Issue - meetings

RESIDENTIAL AND NURSING CARE HOME FEE SETTING 2025/26

To consider a report by Councillor Elen Heaton, Lead Member for Health and Social Care (copy enclosed) seeking Cabinet approval for the setting of Older People’s Residential and Nursing Care Home fees for 2025/26.

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a) approves the Care Fee uplifts, on top of the 2024/25 fees, for Older People’s Residential and Nursing Homes for 2025/2025 as -

· 3.8% for Standard Residential Care

· 6.6% for EMI Residential Care

· 5.9% for Standard Nursing Care

· 7.2% for EMI Nursing Care

(b) approves that any provider who does not accept the proposed fees will enter into a Care Cubed exercise to determine a fair-price for their care (previously open book exercise).

Minutes:

Councillor Elen Heaton presented the report seeking Cabinet approval for the setting of Older People’s Residential and Nursing Care Home fees for 2025/26.

Care home fees represented a significant area of spend with around £14.1m allocated to 382 placements in 85 care homes. Care provision was a priority for the Council with continued investment to safeguard the most vulnerable residents. An update on engagement with care providers had been set out in the report together with the proposed fees which had taken account of factors such as the Real Living Wage, changes to national insurance contributions including the threshold change, and inflation. It was vital that a fair and sustainable approach was taken to funding care and a key development was the Council’s investment in Care Cubed which was a data-driven methodology that provided a consistent and evidence-based approach to fee setting. This investment ensured that fees were set transparently and responsibly, striking a balance between supporting care providers with fair and sustainable fees while ensuring value for money for taxpayers. It also aligned with the regional commitment to fairness and consistency across North Wales.

Councillor Heaton stressed that the Council valued its care providers, and no providers should feel they were being unfairly compensated as a result of the proposals. The Council had an open door policy and using Care Cubed would ensure an evidenced based price for care and support a sustainable care sector.

The Head of Adult Social Care and Homelessness responded to questions, elaborating on Care Cubed as a transparent way of enabling negotiation with providers with a view to resolving disputed care fees taking into account individual circumstances due to differences in providers such as the size of care homes and category of care, etc. Most local authorities in North Wales had invested in Care Cubed and the data became richer the more it was used to focus on the local area and provide a clearer benchmark and analyse the detail which could result in a different fee than those currently set. Three care home providers had responded to the consultation on fees and once the fees had been agreed officers would engage with them to complete the Care Cubed exercise. In terms of the budget process there was close working with the Finance Team to monitor the care fees going forward based on the assumptions in the proposed fees with only three providers at present who had challenged those fees. However, future demand throughout the year was unknown and if necessary, the budget pressure would be adjusted during the year, but best efforts were being made to manage that effectively.