Issue - meetings

Cabinet considered a response to the motion submitted to the Council on 18^th July 2013.

Councillor Laura Jeuda had proposed and Councillor Janet Jackson had seconded the following motion:

“Council notes that the Coalition Government has issued new Draft Rules for consultation on the future funding of Adult Social Care. In an attempt to prevent the ‘postcode lottery’ that currently exists all councils will be required, from 2015, to fund services for those deemed to have ‘substantial needs’.

Council further notes that several important national charities and voluntary organisations believe that the barrier is being set too high and that many elderly people currently receiving care will not meet the threshold of ‘substantial needs’, which would therefore have the effect of excluding people who need help with everyday tasks. The Local Government Association questions the relevance of trying to provide clarity over who is eligible for care if the money is not available in the system to  enable local authorities to provide appropriate, effective, and responsive services.

This motion calls on Council to join with Age UK, Scope, the Alzheimer’s Society, and the National Autistic Society, in opposing the proposals as they stand, because they fail to meet the needs of those who rely on them most, and who will not benefit from these reforms.”

The Care Bill was currently progressing through Parliament. At present, the regulations were being written which would give much needed detail on how the Bill was be implemented.

The Government had produced a discussion document in June 2013 entitled ‘Draft National Minimum Eligibility Threshold for Adult Care and Support’. The document detailed how the Government proposed to apply national eligibility criteria for adult care and support. The Council will consider in detail the questions raised in the discussion document in order to provide an informed response. The Adults Policy Development Group would be asked to consider the proposals and contribute towards the Council’s response. The timeframe for responses ran until 29^th November 2013. The Government then intended to amend the eligibility regulations which would then be subject to a public consultation in Spring 2014.

RESOLVED

That the current position, and the action being taken by officers, be noted.