Issue - meetings

This report provides an overview of the planning document of the Better Care Fund (BCF) for 2025-26.

The BCF is a key delivery vehicle in providing person centred integrated care with health, social care, housing, and other public services, which is fundamental to having a strong and sustainable health and care system.

The report is a part of the requirements set by the Better Care Fund 2025-26 Policy Framework. The report needs to be jointly agreed and signed off by the Health and Wellbeing Board as one of the planning requirements.

The Director of Adult Social Care Commissioning and theCommissioning Manager presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

NHS England (NHSE) required the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) to approve all BCF plans, this was one of the national conditions within the Policy Framework. This included planning documents at the beginning of a funding period, and template returns reporting progress against the plans quarterly.

This report provided an overview of the planning document of the Better Care Fund (BCF) for 2025-26.

The BCF was a key delivery vehicle in providing person centred integrated care with health, social care, housing, and other public services, which was fundamental to having a strong and sustainable health and care system.

The report was a part of the requirements set by the Better Care Fund 2025-26 Policy Framework. The report needed to be jointly agreed and signed off by the Health and Wellbeing Board as one of the planning requirements.

The Director of Adult Social Care advised of the challenges regarding the funding received and the need to have conversations with health partners about the impact it would have, by needing to decommission or reduce funding for some of the schemes offered.

The Corporate Director for Wellbeing acknowledged that the report was published after the agenda and advised should Board Members wish to provide any comments, please provide any feedback before the report needed to be submitted on 31 March 2025.

The Healthwatch representative left the meeting at 3pm.

RECOMMENDED that the Health and Wellbeing Board is invited to comment on the plan and narrative, with agreement that it can be finalised in time for the deadline by officers outside the Board:

• Better Care Fund 2025-26 Plan
• Better Care Fund 2025-26 Narrative
• Better Care Fund 2025-26 Capacity & Demand Plan