Proposal to charge for non-residential care
At a meeting of Full Council on Wednesday 26 February, Elected Members considered the proposal to introduce charges for non-residential care in East Renfrewshire.
By a majority vote, Elected Members deferred the implementation of charges until 1 April 2026. This is subject to the Integration Joint Board (IJB) bringing a paper back to full Council in October with an updated Equality, Fairness and Rights Impact Assessment (EFRIA), an update on how we will deliver income maximisation for potentially affected service users as well as the recommended charging level (taper) and expected generated income for 2026/27 and beyond.
We are grateful to everyone that has shared their views so far, and we are committed to ongoing engagement and communication as we navigate next steps. We will provide more detail as soon as possible.
The Council Paper can be viewed here and the The Equality, Fairness and Rights Impact Assessment (EFRIA) for the proposal is also available to view.
To remedy this, and to support our policy development should the proposal be approved, we have created an easy to understand information pack and feedback form, as well as guidance that carers, families, providers and support staff can use to provide feedback.
Providers have been asked to support people to participate and to provide this feedback to us. We would welcome families/carers sharing this with a Personal Assistant if they/their loved one doesn't have a support provider, or you can complete it together as their parent/guardian or POA, and return it to HSCPPA@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk.
We will look to complete as many as possible by the Cabinet meeting on 6 February 2025 where the proposal will be reconsidered. If the proposal is approved this engagement will continue, as the findings will also support the development of the Health and Social Care Partnership charging policy.
You can view and download the easy to read charging policy with visuals here as well as a document with background infomation to support this activity
FAQs
For many years, we have worked hard to avoid the need to introduce charges for non-residential care, and up until now we are the only Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) in Greater Glasgow and Clyde that does not charge for these services.
Regrettably, our financial position, the demand for services and the increasing complexity of need, means we need to consider introducing charging for these services. If approved, charges would be linked to the ability to pay and this would be established through a financial assessment.
For 2024/25 we've had a £12 million gap in our budget. We've had to make a lot of difficult decisions to find this amount of money - staff redundancies, holding posts, moving our social care criteria to substantial and critical needs only. We have had to focus on supporting those with the greatest needs and meeting statutory duties. We have exhausted savings from staffing, from buildings and from all other areas of costs. We have increased income from the areas where we currently charge for including Bonnyton House and Community Alarms (Telecare), it has been extremely difficult for the people we support and our staff.
When we look to 2025/26 we know things aren't going to get any easier. The cost pressures for 2025/26 range from £3.5 to £7 million depending on a range of scenarios and we expect the trend of flat cash settlements from Council and the Health Board to continue. We need to find further savings to offset these potential costs, and that is why we are proposing introducing charging for non-residential care, as it's really the last stone left unturned.
We will also work with partners including the Council Money Advice and Rights Team (MART) and Citizens Advice Bureau to ensure residents have access to everything they are entitled to..
We will also work with partners including the Council Money Advice and Rights Team (MART) and Citizens Advice Bureau to ensure residents have access to everything they are entitled to.
If approved, a charging policy to support this process will be drafted to include:
- A taper % that determines how much disposable income we can access (we are proposing 60%, the highest we have seen is 75%)
- Where a waiver for a charge would apply
- Where and when it is not appropriate to charge
We are still working on the level of charges that we will propose to Cabinet, but it is likely to be around £20 per hour, which is less than the lowest cost we can purchase care for.
The policy will agree the time between financial assessment and invoices being issued, and it will also reflect a reasonable amount of time for a financial assessment to be completed.
We would ask that if someone experiences material changes in their income during the year, they should contact us for a reassessment.
The financial assessment will be on the individual receiving care and their disposable income.
The financial assessment of the person receiving support may have an effect on the households overall disposable income and you may wish to ensure that you are receiving all the financial support that you are entitled to.
East Renfrewshire Carers' Centre can assist with this. www.eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk as can the Council Money Advice and Rights Team (MART) https://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/mart
Members who sit on our Integration Joint Board (IJB), which governs the HSCP, have heard a number of papers over the last year around the HSCPs financial position and the work of the short life working group. We held a seminar for IJB members on 28 October to discuss the views raised at the information sessions.
Officers have also presented at the Council Budget Strategy Group to outline the implications a flat cash settlement will have on the people we support.
Since our information sessions, all elected members have been sent an overview of the points raised and information to help them support constituents.
DATE | TIME | IN PERSON OR ONLINE | LOCATION/LINK |
Monday 25 November | 2pm - 4pm | In person
If you would like to attend, please email HSCPPA@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk with '25 November' in the subject line, and let us know how many spaces you would like to request. Places will be secured on a first come, first served basis and we will respond to confirm if you have a space(s) | The Foundry, Main St, Barrhead, G78 1SW
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Monday 25 November | 6pm - 8pm | Online | Microsoft Teams Need help?
Meeting ID: 344 544 785 471 Passcode: jWeAye
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- Feedback from events - held by the HSCP and its partners
- Sharing comments made by email with colleagues working on the EFRIA
- Hosting community engagement sessions - email Mark.Mulhern3@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk if you would like to participate
- Sharing this survey for people to complete
24 November:HSCP information sessions:
· 2pm - 4pm, Barrhead Foundry
· 6pm - 8pm, Microsoft Teams
5 December: Paper considered by Cabinet
If approved:
January 2025 - April 2025: Follow up sessions with people impacted
1 April 2025: Charges introduced