Care Commission Fees Frozen

The maximum fees that the Care Commission can charge for regulating care services are to be frozen for the second year running. This means that the maximum fee levels set by Ministers in 2005 will continue to apply for 2007-08. Any shortfall in the Care Commission’s costs as a result of this decision will be met by the Executive.

Care services regulated by the Care Commission include care homes, childminders and independent hospitals. Providers pay the Care Commission an initial registration fee and a continuation fee each year in order to operate.

Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald said: “We remain committed to the policy that was first stated in 2001 of a Care Commission funded through fees. However, we will continue to subsidise providers – in the way we do for early years services – where we believe that there is a sound policy reason for doing so. Last year we froze maximum fees to give care services a period of fees stability. I wanted to consider carefully the outcome of the Health Committee’s Care Inquiry which included a review of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 focussing on the Care Commission and included funding issues.

“Since that decision was taken we have had the announcement in June this year of an independent review of scrutiny of public services to look at inspection, regulation, audit and complaints. The work of the Care Commission is being considered as part of the review which is expected to report in the summer of next year. It will be important to consider the findings of the review.

“For that reason I have decided that it would not be appropriate to increase fees in advance of the review’s report. For most care services this means that there will be no change in the fees that they pay to the Care Commission. However, for care homes where fees are already at full cost recovery levels and are set below the maximum fee levels, I would expect the Commission to continue to ensure that fee levels reflected the cost of regulation. “

Background

The Care Commission was set up under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 to register and inspect all care services, including care homes, early education and childcare services and independent hospitals. The Care Commission’s purpose is to regulate for the improvement of care in Scotland.

Under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 Ministers set maximum regulatory fees for care services covering their registration, inspection, variation or cancellation of a registration and for a new registration certificate. The Executive’s policy is that fees for those services that have been regulated by the Care Commission since its establishment would in due course have fees set at full cost recovery levels. The exception to the full cost recovery policy is childminding and children’s day care services, which have always been subsidised by the Executive. Fees for services new to regulation have been set at what was estimated at the time to be full direct cost recovery levels.

As a result of freezing maximum fees at levels set for 2005-06, the Executive will be meeting any shortfall between the fees paid to the Care Commission and the cost of regulation.

The maximum fees for care services can be seen at: www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2005/20050097.htm