Agenda item

(a)  That the Council enter into a pooled arrangement under S75 of the NHS Act 2006 with Slough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

(b)  That the Council be the host of the Pooled Budget.

(c)  That the Council’s financial contribution to the budget together with the proposed arrangements for governance and management of the plan be approved.

(d)  That the Director of Wellbeing, following consultation with the Leader and Commissioner for Health & Wellbeing, be given delegated authority to finalise the Section 75 agreement subject to approval by the Slough CCG Governing Body.

The Assistant Director Adult Social Care introduced a report seeking agreement enter in a Pooled Budget Agreement for the Better Care Fund (BCF) with the Slough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to bring together some health and social care funding.

The creation of a pooled budget was part of the national conditions for the BCF and was permitted in legislation through Section 75 of the NHS Act 2006 and it was proposed that the Council be the host of the pooled budget as a majority of the expenditure related to social care.  The agreement included a number of schedules setting out the planned expenditure, governance arrangements and risk sharing agreement.  Risk share would be on a scheme by scheme basis depending on who was managing the relevant scheme.  The final BCF plan for Slough had set out a pooled budget of £8.76m for 2015/16 of which the financial contribution from the Council was £694,000.  The budget included a contingency fund of £1.15m in 2015/16 to cover possible risks including failing to achieve the target of a 3.5% reduction in non-elective admissions to hospital.

The pooled budget had been set at the minimum amount required by NHS England, and Commissioners discussed the reasons for this and it was responded that a steady approach was being taken for the first year of the fund.  A range of other issues were discussed including partnership working between the Council and the CCG; the risks and challenges of reducing hospital admissions; and the potential for future devolution of NHS spend following the General Election.  It was noted that the CCG Governing Body would not be meeting to agree the pooled budget until April, which meant the original planned start date of 1^st April 2015 would not be met.  At the conclusion of the discussion, the Cabinet agreed to enter into the pooled budget and to be the host of the budget.  It was also agreed to delegate authority to finalise the Section 75 agreement following consultation with the relevant Commissioners.

Resolved –

(a)  That the Council enter into a pooled arrangement under S75 of the NHS Act 2006 with Slough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

(b)  That the Council be the host of the Pooled Budget.

(c)  That the Council’s financial contribution to the budget together with the proposed arrangements for governance and management of the plan be approved.

(d)  That the Director of Wellbeing, following consultation with the Leader and the Commissioner for Health & Wellbeing, be given delegated authority to finalise the Section 75 agreement subject to approval by the Slough CCG Governing Body.