Following a ten-week consultation from September to December 2019, Bath & North East Somerset Council is proposing to publish a Care and Support Charging and Financial Assessment Framework setting out how decisions are made to make sure that people are allocated funding appropriate to their needs and in a way that is easy to understand.

The council met with 196 people at consultation sessions held across Bath & North East Somerset and the consultation's online survey received nearly 100 responses, broadly in favour of the council's proposals.

Around 70% of people were in favour of introducing a local framework for care and support charging and a broad range of useful feedback about a number of specific charging proposals was provided and considered.

The proposed framework, which has taken account of the feedback, will go before a scrutiny panel on 28 January. A final decision will be made by full Council on 25 February.

Currently, approximately 2,100 adults in Bath and North East Somerset are in receipt of care and support services, both in care homes and at home. This is a chargeable service, subject to a financial assessment, that the council wants to ensure is transparent, consistent and in line with other local authorities.

Although there are clear guidelines for councils to follow, some charging decisions are at the council's discretion and it is these that were the basis of the consultation and are subject to scrutiny.

Councillor Rob Appleyard, cabinet member for Adult Services and Health, said: "I'd like to thank the people with care needs, carers and their families, agencies and social workers who have engaged with our consultation and informed the final version of our proposed framework. We've listened to what people have told us and believe the framework to be considered will ensure residents will receive the right service for their eligible needs.

"I hope that this framework will be approved so we can begin to implement the changes and make sure we provide a transparent, consistent process that allocates our resources fairly to people who need them and complies with current legislation."

After scrutiny, if the framework is approved by full Council on 25 February it will be implemented for new and existing service users on or after 6 April.

More information about the Care and Support Charging and Financial Assessment Framework and the documents to be considered by the scrutiny panel can be found under the red button.