Alma Economics was commissioned by the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK) to collect and analyse data on the costs incurred by the care home and home care providers in Kingston as part of the Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care (FCOC) exercise set out by the Government. The exercise is meant to inform how adult social care will be reformed by ensuring that providers are paid a fair amount and developing resilient and sustainable care markets.

Our team engaged with providers in Kingston and offered targeted support to fill in the questionnaire, including one-to-one sessions, workshops, and a follow-up exercise to increase the quality and robustness of the data. The data collected from providers were then submitted to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

As part of this project, we worked closely with RBK to form a robust assessment of sustainable commissioning rates for homecare and care homes in Kingston to ensure that the commissioning rates set out do not result in over- or underpaying for care. To assess the sustainability of the recommended commissioning rates we assessed the financial position of care providers in Kingston, analysed the price indexes that best capture cost pressures, and modelled the impact of changes in commissioning rates.

The result of the analysis informed a commissioning strategy that ensures long-term provision and value for money in Kingston.