Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's recent investigation into a complaint against Lincolnshire County Council, what assessment he has made of whether local authorities' fixed charges for short-term residential care are in line with statutory guidance.
In determining fixed charges for short-term residential care, a local authority must follow the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) 2014 Regulation (the Regulations) and have regard to the Care and Support Statutory (CASS) guidance.
It is the role of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, to look at individual complaints about local authority failure to follow policies, including those on whether fixed charges for short-term residential care are in line with statutory guidance.