Decision Maker: Cabinet
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
Care providers are facing real cost pressures
from COVID-19 due to staff absence and the need to replace them
with agency staff, as well as the need to purchase additional
equipment including PPE. There is considerable concern nationally
about the risk of care providers failing: this would have a
catastrophic impact on people and the NHS.
Care providers and the NHS have lobbied hard for nationally set
fees and/or a nationally set fee increase. This appears to have
been resisted (for now) – however LGA and ADASS issued a
joint statement on 08 April 2020 recommending that local
authorities offer care providers a 5% fee uplift in 2020/21 and in
addition that local authorities offer care providers non-recurrent
financial sustainability funding equal to 10% of fees for at least
one month.
(Exemption paragraph 3)
(Note by Clerk: The Chairman agreed that this item be added to the agenda as an urgent item as the taking of the decision could not reasonably be deferred. The Chairman of the Corporate Review Committee also agreed to the decision below being exempt from call-in as any delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or the public’s interests or the interests of any persons to whom the decision relates.)
Reasons for the Decision – There is considerable concern nationally about the risk of care providers failing; this would have a catastrophic impact on people and the NHS. In view of this, approval is sought to offer care providers a fee uplift for 2020/21 and additional non-recurrent financial sustainability funding to reflect the cost pressures from COVID-19.
Decision – That the recommendations contained in the report be agreed.
Report author: Dr Richard Harling
Publication date: 16/04/2020
Date of decision: 15/04/2020
Decided at meeting: 15/04/2020 - Cabinet