In order to ensure fairness to care providers, Hertfordshire County Council have agreed to fund care home placements at a higher, negotiated rate, for those care home residents who are receiving interim funding assistance from the Council. The clients affected are those who apply for a deferred loan or a letter of undertaking on or after 01 April 2016.
The terms of the change are listed below. Providers are advised to familiarise themselves with the change in order to ensure they receive the correct rate for each placement.
This policy update applies under the following terms:
- It applies to self-funders where we are providing interim funding under the deferred payment scheme or the letter of undertaking scheme
- It does not apply to clients where we have not been able to complete a financial assessment (normally because they lack mental capacity)
- It only applies to new placements made on or after 01 April 2016. Placements made prior to this date will remain on their current terms
- The negotiated rate can never be higher than the full private fee. It is the Council’s preference that the negotiated rate is somewhere between the local authority rate and the full private rate
- It applies to care home placements both within and outside of Hertfordshire County Council
- If the client’s resources drop to the capital limit, the Council expects the fee to reduce to the local authority rate if not already at the local authority rate
- The negotiated rate could be any amount between or including the local authority rate and the full private rate
If providers have any questions in relation to this update, they should make contact with Simon Rowley, Income Manager for Health and Community Services on 01438 843 032.