Agenda item

To consider a report by the Director of Public Health.

The Board considered the Finance Report on the use of each council’s grant for public health, including the budget for the shared service Public Health Dorset, and the other elements of grant used within each council outside of the public health shared service.

The opening revenue budget for Public Health Dorset in 21/22 was £25.036M. This is based on a combined Grant Allocation of £34.267M. Current forecast outturn is £453K underspend, with more detail set out in section 10 below and appendix 1. It was proposed the underspend be used to address two specific areas -Safeguarding Children and Young People and Place-based prevention initiatives

What proportion each local authority retained of the grant to deliver other services with public health impact was explained.

Grant allocations for public health in 22/23 and the combined Grant Allocation of £35.229M showed an increase of £962k, or 2.81%. A key principle is that as a minimum both local authorities would continue with their current contributions. Options for use of the combined £962k uplift are set out in section 12 and proposed for early Intervention 0-19 and Live Well Dorset.

The Board were informed about the 2021/22 shared service budget and what could be looked forward to in2022/23

How future Covid 19 work , wider health protection work and Integrated Care Services development were to be addressed was explained  as well as the reasoning why allocations were made as they were.

The board were assured that all funding would be spent on public health initiatives and that provision had been made for this to be prioritised on what could be done to the best effect. The emphasis was still first and foremost on prevention.

How health checks were being addressed was explained as these had been largely paused, during the Covid -19 pandemic. It was intended that these would be re invigorated going forward.

The Director explained the difference between the options : Option 1 -

40% share of uplift to the shared service with 60% retained by councils, and Option 2 - 60% share of uplift to the shared service with 40% retained by councils.

Members considered that Option 2 would provide for the necessary funding to achieve what was intended to be delivered.

Resolved

1) That the current forecast position of the shared service be noted.

2) That use of the underspend as set out in section 10.4 of the report, be approved.

3) That the current position for the retained portions of the grant and the audit report for Dorset Council be noted.

4) That the publication of 2022/23 grant allocations for the councils on 7 February be noted.

5) That options for the 2022/23 uplift and implications for shared service budget in 2022/23, as set out in section 12, be noted and endorsed.

6) That final contributions for financial annexe for 2022/23 be approved - based on Option 2 being accepted.

Reason for Recommendation:

The public health grant is ring-fenced, and all spend against it must comply with the necessary grant conditions and be signed off by both the Chief Executive or Section 151 Officer and the Director of Public Health for each local authority.

The public health shared service delivers public health services across Dorset Council (DC) and BCP Council. The service works closely with both Councils and partners to deliver the mandatory public health functions and services, and a range of health and wellbeing initiatives. Each council also provides a range of other services with public health impact and retains a portion of the grant to support this in different ways.

Monitoring spend against the grant will support better financial planning and use of the Public Health Grant to improve outcomes in partner Councils, as well as through the shared service.