Jayne Marshall, Community Care Lead Commissioner introduced the report of the Director of Care and Health which outlined the outcome of the annual engagement exercise with the Local Community Care Market for fee rates to be paid to care providers for 2021/2022, which included Residential and Nursing, Supported Living, Extra Care, Care and Support at Home and Direct Payments.

The report set out the duty on the Local Authority to promote diversity and quality in the care and support provider market to produce a sustainable and diverse range of care and support providers to deliver good quality and cost-effective services. As part of this, the Council must set what fees it pays to care home providers in an open, fair and transparent way, which takes into account the providers’ costs, efficiencies and planned outcomes for people using services. The Committee was advised that the fee setting had taken into account the legitimate current and future costs, as well as incentivising providers to pay the Real Living Wage.

Resolved – That

1)  approval be given to the rates that apply to services commissioned by Wirral Council and jointly commissioned services between Wirral Council and NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), in relation to Residential and Nursing, Supported Living, Extra Care, Care and Support at home and Direct Payments, as detailed in the report.

2)  approval be given to the backdating of the rates to apply from 1 April 2021.