Carmarthenshire Council is in dispute with the region's health board about how aftercare is funded for certain cases where people have been detained under the Mental Health Act. A report before the council's health and social services scrutiny committee claimed Hywel Dda University Health Board was not "legally compliant" as it had stopped contributions in some of these instances – known as Section 117 cases – and that this created a financial risk for the council. The cases in question relate to people who are eligible for free aftercare – for example a residential placement – after having been detained in hospital under certain sections of the act.
Alex Williams, the council's head of integrated services, said the council and health board split the cost of aftercare equally for younger adults in these cases but that the council paid for older people. She said this was down to different planning and commissioning arrangements within the health board but that the council was keen to pursue a 50/50 split for older people.
"It's something we have been pushing quite strongly on a regional basis, that we need equity for all client groups," she said. Ms Williams said a regional policy setting out a 50/50 aftercare funding split for older as well as younger Section 117 cases had been proposed.
