Purpose

This report sets out the Continuing Healthcare fee rate for care homes and home care services in 2026/27 that Knowsley Council commissions on behalf of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (Knowsley) through the Section 75 pooled budgets arrangements.

Decision

That the Executive Director (Health and Adult Social Care) is recommended to approve:

1. That the proposed increase in the fee rates, as set out in Appendix 1, be approved for the continuing healthcare services commissioned by the Council and on condition they pay the Real Living Wage;

1. That increases to fee rates, as set out in Appendix 2, be approved to ensure that National Living Wage rates can be paid to staff, be payable to respective continuing healthcare services commissioned by the Council where conditions to pay the Real Living Wage have been rejected by providers; and

1. That all continuing healthcare rates and fees are payable by the Council with effect from 1 April 2026 and that one-off payments be made to providers to cover any increase in rates due to the providers, and yet to be paid, since 1 April 2026.

Alternative options considered

Do Nothing:

This option was considered but rejected as NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (Knowsley Place) have agreed to the rates detailed in this report. Doing nothing would mean that providers would continue to be paid at the 2025/26 fee rates despite known increases in costs pressures that affect the viability of their services from 1 April 2026.