Decision details

The report summarises work undertaken to review and revise the Personal Budgets policy framework and Resource Allocation System (RAS) currently used to deliver social care services in Bath & North East Somerset.

This review and revision is necessary in order to:

·  Achieve financial sustainability and meet the Council’s efficiency targets for adult social care;

·  Achieve the central Government target to deliver PBs to 100% of all adult social care users by April 2013;

·  Address a range of equalities issues which have been identified in the current social care system.

A project group was established to assess the benefits of adopting the National RAS in Bath & North East Somerset.  This is a tool commissioned by the Department of Health, currently in use by the majority of local authorities as the primary mechanism for allocating funding to meet the social care needs of individual service users.

(1) To AGREE that, based on the modelling contained in the main report, the percentile model for calibrating the national RAS locally is further explored and tested;

(2) To AGREE that, based on the above recommendation, further engagement and consultation with service users, carers and social care staff takes place;

(3) To AGREE that, based on the modelling contained in the main report, scenario 4 of the five transitional scenarios is adopted when roll out of the national RAS begins; and

(4) To AGREE that implementation of the national RAS should take place in early 2013 following a period of statutory consultation.

Equalities considerations

The current system is inequitable and therefore open to potential challenge

Financial

The current system is not financially sustainable

Capacity/sustainability

The current system places a bureaucratic/processing burden on practitioners which is not sustainable.

None.  Failure to revise the current system is not a viable option.

None