Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that Majid Hussain be Elected Chair for the duration of the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Fielding, Chadderton and Chauhan, Carolyn Wilkins, Dr. Patterson, Dr. Milnes, Dr. Gopi and Shelley Grumbridge,

The Minutes of the Commissioning Partnership Board held on 30^th January 2020 are attached for approval.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Commissioning Partnership Board held on 30^th January 2020 be approved as a correct record.

There were no public questions received.

The Board gave consideration to a report which set out the 2019/20 Oldham Cares Section 75 (S.75) pooled budget monitoring position as at Month 8.  The reports showed a budget of £157.67m and a year-end forecast of £162.50m producing an adverse variance of £4.83m.  Most of this variance related to Oldham Council services, the majority of which was offset by favourable variances outside the S.75 budget areas.  As such there was no anticipated financial risk to Oldham Cares or the wider integrated economy at the end of 2019/20.

It was noted that the Better Care Fund Plan for 2019/20 had been approved the by the Health and Wellbeing Board and confirmed by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The major contributing factors on the Council’s adverse variance were pressures from within community care placements, linked to people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, sensory and memory and cognitive need.  The Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) reported a forecast net pooled budget overspend of £0.5m, principally in respect of increased usage of mental health inpatient beds at Pennine Care Foundation Trust. 

The report also outlined that the CCG was utilising the additional contribution of £5.9m made by the Council to facilitate investment in services leading to changes which will yield benefits over the coming years. 

Oldham CCG also hosted the Oldham Care Transformation Fund received from the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMHSCP).  As at Month 8, the CCG had received £7.2m of allocations related to the Oldham Locality Schemes.

The Board asked for confirmation as to how the £5.9m upfront additional investment by the Council in services delivered by the CCG would generate the necessary efficiencies to allow for the planned differential contributions to the pooled fund in future years.

The Board was advised that the report to Cabinet approved at its December 2019 meeting outlined the expectations in relation to the use of Council resources and that the Council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy included the expectation of reduced contributions to the pooled fund in future years arising from services changes linked to the delivery of health and social care system efficiencies.  The Board was advised that there is no specific documentation outlining the detailed deployment of resources and subsequent realisation of the efficiencies.  It was however agreed that a detailed document outlining expectations and commitments would be prepared for agreement.

Members added that the Council and the CCG are working in the spirit of partnership, openness and transparency and that there is trust between the partners around the joint work that is in train to deliver efficiencies.

RESOLVED that:

1.       The Oldham Care Section 75 financial monitoring position as at Month 8 for 2019/20 be noted.

2.       A detailed document be prepared which outlined expectations and commitments around the Council’s investment in services as outlined at Section 2.8 of the report.

The Board gave consideration to a request for the approval of the balance of funding to design and delivery strengths-based training for Oldham Care workforce. 

The Commissioning Partnership Board had approved a proposal in September 2019 to procure a provider to design and deliver strengths-based approaches training for the Oldham Cares workforce.  The report recognised that engagement with residents/patients/people in Oldham should have a more positive narrative which moved Oldham away from the deficit norm which local government and health had taken historically.  At GM and nationally, the strength/asset-based approach was considered best practice given that it was delivering improvement in population health and reducing demand on services.

The Board were provided an update on the procurement following a soft market testing exercise and invitation to tender had been undertaken and officers were in a position to award the contract but would prefer to have full approval of funding ahead of awarding the contract.  Officers were keen to appoint the provider in a timely manner.  Members were informed that a project manager was being recruited to manage and oversee the commissioned training.

The Board welcomed the report.  This would bring life to the Locality Plan and work as a whole system health management approach. The Board requested updates following the procurement of the provider.

Options / Alternatives:

Option 1 – Seek funding from partners across the Alliance

Option 2 – Approve the balance of funding from the Transformation Fund

RESOLVED that the Commissioning Partnership Board would consider the commercially sensitive information contained at Item 10 of the agenda before making a decision.

That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they contain exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and it would not, on balance, be in the public interest to disclose the reports.

RESOLVED that, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they contain exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and it would not, on balance, be in the public interest to disclose the reports.

The Commissioning Partnership Board gave consideration to the commercially sensitive information in relation to Item 10, Using Local Resources to Bring People and Communities Together to Achieve Positive Change: Strength Based Approaches Training for Oldham Cares Workforce Deficit Funding Request.

RESOLVED that:

1.     The recommendations as detailed in the commercially sensitive report be approved.

2.     Authority be delegated to the Director of Workforce and Organisational Design to arrange the relevant contracts with the agreed provider.