SWR01 - Financial Savings 2024-25 - Reduce the Subsidy of the In-House Residential Care Home Services
| Title | SWR01 - Financial Savings 2024-25 - Reduce the Subsidy of the In-House Residential Care Home Services |
|---|---|
| Council Resource | Social Work |
| Aims and Objectives | It is proposed to reduce the subsidy of the in-house residential care home services. The contribution made towards residential care home service costs, both in-house and external, is subject to ability to pay. The charge for in-house residential care home services is currently based on the national care home contract rate of £762.62 per week. It is proposed to base the charge on the average unit cost of in-house residential care home services of £1,469.73 per week. The proposed increase would only be paid by self-funders i.e. individuals who have capital in excess of £32,750. As the contribution is based on ability to pay, in-house residential care home residents who are not paying the full charge will not pay any more under this proposal. Also, residents for whom the Council currently pays the cost of the service will not be affected by this proposed increase. This saving assumes an average of 42 self-funders with the ability to pay the full amount. The projected increase in income is £1.580m per annum (SLC - £0.790m; IJB - £0.790m). The profile of the South Lanarkshire population is collated from the Office of National Statistics, the Scottish Government and the census and is reported through the Council’s NEXUS system. The following key observations are highlighted for context. • The uptake of services is monitored by age, gender, disability and race. • Over the last 5 years (2016/17-2020/21), South Lanarkshire population’s needs have changed. The population across all age categories has increased by 1.17% over this period. If this rate of growth continues it is projected that there will be a 2.95% increase by 2031. • The latest Mid-Year Population Estimate at June 2020 indicates that the population has grown by +3.1% over the past decade, and there are now 320,820 residents in total. Of this 17.3% are under 16, 62.9% are aged between 16 and 64 and 19.8% are aged 65+. There is an increase in the number of people living longer into older age. Levels of frailty and the number of people with multiple long-term conditions have increased. • Based on the 2011 census, 30.6% of the population identified as having one or more conditions ranging from deafness to a physical or mental health condition. • Currently there is no reliable base line data available in relation to the transgender population in South Lanarkshire, however, the Council is taking steps to amend monitoring to include this characteristic. • The 2011 census data shows that 95.4% of our community identify as coming from a White Scottish or Other British background, 1% identify as White Irish, 0.4% as White Polish and 0.8% as White Other. 1.6% of the population identify as coming from an Asian, Asian Scottish, or Asian British background and 0.7% identify as from Other ethnic groups. • The 2011 census data informs the Council of the most up to date makeup of the community in relation to religion, belief, or none. 61.3% identify as Christian, 0.8% identify as Muslim, 0.7% identify as Other religions, 30.6% identify as no religion and 6.7% did not state. The figures from the SHS (2019) indicate that 54% of the adult population in South Lanarkshire now identify as Christian, a higher percentage than the Scottish average (where only 41% identify as Christian). A further 1% of the SLC population identify as following another religion (inc Muslim, Hindu). Looking at the trend in terms of religious belief the percentage of the adult population who identify as Christian or as having a belief has been progressively declining in South Lanarkshire (and Scotland) over the past 10 years e.g. back in 2009, 66% of the South Lanarkshire adult population identified as being Christian, and 4% identified as following another religion (inc Muslim, Hindu). • The mid-year population data (2020) indicates that 51.5% of the South Lanarkshire population were female and 48.5% male. In comparison to the population of Scotland as a whole, South Lanarkshire has a slightly higher percentage of females (51.3%) and a lower percentage of males (48.7%). • The latest figures from the Scottish Household Survey suggests that 97% of the South Lanarkshire population identify as being Heterosexual or Straight, while only 2% identify as being either Gay or Bisexual, this finding is in line with the Scottish average. The partnership provides its services based on need regardless of sexual orientation. Where there are LGB related issues these are considered in the planning stage for services so that they can be delivered in an accessible and sensitive manner. |
| Conclusion | The proposal is in line with the Charging for Residential Accommodation Guidance. Ability to pay will continue to be assessed by South Lanarkshire Council in line with the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992 (SI No: 2977). The resident’s contribution to the cost of the care home placement is reviewed annually and will be adjusted in line with the outcome of the revised financial assessment. Approved at the Council meeting on 21 February 2024. |
| Completion date | 21 February 2024. |
| Contact Email address | equalities@southlanarkshire.gov.uk |