Agenda item

From the Cabinet, 1 August 2017

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

Further to Minute 25 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) which sought approval for the use of the additional Better Care Fund funding, which was being made available by the Department for Communities and Local Government direct to councils. The funding was intended for three purposes - to meet adult social care need; to provide support to the NHS (especially through application of the 8 High Impact Changes) and to sustain the social care provider market.

The integration of health and care had been a long standing policy ambition based on the premise that more joined up services would help to improve the health and care of local populations and make more efficient use of available resources.

Whilst the Sustainability and Transformation Programme (STP) was the primary planning tool for health and care, the Better Care Fund is the only mandatory policy to facilitate integration. The Better Care Fund (BCF) is a programme spanning both the NHS and local government which seeks to join-up health and care services, so that people could manage their own health and wellbeing, and live independently in their communities for as long as possible.

In March 2017 a new policy framework for the Better Care Fund covering the period 2017 to 2019 was issued at the same time as significant additional funding being made available to councils in order to protect adult social care.  These sums arose from the 2015 spending review and the 2017 spring budget.  Taken together these sums comprise the Improved Better Care Fund (BCF). 

Plans for use of the grant would need to be agreed by the City Council with the relevant CCG (in this case Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group (CRCCG) and with the local Health and Wellbeing Board.  Once plans were agreed, the resources could start to be spent but must be done so through a pooled budget arrangement (unless ministerial exception is granted).

Since the implementation of the Better Care Fund (BCF) in 2015, the Council has had a BCF plan facilitated by the Health and Wellbeing Board supported by a section 75 partnership agreement with Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group (CRCCG). A new plan was required covering the period to 31 March 2019 with a supporting section 75 partnership agreement identifying how the additional resources identified in the spring budget were to be used.  Once the planning tools are made available, this new plan would be developed followed by the required section 75 partnership agreement.

The report and associated appendices sought approval for the use of the additional Better Care Fund resource against the three stated purposes.  The use of the grant without the associated planning tools being provided, completed and assured was permissible on the basis that spend plans had been agreed by the Local Authority and the CCG through the Health and WellBeing Board

RESOLVED that the City Council approves the acceptance of grant income in excess of £2.5m in relation to the additional Better Care Fund grant.