Stoke-on-Trent plans £7 million investment in adult social care services
Fee strategy targets high-quality care for enhanced needs and dementia
Last updated 14th Apr 2026
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is poised to allocate £7.12 million over the next 12 months to enhance adult social care services, ensuring high-quality, safe, and reliable care for adults who require it most.
The council’s investment involves uplifting fees across various commissioned adult social care services, including an increase of over 12% for enhanced residential care targeted at individuals needing intensive around-the-clock support.
This financial strategy comes as part of the Adult Social Care Provider Fee Strategy for 2026/27, developed after thorough analysis of local market conditions, consultation with care providers, and a detailed assessment of rising sector costs.
The initiative is in response to the pressures faced by Stoke-on-Trent, linked to increased demand for services, workforce costs, national increases in the National Living Wage, and inflation affecting utilities, food, and supplies.
Councillor Lynn Watkins, cabinet member for Adult Social Care and All Age Commissioning at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, highlighted the council's commitment to supporting adults with enhanced needs and maintaining high standards of care across the region.
“This is all about delivering the very best care to the adults who need it the most – with a real focus on people with enhanced needs and those suffering from dementia," Watkins said.
According to the council, most care providers in Stoke-on-Trent are rated Good or Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission, and the council's own adult social care services have achieved a Good rating.
“This fee strategy is designed to help maintain this strong local performance and support recruitment, retention, and workforce development," Watkins added.
Additional measures include increased transparency through an open book process for providers who feel the uplift does not match their operating costs, and ongoing monitoring of market conditions to ensure continuity of care for residents.
The strategy outlines fee increases for a wide range of adult social care services, including residential, nursing, home care, supported living, and personal assistant rates under Direct Payments.
Home care and supported living providers could benefit from an uplift of 4.34%, while standard residential care homes may receive a 4.29% increase. Enhanced residential care is set to see a significant 12.4% rise to address capacity pressures, and working age adult residential and nursing care could receive a 4.29% increase.
Watkins explained how these efforts align with broader strategies to encourage independent living: “The proposals complement our wider strategy to help residents live independently for longer, including increased use of home care, Supported Living, and Extra Care housing.”
If approved, this investment strategy by the council’s ruling cabinet later this month, aims to strike a balance between recognising economic pressures faced by providers while ensuring affordability for the city council.