Issue - meetings

Adult Social Care - Fair Cost of Care

Meeting: 07/02/2023 - Cabinet (Item 12)

12 Adult Social Care - Fair Cost of Care pdf icon PDF 110 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Background:

 

This report updated the Cabinet on the latest position in relation to the Fair Cost of Care nationally and locally in Medway. It explained that the Council was required to publish the Cost of Care Exercise Reports on the Medway Council website. It was also required to submit and publish its final Market Sustainability Plan.

 

The report explained that the Government’s Autumn Statement had announced a delay to the national rollout of the social care charging reforms. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) had confirmed maintaining current levels of Fair Cost of Care funding for local authorities for the next two years.

 

An Exempt Appendix to the report set out the draft Market Sustainability Plan. It was noted that the final version of the Plan would be published on the Council’s website by 27 March 2023.

 

It was noted that in line with rule 15.11 of Chapter 4, Part 5 of the Constitution, call-in could be waived where any delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or the Public’s interests. In this case, there was an urgent need to publish the Cost of Care Exercise reports on the Council’s website in order to meet DHSC requirements. On this occasion it was proposed that the call-in period be waived to prevent any further delay in publishing the reports. The Chairman of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed that the decisions proposed were reasonable in all the circumstances and to them being treated as a matter of urgency and to waive call-in. 

 

Decision

number:

 

Decision:

 

29/2023

The Cabinet approved the publication of the Cost of Care Exercise Reports, as set out at Appendix 2 and Appendix 3 to the report.

 

30/2023

The Cabinet agreed in principle the publication and submission to the Department of Health and Social Care of the Market Sustainability Plan, as set out in the Exempt Appendix of the report and agreed to delegate authority to the Director of People - Children and Adults, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Adults’ Services, to finalise the Market Sustainability Plan following receipt of feedback from the Department for Health and Social Care.

 

31/2023

The Cabinet agreed that recommendation 10.1 was considered urgent and therefore should not be subject to call-in.

 

Reasons:

 

This report updated the Cabinet on the latest position in relation to the Fair Cost of Care nationally and locally in Medway. The Council is required to publish the Cost of Care Exercise Reports on the Medway Council website. It is also required to submit and publish its final Market Sustainability Plan.

 

Waiving of call-in enables publication of the Cost of Care Exercise reports on the Council’s website in order to meet DHSC requirements.