Care bill for elderly £5 an hour more in Telford than rest of Shropshire

The average gross hourly cost for the service provided by others was £12.70 in the Shropshire Council area and £17.10 under the Telford & Wrekin authority.

Council chiefs said today both areas had different population profiles and clients with varied needs, which led to the difference between the average hourly cost.

The recent figures showed that there were 670 older people receiving care in Telford & Wrekin Council on March 31 last year and 715 under Shropshire Council.

The figures relate to the average spend between April 2013 and March 2014.

It comes as agency care workers in northwest England are being asked by cash-strapped councils to spend as little as five minutes visiting sick and vulnerable pensioners in their homes.

The stipulation for a visit of just five minutes is contained in a purchase order from a council in northwest England outlining the home care package that agencies would be expected to provide for an elderly client.

In Telford & Wrekin, visit length is based on a person's need and decided by social work teams.

Russell Griffin, a spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council, said support received from their families and community was taken into account.

He said: "During 2014 we have introduced a framework contract for domiciliary care which has brought the cost per hour down. We continue to work with providers to ensure that we receive value for money.

"Call length is determined by an assessment of need carried out by our social work teams and will vary from client to client and take into account support available from family members or the community in which a client lives.

"We understand that the figures relate to average spend/numbers from April 2013 to March 2014. The comparison between Shropshire & Telford & Wrekin does not take into account the different population profile or needs of clients."

Shropshire Council was unavailable for comment. Last week, it was revealed that Shropshire Council spends less on care per person for over-65s than any other authority in England.

In the last 10 years, the local authority has cut spending per head by 30 per cent.

A study into the cost of care revealed Shropshire Council spent £644 per head for over-65s, which was the lowest in the country and well below the national average of £951.

In comparison, Telford & Wrekin Council spent £1,032 per person.

Council chiefs for Shropshire defended the low spend and said care provided had improved, with a increased use of outside agencies.