Decision details

IMPLEMENTING THE CARE ACT 2014

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decisions:

Carole Burgoyne (Strategic Director for People) submitted a report -

 

(a)

providing an update on the Care Act 2014;

(b)

on the implementation of the Act in Plymouth and indicating that Part 1 would come into effect on 1 April 2015; 

(c)

appending the draft Care and Support Needs Policy for approval;

(d)

proposing not to financially assess carers as to do so could impact negatively on the Council should carers decide to withdraw from their caring role;

(e)

appending the draft Deferred Payments Policy which would enable the scheme to be run on a cost neutral basis.

         

Councillor Tuffin (Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care) welcomed Graham Wilkin (Interim Senior Manager, Co-operative Commissioning) to this his first meeting of Cabinet and introduced the proposals.

 

Councillor Tuffin reported that -

 

(f)

safeguarding adults was now a statutory duty;

(g)

Part 1 of the Act related to the carers’ rights, assessments and the deferred payment scheme;

(h)

with regard to the Deferred Payments Policy -

 

?

anyone could now make a request to defer payment;  

 

?

the proposed initial administration charges would be £500 in line with other authorities and

 

?

Zoopla would be used for property valuations, in the first instance as no additional costs would be incurred;

 

?

an interest charge of 2.65% would be made, which was the maximum allowed, and would be adjusted every six months in line with market gilts rate. 

(i)

the policies would be reviewed in 12 months’ time when demand would be assessed; 

(j) 

Part 2 on the funding reforms which included the cap on care costs, would not be implemented until 1 April 2016 and that a further report would be submitted in due course.

 

Kate Jones (Project Manager, Strategic Co-operative Commissioning) and Graham Wilkin (Interim Senior Manager, Co-operative Commissioning) attended the meeting for this item.

 

In response to questions, Cabinet Members were advised that –

 

(k) 

information on the proposals was available on the Council’s website with similar information also available from partners and providers; 

(l)

national press coverage was increasing which would raise awareness;

(m)

there were concerns on the funding of the proposals.  

 

Councillor Evans asked officers to include concerns on double counting for the Better Care Fund when making representations on the ‘missing millions’.

 

Alternative options considered and the reasons for the decision –

 

As set out in the report.

 

Agreed -

 

(1)

that the content of the report and the progress made to date are noted;

(2)

the Care and Support Needs Policy subject to clarification of references to carers; 

(3)

the Deferred Payments Policy;

(4)

that a further update is submitted on the financial implications of the Care Act once they are known, including a revised Fairer Charging Policy;

(5)

not to financially assess carers.

 

Publication date: 13/02/2015

Date of decision: 10/02/2015

Decided at meeting: 10/02/2015 - Cabinet

Effective from: 21/02/2015

Accompanying Documents: