The Director of Adult Social Services presented a report which gave details of the outcome of consultation with independent residential and nursing home providers regarding the fees option proposals as agreed by Cabinet at its meeting on 18 October 2012 (minute 102 refers). 

The report also detailed a further revised option which had been developed in response to feedback received during the consultation period and which should be consulted on. The proposals had been considered with due regard to the Council’s priority to safeguard vulnerable adults and promote choice and control. The Council had a statutory duty to set a fee level that enabled efficiently run care homes to provide care that was compliant with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Essential Standards of Quality and Safety Regulations 2010. 

Resolved – That Cabinet:

(1)  Considers the new fee level Option, as described in Section 5 of the report, that has been developed using a Model of a 37 bedded home and 95% occupancy that responds to the feedback from home owners.

(2)  Consults with home owners for a further four weeks to ascertain views on the New fee level Option including that the increased offer is made to cover the period of two years, i.e. 2012/13 and 2013/14.

(3)  Agrees to additional resources being allocated to the Department of Adult Social Services to take account of the costs of implementing the proposals.

(4)  Adjusts the previously agreed recommendation to collect ‘top ups’ with effect from 1 April 2013 to 1 September 2013 in order to consider the debt management issues potentially raised by this policy.

(5)  Amends its resolution of 18 October 2012 so as to authorise the Director of Adult Social Services to serve not less than three months notice of termination of all contracts with homeowners for residential and nursing care at pre-April 2011 fee levels in those cases where the homeowners have accepted residents since April 2011 at the current fee levels (with or without third party top ups) on the Council’s usual terms and conditions with the intent that the current contract at post-April 2011 fee levels should encompass all residents in the relevant home without differentiating between their date of entry into the home.