Kirklees Council has confirmed that service users requiring nursing support will maintain their ability to influence care decisions despite the introduction of a new funding structure.
The matter was examined during a Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panel gathering, where elected members considered the authority’s strategy for financing independent sector care home accommodation during the 2026/27 financial period.
Concerns emerged regarding modifications to how payments would be distributed under the proposed simplified tiered framework.
The local authority administers services across several communities situated near the boundary with Bradford, encompassing Birkenshaw, Cleckheaton, and sections of Oakenshaw.
Documentation presented to the panel indicated that payment levels to care homes would be determined primarily by the level of support required by each individual resident rather than the category of accommodation occupied.
Kirklees Council intends to utilise these standardised figures to directly compensate independent care home providers for both accommodation and care delivery.
Under this arrangement, elderly individuals and those receiving support for physical disabilities will be classified according to a framework comprising five distinct tiers.
For those classified within Tier One, covering standard residential provision, the council will provide a base weekly sum of £810.00, rising to £850.00 for facilities offering dementia services.
Individuals placed within Tier Two, which encompasses nursing provision, will attract weekly funding of £900.00, with dementia-specific nursing placements receiving £910.71 per week.
Residents requiring more intensive support and placed within Tiers Three through Five will receive weekly allocations spanning £1,050 to £1,350, determined by the complexity of their support requirements.
For individuals with learning disabilities or mental health support needs, Kirklees Council will allocate weekly payments ranging from £900 to £2,899 for those within Tiers One through Three, calculated according to their assessed support level.
Those necessitating specialist provision positioned within Tiers Four and Five will receive weekly funding between £2,900 and £4,950.
Concerns were voiced by elected member Liz Smaje, who sought clarification from the Executive Director for Adults and Health, Michelle Cross, regarding whether individuals receiving support and their relatives would possess the opportunity to dispute their tier classification.
Cllr Smaje indicated her concern that the banding would be attached to the care arrangement and communicated to the provider, noting that similar classification systems operate elsewhere within local government where appeal mechanisms exist.
She questioned whether a procedure would be available for individuals or their families to demonstrate that their support requirements had not been adequately considered in determining their placement.
Ms Cross provided assurance that such a mechanism would indeed be available.
She explained that the rationale behind implementing the tiered system involved eliminating supplementary charges that occasionally arise within the care sector.
The objective centres on establishing a uniform methodology across the entire provider market, acknowledging that this particular framework had not been employed previously.
Information confirmed that for individuals requiring nursing provision, the NHS contributes separately through a Funded Nursing Care payment, which remains unaffected by the council’s tier classification system.