11th March 2026
Stockport councillors are set to decide how much the council will pay care providers for services such as residential care homes, nursing homes and home-care support when Cabinet meets on 17 March.
The Annual Residential/Nursing, Home Care and other Care Management Services Fee Setting report determines the rates the council will pay external providers to deliver adult social care services across the borough. These services include care homes for older residents, support for adults with disabilities and home-care services that help people remain independent in their own homes.
What the Report Does
Every year the council reviews the fees it pays to care providers as part of its adult social care commissioning arrangements.
The report outlines the fee levels for the coming financial year and explains the approach the council will take to funding services delivered by independent care providers.
These services include:
- Residential care homes
- Nursing homes
- Care delivered in people’s own homes (often called domiciliary or home care)
- Day services and support for people with learning disabilities
- Other commissioned adult care services
Because the council does not run most care homes directly, it pays independent providers to deliver these services on its behalf. The annual fee-setting process determines what those providers will be paid per resident or per hour of care.
Why Fees Need to Be Reviewed
Adult social care is one of the largest areas of council spending. Local authorities must regularly review the cost of care to ensure services remain financially sustainable.
Councils across England have been required to assess the “cost of care” in their local market and work with providers to understand the real costs of staffing, energy, buildings and other running expenses.
This information feeds into the annual fee-setting process and helps determine how much the council should pay providers to maintain a stable care market.
Without regular reviews, there is a risk that providers may struggle financially, potentially reducing available care places.
Supporting Residents Who Need Care
The fees set through this process directly affect services used by thousands of residents who rely on adult social care support.
For example, when someone moves into a residential or nursing home following a care needs assessment, the council may help fund the placement depending on their financial circumstances.
The council therefore needs to ensure that enough care places and home-care services are available across the borough.
What Happens Next
Cabinet members will consider the report and decide whether to approve the proposed fee levels for the next financial year.
The decision will affect contracts with care providers across Stockport and will help determine how adult social care services are funded from April onwards.
For residents in communities such as Romiley, the outcome may not be immediately visible, but it plays an important role in ensuring that care homes, home-care providers and support services remain available for those who need them.
From the Adult Social Care fee-setting report for 2026/27 going to the Stockport Council Cabinet meeting (Agenda Item 11), the council proposes the following rates it will pay care providers. These are typically weekly rates for care homes and hourly or nightly rates for home-care services.
Residential & Nursing Care Home Fees (per resident per week)
| Type of care | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential care | £774.30 | £815.10 | +£40.80 |
| Residential – challenging behaviour | £846.70 | £892.60 | +£45.90 |
| Residential – specialist challenging behaviour | £898.60 | £948.10 | +£49.50 |
| Nursing care | £888.20 | £947.30 | +£59.10 |
| Nursing – challenging behaviour | £979.80 | £1,045.30 | +£65.50 |
These increases are roughly 5–6.7% depending on the care category.
(Note: NHS “Funded Nursing Care” payments are separate and paid by the NHS, not the council.)
Home-Care and Community Care Rates
| Service | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home-care hourly rate | £23.00 | £24.50 | |
| Support-at-home hourly rate | £25.10 | £26.80 | |
| Sleep-in shift | £120.62 | £128.49 | |
| Waking night shift | £160.79 | £171.28 |
These represent increases of around 6–7%.
What These Fees Actually Mean
These figures are not what residents pay directly. They are the contracted rates the council pays private care providers for placements or support packages arranged through adult social care.
Residents may still contribute to the cost depending on their income, savings and assets, which are assessed through a financial means test.
✅ In simple terms:
- Care homes funded by the council will receive about £815–£1,045 per resident per week depending on the level of care.
- Home-care providers will receive around £24.50 per hour for standard home care.
