Agenda item

To seek approval for the draft Better Care Fund Plan for 2023-25; and authorisation to enter into a partnership agreement under section 75 of the National Health Service Act 2006, following appropriate consultation.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval for the draft Better Care Fund Plan for 2023-2025; and authorisation to enter into a partnership agreement under Section 75 of the National Health Service Act 2006 (“a section 75 Agreement”), following appropriate consultation.

The Authority was obliged by the “Better Care Fund planning requirements 2023-2025” published by NHS England as part of the Better Care Fund planning process to enter into a section 75 Agreement.  All such agreements nationally must be signed and in place by 31 October 2023.

The Authority must submit its Better Care Fund Plan (BCF Plan) to NHS England by the national deadline of 28 June 2023. The BCF Plan required spending on all funding elements of the Plan to be jointly agreed by the Authority and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and for such funding to be a “pooled fund” and for the fund to be governed by a section 75 Agreement.

The deadlines published for the 2023-2025 planning round required this report to come to this Cabinet meeting, to allow for consideration by the Health and Wellbeing Board on 22 June, prior to submission of the planning documents on 28 June. The documents submitted to Cabinet remained draft at this stage and requests delegation for the Director of Adult Social Care, in consultation with the Lead Member for Adult Social Care, to agree further changes as discussions with the ICB continue.

The planning documentation and s75 agreement would cover a two-year period 2023-2025 however, not all of the financial allocations for 2024/25 had been confirmed. It was anticipated that a further return would be required confirming the schemes and financial values in that year.

The BCF funding that the Authority would receive was dependent on the Authority having submitted an acceptable plan and entered into a Section 75 Agreement.

Cabinet considered the following decision options: either to agree the recommendations as set out in section 1.2 of the report; or alternatively, to not accept the recommendations and propose an alternative approval mechanism to ensure that the BCF Plan can be submitted by 28 June 2023 and an Agreement under section 75 of the National Health Service Act 200 is entered into before 31 October 2023.

Resolved that (1) the draft Better Care Fund Plan 2023-2025 be submitted to the Health and Wellbeing Board for further approval prior to submission to NHS England, be approved;

(2) the Director of Adults Services, in consultation with the Lead Member for Adult Social Care, be authorised to agree further changes to the plans prior to submission to NHS England; and

(3) the Director of Adults Services, in consultation with the Director of Resources, Director of Commissioning and Asset Management, and Head of Law, be authorised to enter into an Agreement under section 75 of the National Health Service Act 2006 and to implement the financial and administrative arrangements for the Better Care Fund.

(Reason for decision: The continuation of the Better Care Fund presents an opportunity to take forward the principles of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy. If the requirement to submit a Better Care Fund Plan by 28 June 2023 and enter into a Section 75 Agreement is not met by 31 October 2023 the release of funds by NHS England could be delayed).