19 October 2011

Pembrokeshire heads back to court

Pembrokeshire council is due to return to the High Court on Tuesday, November 15 in the latest round of its long running battle to set fees for its care homes.

Councillors set a fee rate of £448 per week in January this year after the owners of several private care homes won a previous court case which argued that the previous rate of £390 per week was too low.

The judge had ruled that the council should take into account the impact on care providers and residents in setting its fees levels as well as budget problems which the county might be facing, but now the council will have to defend the decision to increase charges and backdate them to the beginning of the financial year.

A joint report by the council’s director of social services and the head of legal and committee services is to examine issues raised by the court cases.