Agenda item

Update on Better Care Fund 2022-23. 

Judith Westcott

(20 minutes)

Judith Westcott, Senior Commissioning Manager for Adult Health and Social Care addressed the Board. A copy of her presentation will be attached as an online appendix to these minutes, a summary is set out below.

Key Better Care Fund Developments

Allocations from Integrated Care Boards to BCF plans for 2022-23 have been published. The NHS Revenue finance and contracting guidance (published 12 April) confirmed that the NHS contribution to the BCF would increase by 5.66% in 2022-23.

·  Disabled Facilities Grant Determination: Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities have confirmed 2022-23 allocations for the Disabled Facilities Grant. Allocation for 2022-23 will be £1,441,905.

·  Improved Better Care Fund (iBCF) Grant Determination: Publication issued & confirms that the grant determination for the iBCF for 2022-23 will be £4,903,011 (3.02% increase from 2021-22).

·  Better Care Fund Planning and Assurance 2022-23: The national Better Care Fund team are working closely with Government Departments to secure final sign off for this year’s Planning Requirements. The planning timeline looks like it will begin in July and run until September (but is subject to partner sign off).

Better Care Fund End of Year Report – 2021/22

The Better Care Fund reporting requirements and set out in the BCF Planning Requirements document for 2021-22, which supports the aims of the BCF policy framework and the BCF programme. The key purpose of the report is to:

·  To confirm the status of continued compliance against the requirements of the fund (BCF)

·  To confirm actual income and expenditure in BCF plans at the end of the financial year.

·  To provide information from local areas on challenges, achievements, and support needs in progressing the delivering of BCF plans.

·  To enable the use of this information for national partners to inform future direction and for local areas to inform improvements.

Non Recurrent Funding Applications 22-23

Our ambition - Working together to empower people to lead their best life

Benefits to deliver:

·  Keeping people safe by improving the status quo

·  Improving people’s outcomes by testing different system approaches and learning from these

·  Transforming people’s lives through prevention and early intervention

Our journey outcomes:

·  Recovery /relieving system pressure

·  System learning / culture change

·  B&NES System transformation

Organisations across the B&NES health and social care sector were invited to apply for nonrecurrent project funding through submission of a high-level project plan.

30 projects were initially submitted for consideration for 22-23 non-recurrent funding. 3 projects were withdrawn as they were able to secure funding from a different source or felt the application was no longer relevant. 27 projects were presented to the AODG (Alliance and Delivery Operational Group) panel across 3x separate 1-hour sessions. The total value of the 27 projects was £8,984,157.

ADOG members and applicants were invited to rank applications in priority order by submitting a ‘league table’ style vote. Votes have been collated and results can now be shared with the Health and Wellbeing Board, as some of these projects will utilise available iBCF funding.

Available Funding: Project applications totalled £8,984,157, and unfortunately, only approximately £4,153,000 is available for commitment.

Whilst at this stage, we are only able to commit to supporting 9 of the 27 projects that were submitted for consideration, discussions will be held at ADOG to agree plans for reducing the spend on the approved projects with the aim of releasing funds to projects that were unsuccessful. If plans are developed quickly, funding can be released promptly, allowing some of the other high scoring projects to be initiated.

Rebecca Reynolds commented that she felt that there was a robust governance system in place for the Fund. She asked for clarification that the Board were being asked to approve a further £1.2m into the process.

Judith Westcott replied that this was correct.

Mary Kearney-Knowles said that she could also give the Board an assurance of the robust process that is carried out by the Fund.

Paul Harris said that he welcomed the use of the BCF in providing some stepdown provision. He added that if it was felt that Curo could provide any further support to contact Harriet Bosnell.

Judith Westcott replied that ADOG would welcome a housing representative.

The Health & Wellbeing Board RESOLVED to:

i)  Note the contents of the report.

ii)  Approve the 2021-22 End of Year Better Care Fund Report,

iii)  Note the key developments regarding the 2022-23 Better Care Fund planning,

iv)  Note the process and agree in principle the next steps that have been outlined and undertaken in collaboration with the Alliance and Delivery Operational Group (ADOG) for 2022-23 non-recurrent funding.