A global community for people over the age of 50 who believe the journey, in all its wonder, has only just begun features Valuing Care. The publication covers the topic: Your folks' care home could set you back six figures - even with the proposed cap. Fees specialist Ray Hart has tips for cost control. Read the article here

When establishments go broke, residents and families suffer. Fees specialist Ray Hart outlines how to reduce the risk. Across the UK, there are weekly news reports of residents and their families campaigning to fight care home closures. But why is it happening so often? The usual reasons cited include falling demand (which is debatable, given an ageing population), increases in utility costs, failing to meet industry standards, or the simple fact that the books don’t add up. Read the ful article here

Why council tax rise will not be enough to fill care home shortfall

Councils will be forced to ration the extra money they get from council tax between providers in response to the cost pressures on residential care, says Ray Hart

Councils risk driving good social care providers out of business and propping up bad ones by making blanket cuts to the fees they pay for services, a consultant has warned. Less efficient services would be able to bear such cuts more easily than those that provide good value, said Ray Hart, commercial director at OLM Financial Management. OLM works for councils and primary care trusts to negotiate lower placement costs with providers by comparing their spending on overheads, such as property, insurance or electricity, against market averages. Hart said 60% of more than 4,250 placements studied by OLM failed to offer value for money, but the rest offered commissioners a good deal. But he warned: “Certainly, every council is [at most] freezing fees for next year. Some are doing less than that. That’s a mistake. This could drive value-for-money providers out of the market.” Read the full article here

The Care Act 2014 places new responsibilities on local authorities to act on behalf of people who are expected to self-fund their own care – a group historically neglected by councils. From April 2015, councils will come under a duty to provide information and advice to people in their areas to enable them to plan for their care and support, including in relation to how they can benefit from independent financial advice. A year later, the cap on care costs will come into force, enabling self-funders to receive state-funded care and support after accruing a certain level of cost, as measured by what the local authority would have spent on meeting their needs, calculated through regular assessments. At the same time, in April 2016, councils will come under a duty to arrange residential care for people who are not eligible for any financial support from their authority but ask the council to make arrangements for them. This duty comes into force a year earlier – in April 2015 – for non-residential care, though its biggest impact will be in the residential sector. Read the full article here

People who self-fund their social care need more help from Councils The Care Act puts a responsibility on Councils to help self funders micro-commission care. Ray Hart from Valuing Care explains more read more The Care Act puts a responsibility on Councils to help self funders micro-commission care. Ray Hart from Valuing Care explains more read more  

The Guardian features a report on the MyCareCosts service and the savings achieved through the reviewing of care packages, The report is under the company's original name of OLM Financial Management. Read more here