Call to probe £2m-a-year care package for one child

CALLS have been made for an inquiry into the “eye-watering” £2m a year fee a North Wales council is paying for the care of a single child.

- By RICHARD EVANS Local Democracy Reporter

At a meeting last month, Denbighshire Council's chief executive Graham Boase revealed the authority is paying £35k a week in care bills for just one child - and the figure was later revised to £37.5k a week.

Consequently, the huge sum means the council is paying nearly £2m a year for the child, who has significant disabilities, complex behaviour needs, and requires 24-hour care.

Mr Boase revealed the figure whilst attempting to explain the financial strain the authority was under, describing social care costs not seen by the public.

But the revelation has now led to Care Forum Wales writing to the Auditor General for Wales, Adrian Crompton. The “social care champions” want the Auditor General to investigate the £2m bill for the child.

Care Forum Wales says it is concerned the huge bill represents inequality within a social care system, claiming care providers looking after older, vulnerable people have to battle for funding from local councils.

The organisation is concerned that whilst Denbighshire Council pays £37,500 a week for the care of one child, the authority pays just “£774 a week to fund residential care for an older person in the county”.

Care Forum Wales chair Mario Kreft MBE said: “There needs to be an inquiry into this, based on the inequality on how we fund older people's services.

“I think the Auditor General who's the head of Audit Wales needs to scrutinise this thoroughly with a proper inquiry so we can get to the bottom of this. And I think it’s about the court of public opinion as well. I think the public needs to understand what's going on with this.