Decision details

The Staffordshire Better Care Fund (BCF) had undergone scrutiny at national and regional level, with assessors reaching a consensus that the Plan should be approved with no remaining unmet Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) and the Board received detail of the assessor feedback. Whilst national guidance and templates had been delayed the County Council was working closely with CCG counterparts and the regional BCF Manager in planning for 2017/19. Once the guidance was released there would be a maximum of six weeks in which to complete and return Staffordshire’s BCF.

National conditions had been reduced from eight to three:

·         a requirement for a jointly agreed plan, approved by the H&WB;

·         real terms maintenance of transfer of funding from health to support adult social care; and

·         a requirement to ring-fence a portion of the CCG minimum to invest in Out of Hospital services.

Plans would also be required to set out the area’s vision for integrated health and social care by 2020. The 2017-19 BCF would be expected to align to wider integration in the H&WB economy and align to the Staffordshire Transformation Plan (STP).

Members raised the following:

·         the need for a greater level of understanding of the STP once specifics were available, whilst acknowledging that the H&WB has had two workshop session on the STP to date and that public debate was currently around agreeing the broad concepts and direction of travel;

·         future Disabled Facilities Grants (DFCs), with an expectation that the  pass through will be the same as the previous year;

·         fully supporting developing one narrative and aligning the BCF and STP to help reduce complexity and ensure a stronger focus;

·         a request for a development session around the STP and BCF, showing how these are aligned.

RESOLVED – That, with the caveat that a H&WB development session be arranged prior to their June meeting around the STP, BCF and how these are aligned:

a)    the report, and the link between the BCF and the STP, be noted;

b)    use of the BCF as a local delivery mechanism for the STP be agreed;

c)    the scope for the 2017-19 BCF be agreed;

d)    the Board delegate agreement for the final BCF submission to the joint H&WB Co-Chairs (to enable agreement to be reached prior to the next H&WB meeting in June);

e)    scope outlining the use of BCF as a local delivery mechanism for the STP be approved; and,

f)     the use of one narrative for both the STP and BCF be agreed.