The Government's Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) asked all local authorities responsible for adult social care to survey care homes for older people and home care services in their area about the costs of providing their services. The specific reason for carrying out these surveys during the summer of 2022 was the plan to change the statutory framework for adult social care. After the survey was completed, and the results submitted to DHSC.
Reports on a survey of the costs of care homes for older people and home care services carried out during summer 2022 were to prepare for the planned implementation in October 2023 of reforms to adult social care funding.
It has since been announced that those reforms would now be deferred for two years, and we're not certain whether the changes will now proceed in their original form.
DHSC published Guidance about the "fair cost of care" survey in July 2022.
The submitted documents are available below:
- Annex B – Fair Cost of Care report for Care Homes (PDF)
- Annex B – Fair Cost of Care report for Home Care (PDF)
Whilst we're committed to the principle of the Fair Cost of Care, it notes the uncertainty of some of the conditions announced in the recent adult social care grant funding but also on the future funding for adult social care and will consider the impact of this before considering next steps.
Market sustainability plan
Alongside the Fair Cost of Care exercise, the Department of Health and Social Care requested that each local authority produce a market sustainability plan which sets out our interpretation of the local care market. This includes an assessment of the current sustainability of the market, the impact of future market changes, and the plans in place to address current issues relating to sustainability.