Care sector seeks legal advice over council funding

A body representing the adult social care (ASC) sector is seeking legal advice over concerns Kent County Council (KCC) may under-fund services.

Providers represented by the Kent Integrated Care Alliance (KiCA) said they were worried that fees they received annually would be squeezed so the council could reduce costs.

ASC uses 46.3% of KCC's entire £1.5bn budget and presents one of its principal financial pressures, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council has yet to announce what the uplift will be, but it accepted it was likely to be less than providers would expect in the coming year.

KiCA chairperson Ann Taylor pointed at the direction of travel in a message to members on its website.

In early January, Ms Taylor wrote that the KiCA board met with KCC cabinet members and officers in what she described as a "very challenging meeting".

She said that ASC faced not only funding pressures, but a KCC overspend within the current allocation.

There are 19,781 older people receiving ASC in Kent, representing 55.7% of the total and about 19% supported by KCC are cared for at home.

More than 20% of older people live in residential or nursing care settings.

KCC has proposed a 2% uplift in domiciliary services and residential care support for those with learning and physical disabilities or those with mental health conditions.

But other areas of need, such as older people's residential care or everyday life activities, would receive no uplift.

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.