Councillor LO Barnett, Cabinet Member Older People and Adult Social Care has submitted the following Notice of Motion.

PERSONAL CARE AT HOME BILL

“This Council welcomes the general principle of the Governments proposal in the Personal Care at Home Bill to offer free care at home to people with the highest needs, but this Council is dismayed that the Government will only fund a limited part of the costs and expect local authorities to fund the rest (in excess of £250 million if Government figures are correct).  All local authorities will be under increased pressure with the age profile rising, particularly with the increases in dementia cases.  Herefordshire contrasts greatly from the whole of the West Midlands having 4.5% more older people than the West Midlands, and 5% higher than the average for England.  The net average cost of dementia care packages is £17,700 p.a.  This Council asks the Leader to communicate to the Secretary of State our Council’s grave concern of having yet another unfunded mandate imposed on local authorities.”

The Chairman moved urgency on the notice of motion received on The Personal Care at Home Bill which was moved and seconded.

In seeking the support of Council to the notice of motion the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing stated that:

• Whilst she fully supported the provision of care to the vulnerable in the community, especially those dealing with chronic or life threatening diseases, there were concerns that the Bill was raising people’s expectations.
• Prominent people had stated that the Bill was flawed and, as it was due to be enacted for October 2010, this would be a difficult situation for the government of the day to deal with.  National politicians needed to be more engaged and aware of the consequences of the Bill’s impact on individuals and local authorities.
• Local Authorities would have to find in excess of a further 4% of savings to deliver such provision of care.
• The county had an increasing aging profile which was significantly higher than both the regional and national averages.
• Home care costs had increased between 2006-2009 by 9%, and costs associated with Learning Disabilities and Residential care by 30%.
• The Council would experience further funding pressures in future years, therefore working in partnership was vital.

In debate Members expressed their support for the motion and specifically raised the following points.

• The Bill should be good news for those people not experiencing good health, however organisations such as Age UK have commented that it would be essential that councils were properly funded to provide care in order that there was not an incentive for local authorities to push older people into care homes or claim that their needs were not critical enough to warrant free care at home.
• As the costs of care provision are unknown, it was unlikely that efficiency savings alone would be able to meet the costs.  It was imperative to adequately fund such support from the start.
• Home care could be provided at a relatively low cost, but only when well resourced and commissioned.
• Examples were given for the costs of home care provision and medication as well as the types of conditions which require prolonged care support (e.g dementia).
• Whilst recognising the implementation of the Bill would have a national impact, due to its demography and sparsely populated area, the effect would be significant for Herefordshire.
• There were many pockets of poverty within the county, with individuals reliant on state provision.  Others who appeared affluent had been hit hard by the economic climate with those in receipt of private pensions having seen their income severely reduced and who now existed on low incomes.
• The experience of Scotland, which had introduced free care provision, was shared with council.  This included a 36% increase in costs within three years from £129million to £257million.  The projections for English local government based on such figures would be from £580 million to £1.73billion in five years.
• The only means by which local government could part fund the requirements would be by either increasing council tax or reducing services.  In Scotland’s experience, local government reduced elements of discretionary care received e.g shopping etc by 24%.  Such support was vital to prolong independence.

The following addendum was proposed to run on from the end of the notice of motion: ‘and the LGA and local authorities in similar positions to put pressure on the Government to find a long standing solution to the financing of the Personal Care at Home Bill’.

The notice of motion to read:

This Council welcomes the general principle of the Government’s proposal in the Personal Care at Home Bill to offer free care at home to people with the highest needs, but this Council is dismayed that the Government will only fund a limited part of the costs and expect local authorities to fund the rest (in excess of £250 million if Government figures are correct).  All local authorities will be under increased pressure with the age profile rising, particularly with the increases in dementia cases.  Herefordshire contrasts greatly from the whole of the West Midlands having 4.5% more older people than the West Midlands, and 5% higher than the average for England.  The net average cost of dementia care packages is £17,700 p.a.  This Council asks the Leader to communicate to the Secretary of State our Council’s grave concern of having yet another unfunded mandate imposed on local authorities, and the LGA and local authorities in similar positions to put pressure on the Government to find a long standing solution to the financing of the Personal Care at Home Bill’.

The notice of motion with its addendum was voted upon and was carried unanimously.