The financial context
Despite financial challenges, Coventry spends a large amount of money supporting adults with eligible care needs. In 2023/24 this amounted to a gross spend of £106.1m on people
2023/24 spend on people: £1061.m
- Day opportunities: 3.0%
- Direct payments: 11.5%
- Equipment and adaptations: 1.4%
- Homecare: 38.5%
- Housing with care: 7.6%
- Individual service funds: 0.4%
- Nursing: 12.7 %
- Residential 28.4%
- Supported living: 2.6%
The Council focuses effort on maintaining a financially sustainable market and has made above average inflation awards for several years.
Representations regarding fee rate uplifts are considered by the Fee Rates Panel. Providers who query uplifts are required to complete a comprehensive breakdown of cost on an Open Book accounting methodology either using Care Cubed (formerly Care Funding Calculator) for Learning Disabilities /autism or a bespoke tool for Older People/Physical/Sensory Impairment services.
A distinction is always drawn between inflationary pressures and perceived changes in needs with the latter being addressed through a review/reassessment rather than a discussion around inflation. The Council does not “rebase” fee rates as our position is that fee rates charged on admission to a service should hold with the only uplifts contemplated being due to inflation or significant changes in needs.
Rates are generally lower than average for the West Midlands although not significantly so. The fact that, to date, there have been few hand backs or provider failures suggests that rates are reasonable in the context of the local market.
Supported living rates are an outlier in that Coventry pays the highest hourly rate in the region. Recent action has been taken to ensure that rates are brought more into line through offering the lower rates indicated by Care Cubed.