Agenda item

To consider a report by the Head of Commissioning – Adult Social Care, Dorset Council.

The Board considered a report by the Head of Commissioning - Adult Social Care, Dorset Council, which sought the Board's approval of the Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan 2019/20.  The Board had given delegated authority in June 2019 to the Executive Director for People - Adults after consultation with the Chairman to sign off the plan which was submitted to NHS regional teams in September 2019.  The Board also received a presentation from the Head of Commissioning. 

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health recommended that the plan be approved but suggested that future reports include practical case studies and their impacts.

The presentation provided an overview and information about the national policy framework for 2019/20, content of the BCF plan for 2019/20, expected impact for 2019/20, a summary of BCF income, BCF metrics and the winter pressures scheme. 

Members noted: work with partners was being undertaken in order to project future needs, identify hot spots and the care that would be needed within them; how costs were being limited; work with the community rehabilitation team to assess people's need for therapy; how feedback from reablement users was captured and used; the move to working together more closely in order to meet BCF Targets; steps being taken to reduce hospital admissions by intervention at home; the availability of emergency care work so that patients could return home even if care packages were not in place; and steps being taken to speed up the assessment process.

The Chairman welcomed future reports including more illustrations of how the BCF was making a difference, recognised the role of organisations assisting communities to help maintain people's independence and wanted examples of good work to be rolled out to other areas. 

Attention was drawn to current BCF funding of £132m and questions asked as to whether there was evidence to show its impact, whether progress was fast enough and whether what worked or not informed future actions.  The Head of Commissioning confirmed that what worked and did not work was taken into account but work undertaken had had a medium rather than high impact.  Whilst ambition had not been high there had been a significant number of challenges in the last couple of years.  There were a number of positives, including the positive effect of the winter pressures schemes on the acute trusts, so much so they were now funding winter pressures initiatives themselves.  Although officers were now better able to predict trends for need it was important for information to be accessible and this was not the case currently.  He asked the Board to help with this.

The Chairman reminded members of their ownership of the BCF which was jointly managed by Dorset Council and the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group.  It was partnership work which would ensure that people were safe and well and she emphasised the need for better links with prevention officers with regard to delivery of the BCF.

Resolved

1.   That the 2019/20 BCF Plan be approved.

2.   That future reports include practical case studies and their impacts