from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in terms of nursing costs.  However there remained a nursing ‘excess’ which was what the Council paid to the provider per bed per week for nursing in excess of what could be claimed from the CCG.  It was stated that this was a national issue and a review was due to take place into this matter.

·         A discussion took place around the reduction in cost that sharing a room attracted and why this was not extended to married and established co-habiting couples or those who chose to share a room.  In response, it was stated that the reduction was intended to be a reflection of the less advantageous nature of shared accommodation which was not a factor when the occupants willingly shared.

·         Work had been undertaken to reprovision the allocation of GPs to residential care homes to provide additional support as means of reducing the number of unplanned hospital admissions from these facilities.

·         Further information was requested on the level of capital investment in those homes owned by the Council but run by Borough Care.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Executive be recommended to give approval to the recommendations contained within the report pertaining to the proposed fee uplift; the development of a joint strategic commissioning strategy within the Stockport Together programme; and the ongoing work to clarify the potential scale of the financial impact of the National Living Wage on social care budgets.

(2) That the Corporate Director for People be requested to submit a report to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee with regard to capital investment in residential care homes owned by the Council and operated by Borough Care.