Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Dr Dani Farrell and Scott Chilton.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interest as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests were made at the meeting.

To receive questions or statements on the business of the committee from town and parish councils and members of the public.

Members of the public who live, work or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area, may submit up to two questions or a statement of up to a maximum of 450 words.  All submissions must be sent electronically to fiona.king@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk by the deadline set out below.  When submitting a question please indicate who the question is for and include your name, address and contact details.  Questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda.

Questions will be read out by an officer of the council and a response given by the appropriate Portfolio Holder or officer at the meeting.  All questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. 

The deadline for submission of the full text of a question or statement is 8.30am on 7 January 2022.

Please refer to the guide to public participation at committee meetings for more information about speaking at meetings.

There were no statements or questions from Town and Parish Councils or members of the public.

To receive any questions from members in accordance with procedure rule 13.  The deadline for receipt of questions is 8.30am on Friday 7 January 2022.

There were no written questions received from members.

To consider a report from the Interim Executive Director for People, Adults.

Members considered a report which set out the Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan 2021/22 for approval by the Board as this was one of the national conditions within the Policy Framework.

Officers also provided members with a presentation to accompany the report which is attached as an annexure to these minutes.

Areas of discussion/questions

The Plan had been approved by senior DC and CCG officers.

In respect of maintaining independence, how well developed was this and could assistive technologies be used more widely?  This was another enabler for keeping people at home more. Colleagues were looking into the digital offer which was an area for further development. A change of contracting providers in this area was currently taking place. 

Although a number of areas within the report were familiar it could be useful to consider spending time on getting behind the scenes e.g. Home First.  There were opportunities to use the Place Based Partnerships to look into more of the detail in the headline areas. More of a strategic conversation to join up the dots was suggested.

In respect of Home First, Healthwatch Dorset were about to start gathering feedback from carers.  There would also be a report on Home First and Sufficiency at the People and Health Scrutiny Committee on 31 January 2022.

It would be helpful to know how many people were in the system, those being helped not to enter the acute system and those being helped to discharge. How and where did the performance information sit?  Identifying areas where the Board was in a position to assist would be useful.  A number of data sources were highlighted. The Corporate Director for Commissioning undertook to look to provide this information outside of the meeting. In respect of data this was currently sat at local authority level but the Deputy Director of Primary and Community Care, Dorset CCG undertook to speak to business and intelligence colleagues to see how much further this could be interrogated. The Interim Executive Director for People, Adults noted the importance of having the conversation about what was being put in place.  Funding needed to be in preparation for what needed to be impacted in Place.

The community support in the Plan was highlighted but it was felt more about voluntary support could be added.

The definition of what the BCF was using as a locality – was this part of the Place conversation?  Possibly an informal discussion for the Board would be helpful.  It would be useful to have the context of what was delivered through the BCF for instance in respect of older people.

There were currently some very ‘hot’ issues in the system as a result of workforce pressures etc.  Real significant pressures in the community care system were highlighted.

The system health inequalities group could support the work under the BCF in reducing health inequalities.

Reference was made to all three hospitals in the Dorset and BCP area and how they were currently running at 100%.

Conscious of great initiatives  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

To consider the Forward Plan for the Board.

The Board considered its Forward Plan.

For the 30 March meeting the current Safe and Legal item would now be a discussion on Place.

The Chairman drew members’ attention to the Health and Wellbeing Strategy which members approved in March 2021. The 3 priorities in the strategy were highlighted and an action plan item would be brought forward,

The Chairman advised she would email members to ask them to look through the strategy and see what they might be in a position to fulfil.  This would then inform discussions on Place and ICS work.

It was noted that an Integrated Care Strategy (ICS) would need to be drafted shortly and it might be worth considering just having the one strategy that incorporated both areas.  However, the Chairman was concerned that having just the one might not include all that is contained in the HWB Strategy.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There were no urgent items of business.

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 3 of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.

There was no exempt business.