Cumbria County Council has approved the introduction of day care charges from next month at a Full Council meeting today.
The charge paves the way for extra investment in services which provide more independence and choice for people in need of support.
Today's decision reaffirms an agreement made by councillors at Full Council in February to explore plans for a new £10 charge for day care services (£5 per session) which would be means-tested, with only those who can afford to contribute asked to contribute.
This will result in about 30 per cent of users paying nothing, 50 per cent paying a portion and 20 per cent paying the full charge.
The new charge has been set at the lower end of what service users can expect to pay in other parts of England. In Cheshire, day care users can expect to pay £20 for day care while in Gloucestershire, the charge is £31.45 a day.
Today's decision gives the green light to plough any extra money raised through the new charge back into services which give people more choice and independence. These include:
* An expansion in night time home care services enabling more carers to get a night's rest;
* More investment in extra-care housing which provides people with their own front-door and the sort of 24-hour on-site care and support previously only available in residential homes;
* Investment in a new Home from Hospital scheme to ensure that when people leave hospital they have a warm home and food to eat as well as someone to care for them.
* The purchase of an additional thirty nursing home beds in Barrow so that people who need nursing care can have their needs met locally.
The decision to introduce day care charges has not been without its critics and later this year, a legal challenge supported by Age Concern is expected to be examined under the judicial review process. The new day care charges will be introduced from October 1, pending any further legal challenges.
The county council is confident that if required, it can present a robust case which will show that it has acted properly in seeking to introduce a fee for day care, which many other local authorities already charge.
Councillor Oliver Pearson, cabinet member responsible for Adult Social Care and Healthy Communities, said:
"Day care charges are the fairest way to provide more independence and choice for service users. Only those who can afford to contribute to their day care costs will be asked to contribute and every penny raised is being ploughed back into services which will improve the overall well being of older adults in the county."
ENDS
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