Agenda item

·  Progress Update

·  Better Care Fund Resubmission

·  Short Term Support to Maximise Independence Update

·  Integrated Neighbourhood Teams Update

Report of Linda Sanders, Social Care Consultant Integration Lead, Coventry City Council

The Board received a joint presentation and a report of the Better Care Programme Board which informed of changes to the Better Care Fund Programme; set out the latest position of the Better Care Fund resubmission; and provided an update on the two projects, integrated neighbourhood teams and short term support to maximise independence. The deadline for the Better Care Fund resubmission was 19^th September 2014 and a copy of the documentation had been circulated to members prior to the meeting.

The Better Care Programme was launched in April to deliver against the plan and significant time and resource had been devoted to providing the appropriate level of leadership and ownership across key organisations. All four partners had worked together to launch four specific projects: Dementia, Short Term Care, Long Term Care and Integrated Neighbourhood Teams. The Board were informed that work was now progressing on a way forward for shared record support for 2015 and beyond. Detailed information was provided on the programme risks.

A revised Better Care Plan had been submitted to the NHS Area Team by 19^th September deadline. The pooled budget for 2015/16 was now £52m, an increase from the original £44m due to the inclusion of urgent care. The Board noted that there was a refocus on reducing Emergency Admissions by 3.5% in 2014/15. Attention was drawn to the Better Care Programme Governance Structure, a copy of which was set out at appendix two of the report. 

Further information was provided on the work undertaken on the scheme ‘Short Term Support to Maximise Independence’ which aimed for partners to work alongside older people and their carers to support, maintain and improve independence primarily at home. Key deliverables included short term home support contracts; telecare; single access to short term care; and the development of a specific home based service for people with dementia.

The Integrated Neighbourhood Teams Pilot Project was operating successfully with teams being established in two Coventry GP practices and meeting fortnightly. All essential users had been given access to a shared patient record for patients referred into the team. 

The Board raised a number of issues arising from the presentation including:

·  Clarification about the Programme governance structure and the requirement to have clear lines of responsibility

·  The likelihood of achieving the 3.5% target reduction in Emergency Admissions

·  Further details about the key challenge of reducing delayed transfer of care by improving the discharge process

·  The partnership work and monitoring required to ensure outcomes could be achieved

·  The benefits of all stakeholders being able to provide data in a common format

·  The support offered by West Midlands Fire Service including fire safety checks

·  The proposals and support for the expansion of further integrated neighbourhood teams

·  How to convince patients that they don’t require hospital admission.

The Chair, Councillor Gingell and members placed on record their thanks to all officers who contributed towards the challenge of getting the finalised resubmission documentation in by the deadline.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The inclusion of the fourth Emergency Admissions workstream to the Coventry Better Care programme in order to meet the requirements of the revised programme be supported.

(2) The Coventry Better Care Programme re-submission be endorsed.

(3) The proposed governance structure for the Better Care Fund set out at Appendix Two to the report be endorsed.

(4) A progress report on Better Care be submitted to a future meeting of the Board in six months.