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RESOLVED
 
KEY DECISION
 
That the
Executive:

 

a)   
Approved an
increase to the existing Appointeeship
fees by  £2.50 per week for both
people receiving residential care, and those receiving care and
support in the community, bringing the rates to £12.50 per
week and £15.00 per week respectively.

 

b)   
Approved
the introduction of two additional charges:

                        
i.        
A Set-up fee of £100.00 for work up to and
including the date upon which the Department for Work and Pensions
(DWP) appoints the Council as corporate appointee.

                       
ii.        
A Winding-up fee of £300.00 to reflect the
work that is required to resolve an individual’s financial
affairs in the sad event that they pass away whilst being supported
by the service.
 

c)   
Approved the inclusion of an annual inflationary
increase into the Appointeeship service
charging policy in line with the Council’s annual review of
fees and charges.

 

d)   
Delegated
the decision for any future changes to the Appointeeship service charging policy to the
Executive member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing in consultation
with the Executive Director of Adults, Health Partnerships and
Housing.

 
 
Reasons for Recommendations:

 

·       
The Appointeeship charge
is only ever intended to partially offset the cost of providing a
service, which whilst non-statutory, is none-the-less an essential
part of financial support offered to customers who lack capacity to
manage their affairs. The Council therefore has discretion in
determining the charges for this service and the proposed change to
the charging policy is consistent with previous decisions, with the
last increase in fees taking place in 2018.

 

·       
To administer the service, the Council currently
employs a team of six Senior Client Funds officers at a cost of
£220,000 annually. Annual income generated from the charging
fees is approximately £109,786 which includes Court of
Protection mandated fees for deputy customers. It is worth noting
that the Court of Protection has recently agreed an increase in the
fees a Local Authority can charge for people they are Court
appointed Deputy for under practice direction 19b. There is a
shortfall against the salary cost of approximately £110,000
The proposed change to the charging policy will mean that income
generated will more closely match the cost-of-service provision.
With a waiting list already in operation and a growing demand in
referrals from Adult Social Care teams, there will only be an
increasing need for the Appointeeship
service in the future. The proposed policy change will position the
Council to keep pace with the increasing demands and enable the
service to remain sustainable for the future.

 

·       
Service provision will be constrained without added
resources being made available. An example is the need for pre-paid
cards to ensure the safe management of customers’
expenditure, but which has associated costs that must be borne by
the Council. This has been necessitated by changes in banking
regulations which make it increasingly difficult for people lacking
capacity to open bank accounts. Banks are also becoming more
stringent in allowing third party account access, presenting a
difficulty for customers who rely on such support. The proposed
change in policy will help the service to keep pace with changing
customer requirements, while continuing to partially offset the
cost of providing the service. 

 

·       
Research into the charging polices of other local
authorities show that North Northamptonshire Council is currently
charging less than other councils, and most already have Set-up and
Winding-up fees in place. The proposed change to the charging
policy would bring NNC more in line with those of other authorities
and help to keep an important service sustainable for the
future.

 

·       
Whilst there is no statutory requirement to provide
an Appointeeship service, the Council
chooses to do so as it is an important support and safeguarding
mechanism. The service helps to protect vulnerable people from
financial abuse, ensures that their finances are managed
appropriately and that their basic needs and requirements are met.
This is in keeping with the Council’s vision and priorities
for the future, specifically helping people to live healthier, more
active, independent and fulfilled lives. The proposed change to the
charging policy will help to ensure the future viability of the
service.

 
Alternative Options Considered:

 

·      
Do nothing, i.e., maintain the status quo with no
increase in fees or introduction of the new charges as proposed.
This would result in an increasing subsidy being required from the
Council to maintain what is an essential service and mean that the
Councils fees are increasingly out of kilter with other Local
Authorities.

 
Reduce or restrict the existing service provision to be able to
adequately meet the demands and administrative tasks of people
already being supported, while ensuring that the team delivering
the service can meet all relevant obligations internally and to
external bodies. This would result in the team being unable to
support any new people being referred by Adult Social Care
teams.