Issue - meetings

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

This report outlines the commissioning proposals and 2022/23 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 main points for consideration in this report are:

·         Recognition of the impact on the care sector in 2021/22 and financial risks and challenges into 2022/23.

·         Acknowledge challenges on workforce recruitment and retention, impact of National Insurance increase, current levels of inflation, uplifts to NLW / RLW, impact on occupancy levels from outbreaks of infection within care homes.

·         Uncertainty about further grant funding to support the care sector into 2022/23. Acknowledging the significant grant funding the Council has provided to the local care sector over the last two years.

·         Investment within fee setting paper of £6.323m illustrates the continued priority to support Adult Social Care providers and support market sustainability.

The Cabinet is asked to endorse and agree the approach set out in this paper; and recommend that the Council Meeting gives approve the proposed uplift at the meeting on 31 March 2022.

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

The Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health (Councillor Jude Wells) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the commissioning proposals and 2022/23 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 Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance stated that there was an amendment to Section 15.3 of the report such that the following additional points were to be included within the narrative:-

·         Stockport Council has been providing investment since 2019/20 to allow for the real living wage to be provided to care home staff in residential and nursing homes in Stockport and those social care staff providing homecare where their employer agreed to adhering with our ethical framework, with some providers achieving accreditation with the Real Living Wage foundation to be recognised as a ‘real living wage employer’;

·         We continue to invest in social care and our ambition is to move all our fee rates for social care services to a level that reflects the real living wage as soon as possible during 2022/23 and expect this to be done in the within the first half of 2022/23 and where possible within Quarter 1;

·         The Cabinet has asked officers to ensure that the Council is a living wage accredited organisation as soon as possible and we are working with STAR procurement to do this; and,

·         The Council will also be signing up to the GM Good Employment Charter as soon as possible.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to the fee setting approach, including fee uplifts as set out in the report.

To consider a report of the Director of Adult Services.

This report outlines the 2022/23 fee setting recommendations for the most significant areas of externally commissioned services within Adult Social Care.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to note the report and provide comment on the approach for proposed fee increases for 2022/23 ahead of the paper being presented to Cabinet for approval on the 15th March 2022.

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

A representative of the Director of Adult Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) which outlined the 2022/23 fee setting recommendations for the most significant areas of externally commissioned services within Adult Social Care.

It was reported that since the publication of the report, an updated fee setting report would be presented to Cabinet on 15 March 2022 to accelerate the council’s ambition for services, which have a national living wage as a basis of cost of care modelling, to provide the real living wage in the next few months.

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

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·      Welcomed the council’s investment and accelerated ambition for providers to pay the real living wage as a reflection of the commitment and dedication of social care staff.

·      Raised concerns in relation to the recruitment and retention of staff in the care sector and whether the withdrawal of the mandatory vaccination for social care staff would see staff return to their posts.

·      In response it was stated that at this time the impact of the withdrawal of the mandatory vaccination was unknown, however the service was hopeful that if staff valued their position, they would seek reappointment. It was reported that almost 80 members of staff lost their position as a result of the mandatory vaccination and it was disappointing, given the success of the vaccine roll out in care homes, that a number of staff chose not to have the vaccine and lost their position as a result.

·      It was noted that a key driver for supporting the external market was its ability to reduce the number of hospital admissions and respond appropriately to hospital discharges and an update was requested on the progress of this work.

·      In response, members were advised that the Omicron variant had posed a challenge to the number of hospital discharges and as a result, increased the level of individuals being delayed discharge, however the council had continued to work together with the local Foundation Trust and Stockport CCG to ensure that the discharge to assess process was able to support the very significant pressures across the health and social care system.

·      Whether it was predicted that the increased costs of the hospital discharge programme would create savings in the long term.

·      In response it was stated that it was expected that by working more efficiently and through increased capacity in the provider market, it would afford savings in the long term.

·      In response to a question in relation to the increase in government funding and the impact of the overall budget, it was stated that Stockport was due to receive £0.866m in 2022/23 from the Fair Cost of Care Fund to enable the council to prepare its markets for reform and move towards paying providers a fair cost of care.

·      Raised concerns in relation to care home residents who were unable to pay the increase in their cost of care.

·      In response, members were advised that fairer charging policies were in place to safeguard and support residents who were unable to meet the costs of their care and where the assets of an individual were assessed as being below the set threshold, they would receive a significant reduction in the fees expected.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) Requested that an update report be provided at the June meeting of the Committee.