Cornwall Council consults on new charging arrangements for Adult Social Care

Cornwall Council consults on new charging arrangements for Adult Social Care so make sure you have your say. You can even take part in some on-line sessions planned throughout July.

A new charging policy will be developed by Cornwall Council for adult social care, following discussion at the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee earlier this year (11 March).

Cornwall Council is launching a period of consultation so that people across Cornwall can have their say to make sure the policy meets residents’ needs as well as making sure that the policy is easier to understand.

Cornwall Council portfolio holder for adults, Cllr Rob Rotchell said: “Unless you qualify for financial assistance there is a charge for adult social care, which can be confusing as many people assume it is free like our National Health Service. Often people come to us in crisis and it can be a shock to learn this. The new policy will set out much more clearly what people will be expected to pay for and how the system works.

“We have already spoken to our partners in the voluntary and community sector and this has helped us to develop a new version of the policy which we now want to talk to people in Cornwall about. We need to make sure it is easier to understand and the best way we can do this is by getting feedback from members of the public. The changes proposed will ensure that we continue to make best use of tax payers money, helping those that are most in need”.

The consultation began on 11 June and will run until 11 September. There is an online survey, as well as people being able to give their views by telephone and by post.

There are plans for some face to face events taking place in August. More information on those will be released nearer the time once we are certain that social distancing can be maintained at the venues and it is safe for people to attend.

We are also holding some live online sessions that people can also get involved with. These will take place between 10am and 12 noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout July.  Each session will include a presentation to explain the policy and time for questions and answers.

More information can be found, including an on-line survey, on the Cornwall Council website