Reforms to social care

OXFORDSHIRE County Council is to join a small group of local authorities in England trailblazing the introduction of reforms to adult social care charging.

The new system, that introduces a lifetime cap on personal care, will be brought in early in the county as it becomes the sixth council chosen to help shape its national introduction. It will test key aspects of the reforms to improve understanding of how it will work in practice.

Cllr Tim Bearder, cabinet member for adult social care, said: “We are currently working with care providers in Oxfordshire through a fair cost of care exercise to understand what the true cost of delivering quality care is in the county. This amount will vary for each local authority.

“This co-production exercise is hugely important as it underpins the entire reform programme, helping us to establish a fair system which removes unpredictable care costs for older members of our community while ensuring market sustainability for our care providers.

“Officers are currently working hard behind the scenes to set up the new system. Over the coming months we will make sure residents are kept informed of what these changes mean for them, helping a smooth transition towards the new way of working next year.”

The reforms, announced in September 2021, include a “care cap” limiting the amount individuals will have to pay for the cost of their care to £86,000. Oxfordshire residents will be able to start metering for their care from January 2023.