Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Social Care and Health

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Social Care and Health in relation to the additional Social Care Funding /Improved Better Care Fund (iBCF) that had been made available to Sefton under the Better Care Fund programme and sought approval of the recommendations for its utilisation.

Decision Made:      That Cabinet:

(1)      note the objectives and conditions for the usage of the iBCF grant;

(2)      approve the proposals for the utilisation of the grant as set out in Paragraph 6.5 of this report;

(3)      with respect to the usage of the grant for care sector fees, approve the following;

a.       Allocation of £2.1m from the Adult Social Care Grant to provide additional funding for fee increases.

b.       The proposed Domiciliary Care fee for 2017/18.

c.       Reaffirm the delegated authority to make any decisions regarding the setting of the remaining fees and of all ASC fees in future years to the Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care, in conjunction with the Head of Adult Social Care and the Head of Corporate Resources, with the proviso that such decisions are made within the resources available in the MTFP (including any additional allocation made by Cabinet as a result of this report) pending the outcome of consultation with Providers.

d.       Authorise officers to conduct further work on potential mitigations which could reduce the overall budgetary impact of fee increases and to report back to Cabinet on any proposed changes;

4)       note that further work will need to be done to make timely plans for when the grant ends for elements where funding requirements remain; and

5)       authorise officers to commence a procurement exercise to seek a suitable partner to deliver the Quality Assurance Service and delegate the decision to award the contract, following the procurement exercise, to the Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care.

Reason for the Decision:

To ensure that the usage of the grant complies with the grant conditions and objectives, and to enable the Council to set fees payable for Adult Social Care services in accordance with the requirements of legislation and statutory guidance.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None