The Interim Assistant Director, Strategic Commissioning and Integrated Services presented the report which described the outcome of the annual engagement exercise with the Local Community Care Market for fee rates to be paid to care providers for 2024/2025. The service areas that the rates and fees covered were Residential and Nursing care, Supported Living, Extra Care, Care and Support at Home, Direct Payments, Shared Lives and Specialist residential placements. It was reported that a comprehensive exercise was undertaken and the Council has allocated to meet the funds and the new demand for both the increase in the national minimum wage and the real living wage a total of £10.4million for the next financial year. The emphasis was on meeting local need and providers in the sector had been listened to regarding the continued challenges of recruitment into the sector. The funds made available to the Council through the market sustainability improvement fund were at £7.8million and the Council had committed to meet the requirement for both the national minimum wage and the real living wage at £10.4million. An increase in specialist fees of 4.6 percent was proposed. For last years rates and fees there were substantial increases in many sectors of up to 18 or 19 percent, in particular for residential and nursing and all of the funds made available to the Council were allocated last year in the sum of £14.1million. For 2024-2025 wages for frontline staff were prioritised with the funds that had been made available to the Council.

Members discussed training and in particular dementia training. It was reported that providers delivering dementia care registered under the Care Quality Commission are required to provide dementia training to staff. It was clarified to Members that the real living wage rate was included in the direct payments for employers to pay their frontline staff. Members discussed the importance of staff retention and the biggest challenge was the sufficiency of domiciliary care. It was explained that the Council had used the resources that were available to give as much as possible to the care sector.

Resolved – That the rates as set out in sections 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 of this report to apply, with effect from 1 April 2024, to services commissioned by the Council and jointly commissioned services between the Council and NHS Cheshire and Mersey Integrated Care Board (ICB), in relation to Residential and Nursing Care, Supported Living, Extra Care, Care and Support at Home, Direct Payments and Shared Lives be approved.