“I’m requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, on care home budgets in local authorities, how it has increased or decreased, how many care homes have been closed and the changes in fees.
1. Have you increased the care home budget in the last 12 months?
Yes, please refer to Budget Books provided below for details:
Budget Books link to all years
Budget Book 2017/18 – see page 42
Budget Book 2018/19 – see page 44
Budget Book 2019/20 – see page 44
2. Have you introduced a social care precept to fund care homes?
Devon County Council (DCC) has applied an Adult Social Care Precept to help fund Adult Social Care. This includes residential care.
3. By how much has it increased / decreased?
The Adult Social Care precept for a Band D property in Devon has increased by £13.32 (from £84.78 to £98.10) which will raise an additional £3,864,911 in 2019/20.
Refer to page 9 of the Budget Book for 2019/20 (link provided above).
4. How many care homes have been closed in your borough over the last 12 months?
The number of Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered care homes in Devon as at June 2019 was 333, which is 5 less than the figure of 338 in June 2018. More detailed information can be obtained from the Care Quality Commission (link to website provided above) who hold this data on all care homes.
5. Have the average fees in the care homes in your borough…
o Increased
o Decreased
o Remained the same.”
Increased. Current residential and nursing home fee rates are provided.