Agenda item

Consideration was given to a report on the Better Care Fund.  The fund is being created from a number of different existing budgets (and from April 2015 will include the Disabled Facilities Grant) aims to provide people with better integrated care and support in Staffordshire.

Mrs Amanda Lloyd from Staffordshire County Council was in attendance and briefed Members on its purpose and basic principles.

The Better Care Fund Staffordshire was a national requirement, pooling funds between the County Council and Clinical Commissioning Groups (amongst other organisations).

Concerns were raised regarding the number of versions of the document that had been brought before the Cabinet and that, as a live document, further versions could emerge prior to the Friday evening deadline (for submission).  The version being considered was version 13 which was circulated at the meeting.

This later version reflected changes such as more support for the frail elderly, a shortfall in the funding for the Social Care Fund and a major change in the National Conditions section of the report entitled ‘protecting Social Care Services’, (which clarified the position of the need to protect the Better Care Fund).  In addition, the section on Risk had been enhanced.

Appendix B of the report showed outcomes, finance and metrics giving targets which were hopefully achievable, according to Mrs Lloyd.

A colleague of Mrs Lloyd’s, Mr Hugh Evans had been developing the Stoke on Trent’s Better Care Fund and had been working closely with Mrs Lloyd to ensure that the two documents were aligned.  Mr Evans attended this Council’s Transformation and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 26 March, 2014. 

The Leader stated that he would welcome the Borough Council’s involvement in the whole work programme, if possible and not just involvement in the supporting people in their own homes secton.  There was a need to subscribe to this in order to move forward.  The process was going to happen and the Leader stated that he was comfortable to say that he was happy to go along with the document in principle but  requested that he be kept fully up to date with the changes made before the Friday deadline.

Resolved:-              (i)       That the contents of the report be noted.

(ii)       That the draft Better Care Fund Plan submission up to the end of 2015/16, whilst reserving the right to review this endorsement at the end of 2015/16, pending a wholesale review of Disabled Facilities Grant funding to the Borough Council after 2015/16, be endorsed.

(iii)      That authority be delegated to the Leader of the Council to agree and sign off the Better Care Fund submission on behalf of the Council subject to the Leader receiving tracked-changes documents of amendments as soon as they become available.