Issue - meetings

Bath and North East Somerset’s Better Care Plan 2014/15 - 2018/19 was agreed by the Health and Wellbeing Board in September 2014.  It was identified as a national example of best practice. 

Subsequent annual revisions have set out how any revised conditions for investment of Better Care Fund (BCF) allocations will be met.

The Board is asked to consider the attached report.

The Board considered a report regarding the Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan 2017/18 – 2018/19.  The report gave a summary of the BCF guidance, policy framework and key priorities.  A draft “Delayed Transfers of Care” action plan was also included as an appendix.

The Senior Commissioning Manager, Better Care, outlined the following issues:

·  New schemes will be coming on line over the next two years.

·  The formal guidance has not yet been published.

·  It is important to find a balance between dealing with immediate social care budget pressures and investing strategically in additional preventative services to improve the financial sustainability of service provision over the longer term.

·  There are clear conditions of access to the BCF which have to be met in order to access the funding.  The BCF must be transferred into one or more pooled funds established under section 75 of the NHS Act 2016.  The spending plans must be agreed by the Health and Wellbeing Board and signed off by the relevant local authority and CCG.

·  The current BCF performance dashboard showed that the B&NES area was performing well in most areas.

·  The priorities for the next two years were outlined including updates from existing priority schemes and new schemes for 2017-19.  These included a focus on new assistive technologies.

·  There will also be a focus on transformation and redesign of services.

·  Funding is to be set aside for providers of care, including to ensure a fair price is paid for care home fees and that the cost of paying the National Living Wage, including for sleep-in cover, can be paid by the care provider.

·  The next steps included the development of a detailed iBCF Plan in anticipation of the publication of the detailed implementation guidance, final conditions and supporting submission documentation.

It was noted that an increasing number of care providers are withdrawing from the market.  Four care homes (144 bed places) had been lost in B&NES in the last year.

Sarah Shatwell welcomed the recommendations set out in the report and, in particular, the proposals in relation to an increased focus on a strengths based approach, continued investment in social prescribing and the development of a support planning and brokerage service.  She felt that social prescribing services can be more joined-up and streamlined with other wellbeing/preventative services. Sarah also emphasised the skills, knowledge and experience that those working in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector have, particularly in relation to a strengths based approach to assessment and support planning.  It was agreed that the VCSE sector has a key role to play, including with those people with complex and acute needs living in the community.

James Scott asked how the priorities had been developed.  It was explained that they had been developed from a range of sources including the Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy, the Accident and Emergency Delivery Board and the Your Care Your Way Strategy. James Scott stated that the RUH had some issues in relation to the Home  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55