Issue - meetings

To obtain agreement from the Board for the Oldham Better Care Fund Plan 2019/20.

The Board received a report seeking agreement for the Oldham Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan 2019-20 from the Health and Wellbeing Board prior to submission to NHS England for approval.

The BCF, administered by NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, provides a mechanism for joint health, housing and social care planning and commissioning whilst bringing together ring-fenced budgets from CCG allocations and funding paid directly to local government. For 2019-20 in Oldham, the total value of the BCF was £30,772,550 which included Disabled Facilities Grant and winter pressures funding.

Access to the Fund was based on four national conditions being satisfied:

·         an agreed plan signed off by the relevant Health and Wellbeing Board and the constituent local authorities and CCGs;

·         a demonstration that the area will maintain the level of spending on social care services from the CCG minimum contribution in line with the agreed uplift;

·         that a specific proportion of the area’s allocation is invested in NHS-commissioned out of hospital services, which may include seven-day services and adult social care; and

·         a clear plan on managing transfers of care including implementation of the High Impact Change Model for Managing Transfers of Care which includes adoption of the centrally set expectations for reducing Delayed Transfers of Care (DTOC).

There were an additional four national metrics required to be collected and submitted as part of the designated reporting mechanism:

·         Non-elective admissions;

·         Admissions to residential and care homes;

·         Effectiveness of reablement; and

·         Delayed Transfer of Care

The Board noted that Oldham continued to perform well on reducing DTOC and ranked the second lowest for DTOC within Greater Manchester. Oldham also ranked third lowest for Social Care attributed to DTOC but performed less well on the number of long-term residential placements.

Looking ahead, it was queried how the BCF would reflect the changing landscape of provision going forward.  Members were advised that advance guidance for 2010/21 did reference Primary Care Networks and, for the first time, housing.  In light of developments and the guidance it was necessary to review the Locality Plan to ensure it reflected the current and developing landscape.

RESOLVED that the Oldham Better Care Fund Plan be agreed and submitted to NHS England for approval.