Dear

Adult Social Care Charging Policy Consultation

We are writing to you or to the person who represents you to ask for your views on proposed changes to the Adult Social Care Charging Policy. These changes are designed to provide a strong base in which to embed future changes in social care legislation and aim to improve the way we calculate how much some people pay towards the cost of their adult social care services.

Most Adult Social Care services are means tested which means when you begin to receive them, the Council completes a financial assessment. This assessment tells us the amount you will have to pay, if anything, towards the cost of your services.

The money that the Council receives through these charges helps to pay for social care services for some of the most vulnerable people in our community. The Charging Policy for Adult Social Care explains the way how we will work with you to complete the financial assessment process. It tells you which types of service are free (and do not need a financial assessment) and which services are means tested (so do need a financial assessment).

We are consulting on the following four areas of recommended change:

1. Full Cost Recovery
2. Disability Related Expenditure
3. Arrangement Fees
4. Minimum Income Guarantee

Please refer to Appendix 1 at the end of the letter for details of these proposed changes.

The consultation will run from 16th May 2022 and close on 8th August 2022. We want to hear what you think about these options.

To give your views:

• Log onto Your Say Southend https://yoursay.southend.gov.uk where you can find out about the consultation and complete the electronic survey.
• Phone the Charging Comment Line on 01702 215934 between 10am-12pm, Monday to Friday from 16th May to 8th August 2022 (Answerphone out of hours.)
• Send your response by email to financepolicyconsultation@southend.gov.uk
• Take part in the Public Consultation Meetings scheduled over two days dated 25th May 2022 between 10am to 12noon and 08th June 2022 between 10am to 12noon
• Write a letter to: Charging Consultation, Community Services Department, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ER; or
• Complete the section at the end of this letter and return in the prepaid envelope.

All views and comments are confidential and will only be used for the purpose of the consultation exercise. There will also be an opportunity to post any other comments publicly for other survey participants to view and respond to if you wish to do so.

We will collect all the feedback we receive from you and write a summary of what the feedback has said as well as the response from the Council.

Yours faithfully.

Stephan Liebrech Paul Mavin
Director of Adult Social Care Operations Head of Service Recovery &

Prevention