A report by the Director of Care and Health is attached.

The Director of Care and Health, Graham Hodkinson introduced a report presenting proposed arrangements for pooled fund resources in 2019/20.  It was proposed that the pooled fund would continue on the basis of current arrangements, and that scope be not extended to include additional schemes or areas during 2019 in order to enable joint arrangements to continue without increasing financial risk.  Notwithstanding, in receiving the proposal the Board was reminded of the commitment to review the effectiveness of Better Care Fund (BCF) schemes early in 2019/20 and the financial value in the pool may change slightly due to changes in allocation, inflationary pressures etc.

The proposal to continue with current arrangements, as opposed to extending the pooled fund arrangements to new areas, was made as the current arrangements in the Section 75 agreement were still relatively young and feedback needed scrutiny and understanding.  The initial areas for pooling had been those with a clear benefit to individuals and care packages and those related to hospital discharge issues as promoted via the BCF.  The proposal would therefore keep focus on those areas where the most impact could be made.  To broaden the scope to include all NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group and Wirral Council social care spending could potentially increase risk due to ongoing pressure in the health system

The Board was advised that the proposal was being brought forward in time for the new financial year as the current Section 75 pooled fund agreement that sets out the detail of pooled budget areas would end at the end of March 2019, and was reminded that there is a legal requirement to have a Section 75 agreement in place to draw down the elements of the pool relating to the BCF. 

The Director reported verbally to the Board in respect of a recent Adult Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee workshop, held since the preparation of the submitted report and at which this proposal had been reported and considered.  Ongoing reporting arrangements to enable the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to monitor the pooled fund had been agreed, alongside a requirement that should a significant change be required to a scheme, an opportunity to scrutinize that requirement in advance would be provided.  In response to a query concerning scrutiny on any proposed changes for 2020/21, the Director advised that while timing would depend on the planning process agreed, a commitment to pre-scrutiny had been given. 

The interest and involvement of the Adult Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee in pooled fund arrangements was welcomed by the Co-Chairs of the Board.

The NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group Board Members and the Wirral Borough Council’s two Cabinet Members sitting as a Committee of the Cabinet –

RESOLVED: That the proposal not to increase the scope of the pooled fund for 2019/20 in order to continue mitigating financial risk be endorsed.

Wirral Borough Council’s two Cabinet Members sitting as a Committee of the Cabinet –

RESOLVED:    That the Director of Care and Health be authorised to enter into the proposed Section 75 agreement for 2019/20 on behalf of the Council.

The NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group Board Members -

RESOLVED:  That the Chief Officer of NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group be authorised to enter into the proposed Section 75 agreement for 2019/20 on behalf of the Clinical Commissioning Group.