Agenda item

This report provides an overview of the Quarter 2 Report of the Better Care Fund (BCF) for 2024-25.

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 2023-25 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 Better Care Fund Commissioning Manager for BCP Council presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

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

This report provides an overview of the Quarter 2 Report of the Better Care Fund (BCF) for 2024-25. 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 was a part of the requirements set by the Better Care Fund 2023-25 Policy Framework. The report needs to be jointly agreed and signed off by the Health and Wellbeing Board as one of the planning requirements. This was previously brought to the Health and Wellbeing Board in 2023-24.

The Board was advised that there was a transformation programme going ahead which should help reduce admissions but there were plans for better access to community schemes.

A concern was raised that the report had not reached a point which was able to detail a core set of issues which were trying to be addressed. It was noted that the Better Care Fund paid for a number of schemes including disabled facilities grant, housing adaptations, supporting unpaid carers and intermediate care services.

It was felt that there needed to be a better understanding on whether the Better Care Fund was providing good value for money in terms of the impact that the services it was delivering was having.

The Board asked about the inconsistency in the delivery and accessibility of some of the services and it was suggested that having access to these across BCP was important.

It was suggested that the Board identify three key issues which could be tracked over the next few quarters to identify the impact and the experience of the people receiving the services. It was noted that the Better Care Fund was at a stage where a review period needed to be built-in and this would be able to inform the direction of travel and if things had changed.

It was noted that the annual report was due in May and this would be able to address the granular detail. Consideration needed to be given regarding whether the right people were being targeted and what difference was being made. There was further discussion on the different groups who were being supported by the fund and the amount of funding available and how this was divided across a number of different schemes. It was felt that the review would need to be instigated before the annual review was due in May.

RESOLVED that:

1. Plans are commenced on a review of the Better Care Fund in consultation with partners and that a brief update report be brought to the March meeting.
2. The Better Care Fund Report be approved.