Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Adult Social Care

Forward Plan Ref: 2014/133

Contact: Ben Threadgold, Service Manager – Policy & Performance Tel: (01865) 328219

Report by Director for Adult Social Services Services (CA17).

The purpose of this paper is to seek agreement on the proposed use of the Better Care Fund in Oxfordshire, prior to submission to NHS England by 19 September 2014. This is an update to the plan previously agreed by Cabinet and the Health and Wellbeing Board in March 2014, to reflect updated Government guidance and requirements issued in July and August 2014.

It is a Government requirement that plans are agreed by the Health and Wellbeing Board prior to submission, as well as the County Council and Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

Agree the Better Care Fund Plan for Oxfordshire for submission to NHS England by 19th September 2014, subject to the inclusion of any necessary changes which may be required following consideration by the Health and Wellbeing Board and Clinical Commissioning Group Governing Body as agreed by Chairman (Leader of the Council) and Vice Chairman (Clinical Chair of the Clinical Commissioning Group) of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Cabinet agreed ….

Cabinet had before them a report on the proposed use of the Better Care Fund in Oxfordshire, prior to submission to NHS England by 19 September 2014. This was an update to the plan previously agreed by Cabinet and the Health and Wellbeing Board in March 2014, to reflect updated Government guidance and requirements issued in July and August 2014.

Cabinet considered a supplementary report updating the position from the original report and recommending that the supplementary paper be submitted to Government as an overview plan that demonstrates the shared commitment to work together but also set out the particular problems that are faced in Oxfordshire.

Councillor Laura Price, Shadow Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care referred to the links between the Better Care Fund and Outcome Based Commissioning. She highlighted that this was not new money but was to be negotiated with the NHS. She supported the writing of the addenda report as it was important to be realistic about how achievable proposals were. It was important to protect our access to the funding; she awaited the detailed plans and appreciated that the Director of Adult Social Services was committed to ongoing discussions.

Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care introduced the reports and noted that the later report supersedes the first. More work was required.

RESOLVED to  agree the overview of the Better Care Fund Plan for Oxfordshire as set out in the Supplementary Report to this meeting for submission to NHS England by 19 September 2014, subject to the inclusion of any necessary changes following consideration by the Health and Wellbeing Board and Clinical Commissioning Group Governing Body as agreed by Chairman (Leader of the Council) and Vice Chairman (Clinical Chair of the Clinical Commissioning Group) of the Health and Wellbeing Board.