Local authorities have been expected to prepare their social care markets for the impact of charging reform, including the extension of Section 18(3) of the Care Act 2014 originally planned for October 2023. This involved investigating the current costs of care and developing a clear strategy on market sustainability. However, as set out in the Autumn 2022 Budget Statement the adult social care funding reforms have been deferred to October 2025, and funding for social care in the interim has been reprofiled to address a range of underlying sustainability pressures in social care.
Ealing Council published its Fair Cost of Care on the website on 21 February 2023.
This follow up publication, the Market Sustainability Plan (MSP), will also be submitted to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The requirements of the plan are prescribed by the DHSC. The MSP is intended to be a short document detailing the following for Ealing:
- the current sustainability of 65+ care homes, and 18 +home care market
- the impact of future market changes, including the funding reforms, over the next three years
- plans for addressing sustainability issues, including how market sustainability funding will be used to address these issues.
It is intended to provide insight and analysis of the local care market and outline our medium-term market management and commissioning intentions, based on available information, market intelligence, levels of funding and government grant conditions.