Issue - meetings

This report seeks approval for the council to enter into an agreementunder section 75 of the National Health Services Act 2006 with Brent NHS Clinical Commissioning Groupto govern the delivery of the approved Better Care Fund Plan for 2015/2016.

Cabinet agreed to enter into a partnership arrangement under section 75 of the National Health Services Act 2006 with Brent NHS Clinical Commissioning Group on the basis outlined in this report to govern the delivery of the approved Better Care Fund Plan for Brent for the period2015/2016.

Cabinet agreed that the local authority will host the pooled budget for the reasons set out in paragraph 3.7 of the report.

Cabinet delegated authority to approve the final terms of the proposed partnership arrangement to the Strategic Director of Adults Social Care in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Chief Legal Officer.

Cabinet noted the intention to further report to Cabinet should any material structural, staffing, financial or other changes in addition to those set out in this report be proposed as part of the implementation of the Better Care Fund Plan.

On behalf of Councillor Hirani (Lead Member for Adults, Health and Well-being), Councillor Butt (Leader of the Council) introduced the report seeking approval for the Council to enter into an agreement, under section 75 of the National Health Services Act 2006, with Brent NHS Clinical Commissioning Group to govern the delivery of the approved Better Care Fund Plan for 2015/2016.

Councillor Butt highlighted that, in order to qualify for Better Care Fund (“BCF”) funding, the Council and Brent NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) were required to make an application, to include submission of a BCF Plan. Following the initial submission of the draft BCF Plan in April 2014 by the Council and CCG, the Government required further work and assurance before the BCF plans were approved. The revised Brent BCF plan was submitted to Government and approved with support on 29 October 2014. The BCF funding allocation for Brent is £22,432,000 for 2015/2016.

In response to a question from Councillor Warren (Leader, Brent Conservatives), Phil Porter (Strategic Director, Adults) explained that the BCF plan pooled funds can be managed in a number of ways and there is a choice about which organisation manages the pooled budget. Under the proposals in the report, Cabinet is being asked to agree that the local authority will host the pooled budget.

RESOLVED:

(i)         Cabinet agreed to enter into a partnership arrangement under section 75 of the National Health Services Act 2006 with Brent NHS Clinical Commissioning Group on the basis outlined in this report to govern the delivery of the approved Better Care Fund Plan for Brent for the period 2015/2016.

(ii)        Cabinet agreed that the local authority will host the pooled budget for the reasons set out in paragraph 3.7 of the report.

(iii)       Cabinet delegated authority to approve the final terms of the proposed partnership arrangement to the Strategic Director, Adults in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Chief Legal Officer.

(iv)       Cabinet noted the intention to further report to Cabinet should any material structural, staffing, financial or other changes in addition to those set out in this report be proposed as part of the implementation of the Better Care Fund Plan.