Earlier this week and last week we had discussions with senior officers at the council and raised concerns about a number of problems our care and nursing homes face.

The Council was following national guidance and insisting that for homes to access a new financial package they would have to guarantee to accept Covid cases. Something we did not feel was sensible and which many care homes felt would put residents at higher risk.

This policy has now been scrapped.

The government has provided significant funding to the Council towards Covid costs. The Council proposed to increase funding to care homes a few weeks ago by 10% for those residents paid for by the Council. This was in addition to the inflationary increase.

We felt that care homes should ALSO receive this uplift in funding for residents who are funding themselves as contracts were already in place and extra costs for homes was significant.

This was not council policy but I am delighted that the Council has listened to the concerns raised by care and nursing homes and ourselves and is now providing this additional funding which will make a significant difference.

Thank you for listening DCC.