Agenda item

The Board is asked to consider the attached report which provides an update on the Better Care Fund Plan for 2021-22 and to ratify a number of Locality Commissioning Group (LCG) agreements.

Gary Guest and Judith Westcott – 30 minutes

The Board considered a report which gave an update on the Better Care Fund Plan for 2021-22 and requested members to ratify a number of Locality Commissioning Group (LCG) agreements.

Judith Westcott, Senior Commissioning Manager, presented the report and highlighted the following points:

·  The Better Care Fund in B&NES totals £71m.

·  A high proportion of the funding is spent on the Virgin Care contract.

·  There are additional sub-sections of the fund which have different criteria.

·  The fund is under continual discussion and has been reviewed by the Local Commissioning Group (LCG) prior to submission to this meeting.

·  The fund is designed to be a transitional and transformational budget and there have been no major changes or developments to it over the last two years.

·  There have been some underspends this year largely due to a slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.  There is an underspend on the fund of around £1.5m.

·  Some of the underspend will be used to help with emerging pressures including home care.

·  There is still £600k of funding available if needed.

·  The following funding applications have been provisionally approved by the LCG:

o  Participation and Engagement - £62k

o  Direct Payment and Personal Health Budget Development Officer - £40k

o  Wellbeing Representatives (Third Sector Reablement Representatives) - £216k

o  Occupational Therapy Support to Disable Facilities Grant Backlog - £60k

·  The following key measures are proposed to support flow and to ensure that people can leave acute settings and be supported in the community:

o  Recruitment – costs to be confirmed

o  Care Hours - £160k

o  Live in Care - £175k

o  Weslin Care Home Beds with RUH - £484k

o  Third Sector Support – No additional cost

o  Complex Discharge and Health Assessment Support - £29k

(A copy of the presentation slides is attached as an appendix to these minutes).

Judith Westcott then responded to questions as follows:

·  Key areas of development have been identified.

·  There are opportunities to draw different strands together and there is scope to improve links with primary care.

·  Virgin Care is carrying out a lot of work to assist people in their own homes and to ensure that the right support is provided.  PCN roles are a key part of this.

The following issues were discussed:

·  Although organisations are working hard for “quick wins” it is vital to have a long-term workforce strategy as the system is under great pressure.

·  Social prescribing is an area that could be considered, and Board members encouraged there to be good monitoring and partnership working to support the wellbeing representative scheme.

·  A focus on Occupational Therapy (OT) is desperately needed as there are currently long waits for OT visits.  There are currently many OT vacancies, and it will be necessary to be creative about these roles.  Seven day a week working may help.

·  There could be opportunities to discuss with the local universities what skills will be required in the future with a view to creating local training programmes.  Innovative solutions are required.

·  Some of the emergency measures that have been required over the last 18 months have provided helpful learning opportunities. 

RESOLVED:

(1)  To note the contents of the report.

(2)  To approve the new Better Care Funding applications as outlined in paragraph 5 of the report and to note the issues discussed.

(3)  To approve the recommendation to repurpose Better Care Fund funding from schemes that have underspent against their 2021/22 quarter 1 projections as outlined in paragraph 6 of the report.