Issue - meetings

Ian Winter, Care Act Programme Lead, presented the report and explained how the Care Act 2014 had set out a single legal framework for charging users and carers for their care and support and allowed the Council to set and maintain a charging policy, within set levels of discretion, and accordingly apply charges. 

The Board noted that LBBD Cabinet, at its meeting held on 10 November 2015, had agreed to consult on proposed revisions to the Council’s Care and Support Charging Policy as well as plans to introduce a scheme whereby a legal charge would, in certain circumstances, be placed on a property that had undergone adaptations funded from the Council’s Disabled Facilities Grant scheme.  In respect of the latter, Ian Winter advised that the law currently allowed between £5,000 and £10,000 to be taken as a charge against a property if it was sold within 10 years. This could be ring-fenced and reused for future disabled adoptions.  Comments arising from the consultation would be presented to the Cabinet so it could make the final decision.

With regard to the proposed revisions to the Council’s Care and Support Charging Policy, Ian Winter also explained the standard rate, how the very real day-to-day costs such as additional washing or travel costs would be considered and that to undertake individual calculations each time would be costly and time consuming.  He also referred to allowance levels and the proposed appeals process. 

The Board supported the consultation and noted that an update report would be presented in due course.