Issue - items at meetings - Fee Levels in Adult Social Care Services 2013/14

Report of the Director of Adult Social Services (copy attached).

(1)   That it is noted that subject to the budget set by Council in February 2013, the Adult Care and Health Committee on 28 January agreed the changes set out in Table Two Section 3.9 of the report, to come into place for the financial year 2013/14.

30.1    The Board considered a report of the Director of Adult Social Services concerning fees paid to independent and voluntary sector providers that supplied care services on behalf of Brighton and Hove City Council Adult Social Care and Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group.  It covered fees paid to providers of services for older people, people with physical disabilities, adults with mental health needs including HIV and substance misuse and adults with a learning disability.  Service providers included care homes, supported accommodation, home care and community support, community service and direct payments. 

30.2    RESOLVED – That it is noted that subject to the budget set by Council in February 2013, the Adult Care and Health Committee held on 28 January 2013 have agreed the changes set out in Table Two Section 3.9 of the report, to come into place for the financial year 2013/14.

Report of Director of Adult Social Services (copy attached).                    

(1)       That it be agreed that the changes set out in Table Two, Section 3.9 of the report, as amended, should come into place for the financial year 2013/14, subject to the budget set by Council in February 2013.

Note: Table Two in paragraph 3.9 of the report was amended to exclude the Home Care increase as this had already been agreed under item 38 – Review of Home Care Contract.   

39.1    The Committee considered a report of the Director of Adult Social Services concerning fees paid to independent and voluntary sector providers that supplied care services on behalf of Brighton and Hove City Council Adult Social Care and Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group.  It covered fees paid to providers of services for older people, people with physical disabilities, adults with mental health needs including HIV and substance misuse and adults with a learning disability.  Service providers included care homes, supported accommodation, home care and community support, community service and direct payments. 

39.2         The recommendations in the report were in line with those of Commissioners of other services in the council.  It was expected that they were also broadly similar with other authorities in the region. 

39.3    Councillor Norman referred to care homes outside the city, and asked if they were paying the living wage to their staff.  Meanwhile, he commented that the 5% increase for in city care homes last year might have given false encouragement. The Director of Adult Social Services replied that Brighton & Hove always paid the set rate of the host authority.  A check was not made whether it was the living wage.  With regard to the 5% increase last year, the local authority was mindful that there had not been an increase in the previous year.  There had been quality issues in the past and it had been right to increase rates at that time.  More benchmarking work needed to be carried out and the result of the Dilnot Report would be important.

39.4    Councillor Mears referred to paragraph 3.3 in the report and asked for more details about the cost and numbers involved, in relation to care homes and supported living out of the city.  Councillor Mears further referred to the last paragraph of section 3.4 of the report, in relation to the 1% uplift on set rates and care home block contract rates. She asked for details of costings around that proposal. 

39.5    Councillor Mears referred to paragraph 3.5 in relation to care homes and supported living non set rates in the city and asked for details of numbers.  She further asked for the cost of the proposal in paragraph 3.6 in relation to home care.  Councillor Mears referred to paragraph 3.9 and asked what the percentages represented in real terms. 

39.6    Councillor Mears referred to the financial implications in paragraph 5.1.  She stated that no reports had been seen on the effect of the Section 75 Agreement.  She stressed that Members needed to see financial information in order to judge how the proposals fitted into the overall budget.

39.7    The Chair agreed it would be useful to have additional financial information with details of overall total costs.

39.8    The Head of Business Engagement explained that she had tried to set out the overall financial implications including the scale of the budget.  The detailed budget would involve viewing huge spreadsheets as information is held at client level.  She gave her assurance that the recommendations could be funded within the budget figures which are supported by detailed calculations.  She would try to include more detailed financial information for future meetings. 

39.9    The Director of Adult Social Services stated that an A4 sheet could be prepared for Councillor Mears showing the number of people cared for out of the city.

39.10  The Senior Lawyer informed members that Table 2 at Section 3.9 in the report should be amended to exclude the home care figure as this had already been agreed under Item 38 – Review of Home Care Contract.  She suggested a slight amendment to recommendation 2.1 to reflect that Table Two in Section 3.9 of the report had been amended.

39.11  RESOLVED - (1)      That it be agreed that the changes set out in Table Two, Section 3.9 of the report, as amended, should come into place for the financial year 2013/14, subject to the budget set by Council in February 2013.

Note (i): Table Two in paragraph 3.9 of the report was amended to exclude the Home Care increase as this had already been agreed under item 38 – Review of Home Care Contract.  

Note (ii):  Councillors Meadows, Barnett, Marsh, Mears, Norman and Robins abstained from voting on this item on grounds of lack of financial information.