1. Private & Confidential. Not for distribution. ©DWF LLP 2012 www.dwf.co.uk Go further Title needs degree sign (°) added from the “Insert/Symbol” menu. This needs to be added at 28pt compared to the 24pt title. DWF Reclaim° - helping you tackle social care debt Social Care Debt Recovery – A Snapshot Caroline Sanders Associate, London 29 January 2015

2. Private & Confidential. Not for distribution. ©DWF LLP 2012 www.dwf.co.uk County Councils/Unitary Authorities – obligation to provide/arrange care ( s.21 NAA 1948 ) Escalating national debt - £486m owed for residential care alone ( The Times, May 2012 ) Historic widespread lack of action to tackle the debt –Fears of negative press –Lack of internal resources –Complexities of cases £millions of public funds lost in avoidable write offs – unpalatable in the current financial climate 2 Social Care Debt – the problem

3. Private & Confidential. Not for distribution. ©DWF LLP 2012 www.dwf.co.uk Cuts to Central Government funding and downward pressure on budgets in recent years: –Birmingham City Council to make £600m in savings by 2017 ( BBC News, Oct 2012 ) –LAs anticipated to lose 1/3 of their budget by 2015 ( Sir Merrick Cockell, Chairman of Local Govt Association – reported in The Guardian, March 2013 ) –2,500 job losses at Lancashire County Council will devastate services ( Lancashire Telegraph, Jan 2014 ) –I could go on…….. Consequential lack of resource/capacity/drive within local authorities to pursue this debt from within. 3 Social Care Debt – the wider context

4. Private & Confidential. Not for distribution. ©DWF LLP 2012 www.dwf.co.uk Act now – is there Member support to tackle the problem? Tighten up internal procedures to minimise the problem cases – audit? Identify and refer the cases where external help is needed Take these cases on – it can have dramatic financial impact 4 Social Care Debt – the solution

5. Private & Confidential. Not for distribution. ©DWF LLP 2012 www.dwf.co.uk Years of working in partnership with LAs across the Country An in-depth understanding of this problem area and a tried and tested approach Team of dedicated lawyers bringing together diverse experience Negative press avoided Vast proportion of cases handled brought to a successful conclusion – pre-action or at early stage of proceedings in the main. Significant reduction of debt levels (eg. £14m unsecured debt reduced to £2m) For every £1 spent in legal costs, we have returned £9 to the public purse. 5 Social Care Debt – our experience

6. Private & Confidential. Not for distribution. ©DWF LLP 2012 www.dwf.co.uk Please do contact me to discuss if so….. Caroline Sanders Associate, London DD (0)207 645 9615 caroline.sanders@dwf.co.uk 6 Social Care Debt – a topic of interest?

7. DWF is the business law firm with industry insight. Our legal experts combine real commercial understanding and deep sector knowledge to help clients anticipate issues, create opportunities and get the outcomes they need. We’ll deliver the results that help you go in the right direction – wherever you are. www.dwf.co.uk Go further ° ©DWF LLP 2013 DWF LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC328794.