Decision Maker: Director of Adults, Health and Well-Being, Director of Corporate Resources
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
LaingBuisson were commissioned by local
government (LGA and ADASS) and worked with the Care Provider
Alliance (CPA), to estimate the additional financial pressures on
independent adult social care providers due to COVID-19. The
summary findings of the report were released to Local Authorities
early June; the additional cost to providers is estimated at
£6.6billion, with about a third of that cost relating to
workforce pressures.
The government has advised public bodies via the PPN 02_2020
Supplier Relief due to COVID19, to help ensure supplier
sustainability through the COVID19 pandemic. This was further
enhanced by the ADASS/LGA note circulated 8th April 2020.
The Director of Adults, Health & Wellbeing DASS wrote to
providers 7th May setting out support available through the
Supplier Relief Scheme and confirming that additional staff costs
incurred were within scope for reimbursement.
-The Adult Social Care sector is nationally recognised as a
vulnerable market.
- The providers range from those that are locally or regionally
based to multi-nationals but all providers applying through the
scheme operate locally and have a high percentage of staff employed
from within the borough.
- Care Homes are at the forefront of the epidemic and are facing
increased costs related to staffing.
- Most providers are heavily reliant on the Council for
income.
- Essential requirement to sustain providers to ensure care needs
of residents can be met once COVID19 is over.
The providers (as identified in the attached Officer Decision
Record) have applied to the council for additional costs they have
incurred as a result of COVID19. In calculating the level of relief
in relation to the additional costs, the following principles have
been established:
- Available to all CQC registered Care Homes in Doncaster and
Council commissioned Domiciliary Care providers, including
Supported Living and Extra Care
- Support relates to actual expenditure incurred (evidenced by
documentation or declaration) and therefore provides no basis for
an ongoing fee increase
- The extent of additional workforce costs is beyond that which a
provider would be expected to incur as part of their normal
business continuity plans
- The relief must be proportionate, and sense checked
- Agency costs for COVID related sick (ensuring that these costs
are net of any salary cost savings e.g. if absent staff have not
been paid in full, the full cost of agency should not be
claimable)
- SSP costs (where they cannot be recovered from Government and
where the absence was covered by additional hours/agency)
- The relief relates to additional costs incurred and does not
equate to compensation for lost profit (in line with
PPN02_2020)
Relief covers the period 31st March –14th May 2020 for all
providers on the basis that the Infection Control Fund (IPC)
funding can be used to fund workforce costs from the date it was
announced.
See attached Officer Decision Record for full details.
To grant supplier relief for staff costs when
applied for under the SRS to Residential Care Providers, Home Care
and Extra Care Providers and Supported Living Providers.
1. Not grant the supplier relief under SRS
– the additional cost burden of infection control may put
some providers at risk financially and compromise their infection
control measures leading to reduced quality of care and ongoing
sustainability issues.
2. Grant relief in proportion to the amount of business contracted
with the Council – The cost of infection control measures in
a home has no direct relationship to the number of clients the
Council commissions within the home. Infection control measures
will differ depending on a number of factors such as the nature of
provision and capacity to control infection, including the design
of the building and ability to segregate staff and clients.
3. Grant a fixed sum per bed / visit / client – this is an
approach that was considered and discounted as the council could
not be assured that providers would not benefit inadvertently as
described above, infection control measures are not determined
purely by the number of clients. Some LAs have provided 10% fee
increases as an immediate response but this could create an issue
in terms of the cost of care and ongoing debates about fees.
4. Cap the relief at a fixed sum per bed / visit /client - this
approach would limit the Councils total exposure but is not a
measure required at the outset (this may be reviewed depending on
level of future claims received).
Publication date: 31/03/2021
Date of decision: 20/07/2020
Accompanying Documents: