Issue - meetings

Public Health Dorset operates under a shared service agreement with Dorset Council. Under BCP Council’s corporate strategy, there are opportunities to better discharge the council’s public health functions outside the shared service agreement.   The report therefore proposes the termination of the shared service agreement and a programme to shape the future public health function.

RESOLVED that: -

(a)          Cabinet agrees to give notice to Dorset Council of the intention to terminate the shared services agreement by 1 April 2025 (para 12);

(b)          The Chief Executive provides the written notice as soon as possible, in line with the terms of this report;

(c)          Cabinet seeks to work in partnership with Dorset Council to ensure a managed transition for both Councils, in line with the principles set out at para 8;

(d)          The Chief Executive, in consultation with the Corporate Director for Wellbeing, creates a new post of Director of Public Health and takes forward the appointment in line with the prescribed process, in partnership with OHID (para 10); and

(e)          Cabinet invites the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee to assess options for configuring public health functions within the councils corporate structures to maximise community benefit as outlined in paragraph 5. And to report findings to the Corporate Director for Wellbeing by the end of May to inform this work ahead of any job design or appointments process.  

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Health and Wellbeing

Reason

These decisions provide a means to shape the future delivery of public health in BCP Council outside the shared service agreement. This contributes to the delivery of BCP Council’s vision and ambitions around health and wellbeing in the Corporate Strategy.

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'E' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that Public Health Dorset operates under a shared service agreement with Dorset Council, and that under BCP Council’s corporate strategy, there are opportunities to better discharge the council’s public health functions outside the shared service agreement.  

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that the report therefore proposes the termination of the shared service agreement and a programme to shape the future public health function.

In proposing the recommendations, the Portfolio Holder acknowledged that the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee had not yet had the opportunity to scrutinise the report and with this in mind proposed the following additional recommendation: -

(a)  Cabinet invites the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee to assess options for configuring public health functions within the councils corporate structures to maximise community benefit as outlined in paragraph 5. And to report findings to the Corporate Director for Wellbeing by the end of May to inform this work ahead of any job design or appointments process.  

The Chair of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee addressed the Cabinet advising that the report had recently been circulated to the Committee with comments being fed back to himself, with the following comments being raised by members of the Committee: -

·      A request for a deferral of this item to the subsequent meeting of the Cabinet in order that the Committee may consider the report prior to Cabinet meeting.

·      Question as to why we are doing this.

·      A comment questioning whether the sequence is right in terms of how this is being considered.

• Further information within the report regarding evidence supporting the proposal.

The Chair of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee thanked the Portfolio Holder for the additional recommendation.

Members addressed the Cabinet welcoming the additional recommendation and advising that they would have liked more information within the report in terms of evidence in respect of why this is the proposal.

Cabinet members stressed the importance of public health and highlighted that the council would still be working jointly with other healthcare partners, but that this proposal would give public health a much stronger focus within BCP Council ensuring we can provide the service our residents require.

RESOLVED that: -

(a)          Cabinet agrees to give notice to Dorset Council of the intention to terminate the shared services agreement by 1 April 2025 (para 12);

(b)          The Chief Executive provides the written notice as soon as possible, in line with the terms of this report;

(c)          Cabinet seeks to work in partnership with Dorset Council to ensure a managed transition for both Councils, in line with the principles set out at para 8;

(d)          The Chief Executive, in consultation with the Corporate Director for Wellbeing,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 135