Issue - meetings

Report of the Executive Director - Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing (Place Director)

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director - Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing (Place Director) seeking approval to implement gross payments for Adult Social Care residential and nursing care homes.

Decisions Made:

That

(1)           the implementation of gross payments for Sefton and out-of-borough care homes be approved;

(2)           decisions on the implementation programme plan for gross payments and any future changes to how gross payments are made to care homes, be delegated to the Executive Director - Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing (Place Director), in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care and Health;

(3)           decisions on any amendments on how gross payments are made, for example the inclusion of any third-party top-up payments, be delegated to the Executive Director - Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing (Place Director), in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care and Health and the Executive Director - Corporate Services and Commercial; and

(4)           the fact that reports on the implementation of gross payments and associated debt impacts and debt recovery work will be submitted to the Cabinet and other Council governance groups as part of wider debt management reporting, be noted.

Reasons for the Decisions:

The rationale for the recommendations within the report had been formulated based on the positive outcomes of the pilot project, and to ensure that Sefton continued to support the Sefton care home market.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

To continue with current payment arrangements – this option had been considered and rejected due to:

·       The positive outcomes of the pilot.

·       The need to ensure that payment arrangements were compliant with best practice Care Act guidance and reduced the chances of legal challenge/complaint.

·       The recommendations enabled the Council to intervene at an earlier stage if client contributions were unpaid, thus reducing the risk of financial abuse.

·       The recommendations removed financial matters from the relationship between residents and care homes.

·       Improved market oversight of Provider fee levels.

·       Reduced the administration burden on care home providers.

·       The benefits of paying gross for self-funders who owned property and were taking up a deferred payment agreement with the Council, whereby their placement was commissioned by the Council under contracted rates, ensuring property equity lasted longer.