The use of the Resource Allocation System

Use of Resource Allocation System

1. Do you currently use a Resource Allocation System (RAS) or a similar tool to estimate the costs of care based on care assessments? If not, please proceed to Section 3.

2. If you use a RAS or similar tool: a. Please provide the name of the supplier or provider of your RAS. b. Have you made any customisations or further developments to the RAS to suit your service's needs, or do you use it as originally supplied? Please describe your approach. c. If you have customised or developed the RAS, please specify which service areas were changed and the date of the most recent change for each area. Use the table below for your response: Service Area Community Nursing Residential Supported Living Please provide data for each area as follows: Customised or As Supplied Date of Last Change Description of Change

3. Does your RAS include the actual agreed provider fees (for example, the cost per hour of home care as agreed with providers), or are these fees adjusted in any way? Please explain your approach.

4. Does your RAS apply deductions to the estimated budget if some needs are covered by unpaid support (such as family or friends)? If so, which needs can these deductions apply to?

5. Have you set an acceptable tolerance (percentage difference) between the estimated budget and the actual service cost? If so, what percentage difference is considered acceptable?

6. For the financial years 22/23,23/24, 24/25 and 25/26 (forecast) what were/are the total estimated budget (EB) costs compared to the actual costs (AC)?

Please provide figures for each service area in the table below: Day Care Direct Payments Extra Care Home Care Nursing Care Residential Care Supported Living Other services

7. Do you apply any deflators (reductions) to your rates? If so, which services are affected and how are the deflators applied?

8. For each service area listed below, please indicate whether you use the RAS to calculate the estimated cost, and provide the following details:

a. How is the cost allocated (e.g., per hour, per night, per session)?

b. How accurate is the estimate compared to the eventual planned cost (for example, the percentage value of the support plan against the estimated cost for people in this cohort)?

Older people

Service Area

Day Care

Direct Payments

Extra Care

Home Care

Nursing Care

Residential Care

Supported Living

Other services For the following:

Allocation Method

Accuracy of Estimate (%)

Additional Comments

Working age

Service area

Day Care

Direct Payments

Extra Care

Home Care

Nursing Care

Residential Care

Supported Living

Other services

For the following: Allocation method Accuracy of estimate (%) Additional comments If you do not use a RAS

9. Have you ever used a RAS in the past?

If so, when did you stop using it and what were the reasons for discontinuation?

10. If you do not use a RAS, please describe for each service area below how you estimate the likely cost of a care package at the start of the support planning process. For each area, please include:

a. The method used to calculate the estimated weekly cost.

b. How you determine what informal or unpaid support can provide.

c. How the cost is allocated (e.g., per hour, per night, per session).

d. How you assess the accuracy of your estimate compared to the eventual planned cost.

Service Area

Day Care

Direct Payments

Extra Care

Home Care

Nursing Care

Residential Care

Supported Living

Other services

For the following:

Calculation Method Informal/Unpaid Support Consideration Allocation Method Accuracy Assessment Additional Comments Budget and Outturn for 2024/25 This section is to be answered by both RAS and non-RAS users

11. Please provide the budget and actual outturn for each service area for the financial years 22/23, 23/24, 24/25 and 25/26 (forecast):

Service Area

Day Care

Direct Payments

Extra Care

Home Care

Nursing Care

Residential Care

Supported Living

Other services

Contact details

12. Please provide the name and contact details of the person completing this FOI request

Lincolnshire previously used a points based Resource Allocation System (RAS) to calculate indicative budgets for people with eligible care and support needs. Over time, however, it became clear that the RAS created excessive bureaucracy, added complexity to the assessment and planning process, and often did not support timely or transparent conversations with people. Practitioner feedback highlighted that the system was difficult to use, required significant challenge and manual adjustment, and did not always produce budgets that reflected actual need. This aligned with national experiences, where many councils had already moved away from RAS models because they were seen as outdated and not well suited to strengths based practice.

In 2022–23, Lincolnshire reviewed the RAS and concluded that a different approach was needed—one that was simpler, more intuitive for staff, more transparent for people, and aligned with the Care Act principles of sufficiency, timeliness and clarity. The Council therefore adopted the Ready Reckoner as part of its new strengths based assessment, planning and review tools. This became the method for generating indicative planning budgets when the new forms went live in September 2023. Since then, Lincolnshire has no longer used a RAS. The Ready Reckoner reflects unmet eligible needs by identifying the number of hours of support that may be required, providing a clear planning amount that individuals can use to explore their options.

Because we no longer use a RAS, the estimated cost of a care package is now calculated through a combination of the Ready Reckoner and the Support Plan Costings. The Ready Reckoner generates an indicative planning budget based on the level of support needed, while the Support Plan Costings record the actual financial breakdown of the agreed support. The approach is consistent across all service areas, with cost allocation methods differing depending on the type of service.

Below is how indicative costs are estimated across the main service areas:

Home care (domiciliary support)

Home care hours are identified through the Ready Reckoner based on unmet eligible needs. Costs are then based on the hourly rate used for planning. Informal or unpaid support is explored first, and only the hours that cannot be safely met by the person or their networks are included. Costs are allocated per hour. Accuracy is checked by comparing the indicative planning budget with the Support Plan Costings, with any variance managed through authorisation processes

Day opportunities and day care

The Ready Reckoner reflects the hours of support required while the person attends day services. During planning, these hours translate into day or sessional rates. Informal or community options are explored before paid day provision. Costs are allocated per session or per day. Final accuracy is checked when actual sessional rates are added to the Support Plan Costings.

Short breaks / respite

Practitioners estimate the number of nights of respite required. The Ready Reckoner automatically provides a planning amount, while recognising that some higher need respite— such as 1:1 support—may require additional authorisation. Any informal support available is considered first. Costs are allocated per night. Accuracy is reviewed through comparison of the indicative budget with actual respite costs set out in the Support Plan Costings. Residential and nursing care (long term) For planning purposes, practitioners estimate the level of support needed in a residential or nursing setting through the Ready Reckoner. During support planning, the actual weekly care home cost is entered. Informal support is considered where relevant (e.g., family involvement), though the core care cost is a commissioned service. Costs are allocated per week. Differences between indicative and actual placement costs are reviewed through quality assurance and authorisation routes.

Supported living

Support hours are estimated through the Ready Reckoner, covering both 1:1 and shared support. Informal support and natural networks are considered first to ensure only unmet needs are costed. Costs are allocated per hour, with shared components apportioned appropriately. Accuracy is checked against the final Support Plan Costings.

Extra Care housing

The Ready Reckoner identifies the hours of support needed for someone living in Extra Care. Housing related costs are dealt with separately. Informal support and the enabling environment of Extra Care are factored into what is required from paid care. Costs are allocated per hour for care and support, with accuracy assessed through the planning and authorisation process.

Direct Payments (including employing PAs or purchasing agency support)

The Ready Reckoner generates the indicative planning budget, while the Support Plan Costings reflect the actual cost of direct payment arrangements. Informal support is considered first to determine the unmet eligible needs. Costs are typically allocated per hour; if a chosen provider charges above standard rates, this may require a top up or further consideration of need. Accuracy is assessed through the comparison of the indicative planning budget with the actual direct payment budget.

Transport

Because the Ready Reckoner focuses on hours of support rather than specific services, transport costs are added during support planning. Informal arrangements (family, community networks) are explored first. Costs are allocated as a weekly amount. Any variance from the planning amount is managed through normal authorisation processes. Across all of these service areas, the Ready Reckoner ensures that only unmet eligible needs are costed, keeping the approach strengths based and person centred. The Support Plan Costings then provide a detailed and accurate financial breakdown. Where the final cost is higher than the indicative planning budget, this is managed through the Council’s Scheme of Authorisation and quality assurance processes. Where costs fall within the indicative amount, some adjustments can be made without reassessment. This combined approach supports transparency, consistency and sufficiency, while enabling staff to work more effectively with people to plan their care.