People and their families who use adult social care services in North Yorkshire have the chance to give their views on how they pay for them.
They are being consulted on proposals about how people who use adult social care services contribute to their costs. The consultation will cover two main areas:
- the cost of transport provided by adult social care to places where people receive a service – for example a day care centre; and
- how the total cost of care is calculated and the amount people may be asked to contribute in the future.
County Councillor Michael Harrison, executive member for adult social care and health integration, said:
In February, county councillors approved the adult social care budget and agreed to look at reviewing our charging policy. Since then we have been talking to residents and service providers to look at ways in which we might do that.
In North Yorkshire, it’s crucial to us to support adult social care as much as possible. We have welcomed additional funding from Government, we have raised additional Council Tax through the social care precept and we have protected budgets, as much as we can, to the point where social care is now nearly 45% of all that we spend.
However, given that adult social care is our largest budget – and we have other important commitments, to children and parents and to road users, for example – we still have had to make savings. We continue to lobby Government for a long-term sustainable solution to funding adult social care and look forward to the forthcoming Green Paper, and the next Spending Review, which we hope will set out the Government’s proposals. In the meantime, we must continue to look critically at how we spend taxpayers’ money and how it can be spent better.
We are now consulting about our proposals for changing the way we charge for some adult social care services and want as many people as possible to take part in this consultation. People’s views will form a very important part of the decision making process.
If the decision is made to implement the proposals, the changes would not begin until April next year and we will also take steps to advise people on how they can claim other benefits and support to which they may be entitled.
The County Council has produced a consultation document that explains the proposals. The document is on the County Council website together with the survey at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/current-consultations
The County Council is also holding information sessions:
- 13 November 2018 at 09.30 am. The Council Chamber, County Hall, Northallerton, DL7 8AD
- 14 November 2018 at 2:00 pm. Main Function Room, Richmond Cricket Club, Hurgill Road, Richmond, DL10 4AR
- 15 November 2018 at 1:00 pm. The Council Chamber, Civic Centre, St Lukes Avenue, Harrogate, HG1 2AE
- 19 November 2018 at 10:00 am. The Council Chamber, Ryedale District Council, Ryedale House, Old Malton, Malton, YO17 7HH
- 27 November 2018 at 10.30 am. Hall B, The Street, 12 Lower Clark Street, Scarborough, YO12 7PW
- 04 December 2018 at 12.30 pm. Community House Selby, Community House, Portholme Road, Selby YO8 4QQ
- 07 December 2018 at 10:00 am. Civic Suite, Craven District Council, 1 Belle Vue Square, Broughton Road, Skipton BD23 1FJ
All venues have wheelchair access.
The survey is open until Monday 21 January 2019.
