Agenda item

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval of the draft Better Care Fund Plan

for 2024/25 and authorisation for the Director of Adult Services 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

2023-25” published by NHS England as part of the Better Care Fund planning

process to enter into a section 75 Agreement. Although the current planning

guidance covered a two-year period spanning financial years 2023/24 and

2024/25, a Planning Addendum was published on 28 March 2024 requiring the

completion of a further template outlining spending plans and metrics targets

for the second year 2024/25. A section 75 agreement must also be prepared and

agreed for 2024/25 and this must be in place by 30 September 2024.

The Authority must submit its Better Care Fund Plan (BCF Plan) to NHS England

By the national deadline of 10 June 2024. 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 in theAddendum to the BCF Policy Framework and

Planning Requirements for 2023/25 required this report to come to the 20 May

2024 Cabinet to allow for consideration by the Health and Wellbeing Board on twenty

June 2024. The Better Care Fund policy framework allowed for Health and

Wellbeing Boards to formally approve the planning submission after the national

submission deadline. The documents submitted to Cabinet as part of this report

remained draft at this stage and this report requests delegation for the Director

of Adult Services in consultation with the Lead Member for Adult Social Care to

agree further changes as discussions with the ICB continued.

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

Cabinet considered the following decision options:

Option 1: To approve the recommendations set out in paragraph 1.2 of the report, or alternatively, to not agree the recommendations.

Resolved that (1) the draft Better Care Fund Narrative Plan be approved for submission to the Health and Wellbeing Board for further approval following initial submission to NHS England attached to the report at Appendix 1;

(2) the Director of Adult 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 Adult Services, in consultation with the Director of Resources 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 BCF Plan by 10 June 2024 and enter into a Section 75 Agreement is not met by 30 September 2024 the release of funds by NHS England could be delayed.)