Agenda item

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the proposed amendments to the current Carer grant payments in line with the requirements of the Care Act.

It is proposed that the current Carer grant payments are amended as a recent audit

determined they could be improved in line with the requirements of the Care Act.

The payments are also inconsistent with many other Local Authority payment

amounts. The suggested solution is to amend the system from the current “grant”

allocations of £150, £700 and £3,000. Carers will be offered both universal and

targeted support by way of information and advice as well as services such as carer

groups. Carer assessments will be conducted with a view to allocating a personal

budget where a carer has eligible needs. This is likely to mean that some carers

may see their historic allocation reduce whilst others at the lower end of the previous grant scale are likely to see an increase. The money is determined via a carer assessment and (where eligible) a Resource Allocation System (RAS). This is

calculated via the assessment through the “FACE tool”. This will be incorporated

into the new Mosaic case management system. It will calculate entitlement via a

formula but will have a maximum payment amount of £1,560. However this can be

overridden where there is a clear need. Essentially this is a move to more

personalised support. Carers grants are not means tested. The previous carer

grants included money for respite for the cared - which was not previously means

tested. The new approach will see the cared for person charged for respite where

they are able to afford this. This is a statutory requirement of the Care Act. This is

not applicable to paid carers, such as home carers.

RESOLVED – That Members recognise the important role that carers play in supporting

friends and family members within the City of London. Members approved:

1. The new system of payments for carers

2. That respite care is now subject to means testing of the “cared for” person which

is likely to bring in some income and is in line with the Care Act.

3. That the new system will commence with the start of the new IT system, Mosaic

during November 2017.

4. That carers who received grants in 2017/18 are offered a re-assessment of needs

if they have received the lower amounts previously.