Agenda item

Report CS16024

The Portfolio Holder presented a report outlining the results of the engagement process undertaken with service users, their families and carers around the proposed introduction of a new charge of £15 per return journey for the transport service, which was currently a non-chargeable service. 

The transport service was one of the only services the Local Authority had discretion around whether it was included in the Fairer Charging Policy and would therefore be part of an overall assessed personal budget, or outside of the policy and charged for on a flat rate basis.  It had initially been proposed that the transport service be charged outside of the charging policy, with any service user in receipt of Income Support or Jobseekers’ Allowance, an estimated 60% of existing service users, being exempt from the charge and the remaining clients charged at the full proposed rate of £15 per return journey.  An engagement process had been undertaken during January and February 2016 around the proposed introduction of the new charge, following which 82% of respondents had said that the charge was unfair and might prevent them from using transport.  It was therefore proposed to charge £15 per return journey within the Fairer Charging Policy which would enable the charge to be part of an assessed personal budget depending on the personal financial circumstances of each service user and which would be calculated through a financial assessment.  An Equality Impact Assessment had also been completed which determined that the proposals did not impact on any of the protected groups disproportionally.  There were currently around 950 return journeys per week with 400 clients accessing transport services.

The Assistant Director: Adult Social Care reported that if agreed, the charge would apply from April 2016 and that all clients who received non-residential services would receive a letter by 11^th April 2016 outlining the changes and how they could appeal if they did not agree with the financial assessment.  All care packages would be reviewed by August 2016 to ensure the individual needs of service users were met, and a further report would be provided to Care Services PDS Committee in Autumn 2016.

In response to a question from a Co-opted Member, the Assistant Director: Adult Social Care confirmed that a range of organisations had been included in the engagement process, but that this had not included Bromley Experts by Experience.  An easy read version of the questionnaire had been sent out to all service users, but work was being undertaken to improve clarity and the use of plain English after 35% of respondents had commented that the fact sheet was not clear enough. 

A Co-opted Member reported that there had been confusion around who would be exempt from the proposed charge, and underlined the value of day services as a respite for carers which should be taken into account when assessing personal budgets.  Older people without a physical disability were able to travel free on public transport, but this option was not available to those with a physical disability which precluded them from accessing public transport.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to:

1)  Consider the responses received during the engagement process;

2)  Agree the proposed changes to transport charges as part of the Fairer Charging Policy, and therefore to be means tested as part of an assessed personal budget; and,

3)  Agree that the proposed changes to transport charges be implemented from 1^st April 2016.