Decision details

1.

Title of Item/Report

Adult Social Care Fees and Charges Consultation

2.

Record of the Decision

Consideration was given to a report on Adult Social Care Fees and Charges Consultation.

A Council’s Adult Social Care Charging Policy outlined how they would charge for care and support, ensuring that charges were fair and based on a financial assessment. 

The aims of a Charging Policy that was applied consistently to everyone with eligible adult social care needs were to ensure that people were not charged more than they could afford, and to ensure that the process was transparent and equitable.

Adult Social Care provided a range of financial management services for people in receipt of services at no cost to the individual. These services required a significant amount of resource and capacity to ensure the Council was meeting requirements and managing individual’s finances appropriately. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council was one of the last Local Authorities in the region and across the national landscape who did not apply administration and management costs against these services.

The Council already applied charges to individuals who were in receipt of Court appointed Deputyship. Local authority financial deputyship was a court appointed role under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 that authorised the Council to manage the property and financial affairs of an adult who lacked mental capacity and had no suitable person able to act on their behalf. The appointment was made by the Court of Protection and allowed the local authority to undertake ongoing financial management, such as paying bills, managing income and assets, and meeting care charges, within the specific powers granted by the court and subject to statutory oversight by the Office of the Public Guardian. For those people who had a court appointed deputy for property and finance the Council charged the following amounts:

•         Application Fee: £421

•         Hearing Fee (if required): £259

Deputyship costs

•         Deputyship work up to order £745.00

•         Subsequent years is £824 for net assets over £20,300.00 and up to 3.5% of net assets below £20,300.00.

•         OPG report £216.00.

•         Basic HMRC return: £89

•         Property management, HMRC, travel and other claimable costs are only where applicable and have very limited scope of when they can be claimed.

As a result, the Council wanted to ensure equity of charging across several financial management services and therefore undertake a public consultation to introduce a new fees and charge policy. As this was a significant change to policy and approach there was a requirement for the local authority to consult with the public to ensure open and transparent decision making. Adult Social Care had had a working group including finance officers exploring this at a national and regional level to ensure any proposed charges were reasonable and appropriate and in line with others.

The consultation would be an open consultation with all residents of Stockton and would be available on the council website, via a survey. This would cover the proposed fees for Appointee charges and deceased estates.  Accessibility requirements were being built in, including multiple response formats and support for people who required reasonable adjustments.  All people who were being supported with appointeeship within Stockton Council would be advised of the consultation process (via letter or telephone call) and supported to respond if they require it.

Drop-in sessions would also be available for the public to attend, and support would be offered at these.  All communication was available both in accessible format and easy read format.

These charges would provide a forecasted income of £167,000 in year one rising to £386,000 in year three. The Council was facing a difficult budget gap, and this income would support the sustainability of the service offer in the future.

RESOLVED that:-

1. The commencement of consultation on the proposed introduction of fees and charges as set out in this report be authorised.

2. Authority be delegated to the Director of Adults, Health and Wellbeing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing, to agree and introduce a Care Charging Policy subject to the outcome of the consultation.

3.

Reasons for the Decision

•         The purpose of this report is to seek approval from the Cabinet for a new Adult Social Care Charging Policy, following public consultation.

•         Cabinet to approve a Borough wide consultation process for introducing fair and transparent charging costs in line with other areas.

•         To ensure equity of access and application to people within the Borough.

4.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None

5.

Declared (Cabinet Member) Conflicts of Interest

None

6.

Details of any Dispensations

None

7.

Date and Time by which Call In must be executed

Midnight, 22 May 2026