Guidance on choosing accommodation and additional payments

Annex A

This annex covers:

• choice of accommodation when arranging care and support in an accommodation setting
• making additional payments for preferred accommodation

1. A person’s ability to make an informed choice is an important element of the care and support system. This must extend to where the care and support planning process has determined that a person needs to live in a specific type of accommodation to meet their care and support needs. 
2. The care and support planning process will have determined what type of accommodation will best suit the person’s needs. This could be, for example, a care home, shared lives or extra care housing. Where the type of accommodation is one of those specified in regulations, the person will have a right to choose the particular provider or location, subject to certain conditions. Where this is the case, the following guidance should be applied and in doing so, local authorities should have regard to the following principles:

• good communication of clear information and advice to ensure well informed decisions
• a consistent approach to ensure genuine choice
• clear and transparent arrangements for choice and any ‘top-up’ arrangements
• clear understanding of potential consequences should ‘top-up’ arrangements fail with clear exit strategies
• the choice is suitable to the person’s needs 

3. Local authorities must also remember that the regulations and guidance on choice of accommodation and additional costs apply equally to those entering care for the first time, those who have already been placed by a local authority, and those who have been self funders, but because of diminishing resources are on the verge of needing local authority support. 
4. Local authorities should also be mindful of their duties under Section 1 of the Care Act 2014 to promote individual wellbeing. Further detail is available in Chapter 1.