Agenda item

To consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting an update on the financial position and progress towards the requirements of the Better Care Fund in Leeds since the final guidance was released on 20 December 2013.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report that introduced a report presented to Leeds’ Health and Wellbeing Board presenting an update on the financial position and progress towards the requirements of the Better Care Fund in Leeds, since the final guidance was released on 20 December 2013.

As agreed earlier in the meeting (minute 80 refers) an outline of the draft proposals was also presented and considered by the Scrutiny Board.

The following representatives were in attendance to help the Scrutiny Board consider the information presented:

·  Dennis Holmes (Deputy Director (Adult Social Services) – Leeds City Council)

·  Steve Hume (Chief Officer Resources and Strategy (Adult Social Services) – Leeds City Council)

·  Matt Ward (Chief Operating Officer – Leeds South and East Clinical Commissioning Group)

The Deputy Director of Adult Social Services introduced the report and made the following points:

·  The Better Care Fund had previously been referred to as the Integration Transformation Fund.

·  There was a national requirement to submit draft proposals to NHS England (NHSE) and the Local Government Association (LGA) by 14 February 2014.  The current iteration of the draft proposals was now presented to the Scrutiny Board for consideration.

·  A final submission of proposals would need to be submitted to NHSE/ LGA by 4 April 2014.

·  The £55M allocation to the Better Care Fund in Leeds represented the minimum level of funding.  Potentially, the fund could include the entire commissioning budgets from Adult Social Service and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) – some £1.5 billion.

In light of the particularly short timescales involved, the Deputy Director also expressed his thanks and appreciation for the hard work and continued commitment of officers across the Council and local CCGs in drafting the proposals. 

The Scrutiny Board discussed the report and the details highlighted at the meeting.  A number of matters were raised, including:

·  The current draft proposals only included schemes aimed at adults/ older people. There appeared to be no proposed schemes that specifically included mental health services or services to the under 25s. 

·  Concerns associated with the lead-in times for preventative services to generate the savings necessary in acute care – particularly in light of the Better Care Fund aimed at delivering results (in terms of better patient outcomes and financial savings) within 12-18 months.

·  With 2014/15 identified as a ‘shadow year’, plans to consult on the draft proposals and undertake meaningful equality impact assessments.

·  Flexibilities associated with commissioning acute care through funding mechanisms other than ‘tariff’.

·  The alignment between the Better Care Fund proposals and Leeds’ Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

The Chair thanked those in attendance and looked forward to receiving further details around the proposals and subsequent progress/ achievements in due course.

RESOLVED –

(a)  To note the information presented and discussed at the meeting.

(b)  The need to consult service users on draft proposals and undertake meaningful equality impact assessments be highlighted to Leeds’ Health and Wellbeing Board.

(c)  To consider a further update on the draft proposals at the next meeting of the Scrutiny Board, scheduled for February 2014.