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This report provided information regarding the Social Care Policy Review. Members were informed that the Council had a current Adult Social Care charging and financial assessment policy which came into effect on 1 April 2015.

It covered charging information for both residential care and non-residential care. This report set out the result of an officer review of the provisions of the current policy. Further to the review, it was proposed that Adult Social Care should operate with two key charging policies.

The current policy was split in two and strengthened to include more information which allows for a clear and transparent approach to charging, the two key policies drafted are:

·  Residential Charging Policy – Appendix 1

·  Community Services Charging Policy (previously referred to as Non-Residential) – Appendix 2

The adoption by the Council of a revision to current policy is recommended. Both charging policies will be subject to public consultation, therefore this was an in-principal decision, pending feedback from the consultation process. The new policies do not fundamentally change existing policy, they do however provide significantly more detail to enable people to make decisions regarding charging. Examples were provided to help make the policy  more understandable to people that contribute towards their social care costs. The new policy did not directly impact current charging arrangements.

Members noted the complexity of the charging policy and requested that any future documents be presented in an accessible, readable format.

Resolved – that

1.  the draft charging policies, as set out in Appendix 1 and 2 of the report  be approved and the Director of Care and Health be authorised  to undertake public consultation on both policies.

2. the Director of Care and Health be authorised, in consultation with the Chair and Spokespersons to finalise both policies following receipt of any feedback from the public consultation.

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