Issue - meetings

Cabinet had before them a report that sought Cabinet approval to increase the services and budgets that form the Older Person’s Pooled Budget arrangements between Oxfordshire County Council and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group. It also proposed changes to the risk sharing and governance arrangements to ensure they are appropriate for a truly pooled budget between both parties under a formal Section 75 agreement.

Councillor Laura Price, Shadow Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care supported the proposals but stressed the need to ensure the arrangements put in place were robust.

Stephen Richards and Ian Busby spoke in support of the arrangements.

Councillor Heathcoat in proposing the recommendations commented that the changes were good news being innovative and exciting. She paid tribute to  the hard work by all partners to bring the complex arrangements together and highlighted the experience outlined in paragraph 16 that would be useful going forward. Governance arrangements were important and would be monitored.

John Jackson added that the arrangements were nationally recognised as being innovative for their integrated approach to health and social care for older people. In recognising that there were risks he emphasised that the bigger risk lay with not doing it. It was about better outcomes and efficient use of resources. He highlighted the governance arrangements that would be put in place including the Joint Management Group. Lorna Baxter outlined the financial position and agreed that the risks were outweighed by the benefits of joint working.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)               approve the proposed changes to the older people’s pooled budget arrangements for older people, including changes to the Section 75 Agreement for All Client Groups to reflect this, subject to the inclusion of any necessary changes in the text as agreed by the Director for Social & Community Services after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care;

(b)               RECOMMEND that the County Council approves the virement of £21m into the Older People’s Pooled Budget, as well as an income target of £18m.