Issue - meetings

– Progress update against performance – Becky Hale

Becky Hale provided an update on the Better Together Programme. Due to ongoing pressures from the Covid-19 pandemic, formal Better Care Fund (BCF) plans for 2020/21 would not have to be submitted for approval. Instead local areas had to ensure that use of the mandatory funding contributions were agreed in writing, and that the national conditions were met. This was currently in progress and due to the short timescales involved, an additional meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board Sub-Committee may be required to give formal approval.

In addition, the HWBB would be required to provide an end of year reconciliation, confirming that the national conditions had been met, the total spending from the mandatory funding and a breakdown of agreed spending. In the meantime, the schemes and priorities to be delivered had been agreed locally through the Better Together Programme and continued to be commissioned and delivered, where it was possible to do so. Updates were provided for each of the following areas:

• The revised discharge policy requirements effective from August 2020. The Better Together Programme continued to support commissioners and delivery leads to implement these requirements and in doing so support the acute hospitals to discharge patients requiring care and support safely.
• The continuation of the Better Care Fund (BCF) Policy Framework for a further year in 2021/22, supported by a one-year funding settlement and the iBCF grant would be maintained at its current level.
• An update on the project activity which had been able to continue, specifically the falls prevention project and commencing a public campaign on healthy aging.
• A performance update on the four key areas of reducing delayed transfers of care, reducing non-elective hospital admissions, admissions to residential and care homes and increasing effectiveness of reablement.
• A financial update.

The Chair confirmed that the final documents would be circulated to the Board, ahead of a meeting of the Sub-Committee to give final approvals due to the time constraints for submission.

Resolved

That the Board:

1. Notes the update on the Better Care Fund Policy Framework and Guidance for 2020/21.

2. Notes the update on the Better Care Fund Policy Framework and Guidance for 2021/22.

3. Notes the progress of the Better Together Programme in 2020/21 to improve performance against the four national Better Care Fund areas of focus.

Approves the sign-off arrangements by a meeting of the Sub-Committee on a date to be confirmed.