Social Care Reform - Fair Cost of Care exercise 2022/23 and Market Sustainability Plan

Local Authorities were required to undertake a Fair Cost of Care exercise as preparation for the Social Care Reforms. This was a statutory requirement issued by Central Government and was focussed on home care providers for people aged 18 and over and residential and nursing care home providers for adults aged over 65. The Fair Cost of Care exercise was not designed to set the fee rates for providers, the purpose of this exercise was to improve understanding of the costs of providing care in the local area.

The outcome of the Fair Cost of Care was submitted to the Department of Health and Social Care in October 22 in two documents called Annex B (one for Home Care and one for Care Homes). The Department of Health and Social Care now requires the Council to publish our Annex B reports, which provide the outcomes of the exercise and more information on the approach, methodology and the final calculations. The exercise utilised a national tool and the process identified a number of limitations with the tool, which impacts on the reliability of the findings. These limitations are outlined in the documents.

Fair cost of care report - Domiciliary care

Fair cost of care report - Residential care

Further information on the Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund can be found on the LGA website.

As part of the preparation for the Social Care Reforms Buckinghamshire Council has produced a Market Sustainability Plan. This plan is focussed on 65+ Care Homes and 18+ Home Care and outlines the current challenges across this provision and actions to maintain a sustainable market over the next 2 – 3 years. Providers have contributed to the identification of challenges and potential responses. The challenges include responding to increasing complexity and frailty, recruitment and retention and external economic factors.