Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health.

This report outlines the commissioning proposals and 2020/21 fee setting for the most significant areas of externally commissioned service provision for adults with care needs: Care Homes in Stockport; Home Support to enable people to live in their homes for longer; Day Care Services and Learning Disability Services.

The report is designed to be considered in the context of budget setting proposals and is intended to clarify the fee changes position for 2019/20 to allow for early implementation at the start of the financial year. This will provide financial certainty to the market and support care providers with their cash flow. It will also prevent internal inefficiency caused by the need to make back payments as well as conforming to good commissioning and procurement practices.

The Cabinet is recommended to endorse and agree the approach set out in this paper and to give approval to the proposed fee uplifts.

Officer Contact: Vincent Fraga on 0161 474 4401 or email: vincent.fraga@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Adult Care & Health submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Cabinet to consider the 2020/21 fee setting recommendations for the most significant areas of externally commissioned services within Adult Social Care.

RESOLVED – That the Annual Residential / Nursing and Home Care Fee setting approach, including fee uplifts as set out in the report, be approved.

To consider a report of the Borough Treasurer.

The report is designed to be considered in the context of budget setting proposals and describes the recommended fee increase for 2020/21. This will allow for implementation at the start of the financial year and will provide financial certainty to the market, supporting care providers with their cash flow, as well as supporting the process for assessment of client contributions. It will also prevent internal inefficiency caused by the need to make back payments as well as conforming to good commissioning, procurement practices and will meet both policy and legislative requirements.

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

Officer contact:  Vincent Fraga on 0161-474-4401 or email: vincent.fraga@stockport.gov.uk

Representatives of the Director for Adult Social Care and the Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the 2020/21 fee setting recommendations for the most significant areas of externally commissioned services within Adult Social Care. The following services were included within the scope of this report:-

• Residential and nursing care homes
• Homecare provision offered within an individual’s home
• Day care services
• Learning disability services
• Other non-residential care management services.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health (Councillor Jude Wells) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

• The ongoing dialogue with care homes and domiciliary providers was of particular importance.
• It was important that standards of care were driven up, but also that the standards at work for care workers, as well as their wellbeing, were also improved.
• There were three tiers in the system and providers were allocated to tiers based on their score across a number of domains which had different weightings – namely quality, price and engagement with the health and social care economy. The system of tiers helped improve Officers’ intelligence and helped to create leverage in the market. The providers who offered affordable as well as quality care were called upon first.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and updates be provided to the Scrutiny Committee through the Portfolio Performance and Resources reports.