The Somerset Board is the
single high-level strategic partnership board for health, care and
wellbeing for the county: in essence to consider all influences on
what it is to live and work in Somerset.
It operates in conjunction with
the Somerset Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) and the Somerset
Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) sitting as committees in
common.
The Somerset Board consists of
senior representatives from key organisations, agencies and sectors
that have an impact and influence upon the health and wellbeing of
the Somerset population.
The committees meeting in common fulfil two statutory requirements:
·
The HWB is a statutory Board of the Council required
under the Health and Care Act 2012.
·
Arrangements
for Integrated Care Partnerships (ICP) as set out in the Local
Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 so that
Integrated Care Boards (ICB) and all upper-tier local authorities
that fall within the area of the ICB must establish an Integrated
Care Partnership.
Wherever possible the Somerset
HWB and the Somerset ICP will function as committees meeting in
common through the Somerset Board. However, the two committees are
legally and constitutionally distinct and there may be occasions
where decisions of each committee need to be taken separately
because of the limits on the functions of each.
Aim
Its
purpose is to understand the needs of the population and,
collaboratively, with the community and all sectors in the county,
determine and agree the longer-term strategic vision for the
county, pushing forward agreed priorities to improve the lives of
the Somerset population and directing how the assessed health and
care needs for the population of Somerset are to be
met.
The
Somerset Board will provide strategic leadership to improve the
health, care and wellbeing of the residents of Somerset leading the
health and wellbeing agenda, deciding its strategic direction, and
holding key organisations, agencies, and sectors to account to
ensure the health and wellbeing, including a focus on improving the
health and care of the local population is maximised. The Somerset
Board will identify and unify to tackle some of the significant
challenges facing the county over the medium and longer
term.
The core
roles and responsibilities of the Board and its members are as
follows:
Responsibilities
The
Board, through the Somerset HWB or the Somerset ICP (as appropriate
depending on the decision and as set out in each board’s
terms of reference), shall identify and agree health and wellbeing
needs and priorities across Somerset through:
a)
Providing a structure for strategic local planning
and challenge to the provision of health and wellbeing, and health
and care related services across a range of sectors and
providers.
b)
Assessing the needs of the local population and lead
the statutory Joint Strategic Needs Assessment ('JSNA') with an
annual refresh and publication of the Joint Strategic Needs
Assessment (JSNA) to support evidence-based prioritisation,
commissioning, and policy decisions.
c)
Ensuring that the JSNA drives the development of the
Health and Wellbeing Strategy (Improving Lives), and the Health and
Care Strategy and influences other key plans, strategies,
commissioning, and service delivery across the County.
d)
Undertaking the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment
every three years or sooner if required.
e)
Preparing, agreeing and publishing of the Somerset
Health and Wellbeing Strategy (SHWBS). The SHWBS will set a high
level joint strategic vision for health and wellbeing, taking into
account the JSNA and the Annual Public Health Report(s), as well as
national policy developments and legislation. Organisations
represented on the Board have a duty to take heed of the strategy,
its outcomes and metrics and will be held to account for their
contribution to delivery of outcomes.
f)
Preparing, agreeing and publishing of the Health and
Care Strategy. The Health and Care Strategy will set a high level
joint strategic vision for health and care, taking into account the
JSNA and the Annual Public Health Report(s), as well as national
policy developments and legislation. Organisations represented on
the Board have a duty to take heed of the strategy, its outcomes
and metrics and will be held to account for their contribution to
delivery of outcomes.
g)
Actively engaging with the other key partnerships,
and Boards to ensure the achievement of outcomes in all agreed
areas and to extend the reach of the Improving Lives and Health and
Care Strategies by ensuring alignment with other strategies and
plans.
h)
Discharging all functions relating to the Better
Care Fund that are required or permitted by law to be exercised by
the Board including: Agreeing the Better Care Fund; and overseeing
the delivery of the Better Care Fund and Improved Better Care Fund.
This includes providing a regular written progress report on each
of the schemes under the fund to the Board.
i)
Overseeing the implementation of the statutory
requirement within the Children and Families Act 2014, for local
services to work together providing care and support for children
and young people with special educational needs and disabilities
(SEND), ensuring that local services are fulfilling their role and
that children are getting the care they need.
j)
Ensuring that the Local Integrated Care Board and
Partnership, Local Authorities, NHS England, and Police demonstrate
how the JSNA has driven decision making.
k)
Advocating for the integration of services where it
is beneficial to do so.
In order to undertake the system leadership role, the Board will
meet in public three times a year with a workshop programme for
Board Members being delivered.
Accountability for the delivery
of statutory duties and the Improving Lives and Health and Care
Strategies will be through the organisations represented on the
Board.
Membership
Representation on the Somerset Board reflects the membership of
the HWB and ICP and consists of the senior representatives (who
have voting rights) detailed below:
·
Up to 7 elected members of Somerset Council
including the relevant Executive Members for Public Health,
Equalities and Diversity, Adult Social Care and Children and
Families, 1 member of the Opposition and 1 other Council member
– all to be chosen by the Leader of the Council
·
Chief Executive Officer Integrated Care
Board
·
Chief Medical Officer Integrated Care
Board
·
Chair Integrated Care Board
·
1 General Practice representative
·
1 Primary Care representative (not general
practice)
·
Chief Executive Officer, Somerset Council
·
Executive Director Public and Population Health,
Somerset Council
·
Executive Director of Adults and Health, Somerset
Council
·
Executive Director of Children’s Services,
Somerset Council
·
Executive Director of Strategy Workforce and
Localities, Somerset Council
·
1 Representative nominated by NHS England
·
Chief Executive Officer Somerset NHS Foundation
Trust
·
1 x Non-Executive Director NHS Somerset Foundation
Trust
·
2 Representatives from the Voluntary, Community,
Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in Somerset
·
1 Representative of Registered Care Providers
operating in Somerset
·
1 nominated volunteer representative of Healthwatch
Somerset
·
1 Representative from Avon and Somerset
Police
·
1 Representative from Devon and Somerset Fire
Service
·
1 Representative from Southwest Ambulance
Trust
·
1 Representative from Probation Service
·
2 Representatives from Education
·
1 Representative from the Somerset Association of
Local Councils
·
1 Representative from the Business Sector
·
1 University representative
The
composition of the Board will be as inclusive as practicable
covering a wide range of partners balancing this with a realistic
maximum size of the board necessary for it to be effective and
strategic.
The
Board will need to secure the involvement of all the appropriate
partners, including the public, private, community and voluntary
sectors. This should allow engagement of residents, community,
other public sector and business interests that cannot be
represented directly on the Board.
Membership of the Board
represents personal commitment to the work of the Board, to attend
meetings personally and regularly and to prioritise Board Business.
Each Board member has equal voting rights.
Members of the Board must have
sufficient delegated authority from their organisations to take a
full part in the business of the Board.
It is expected that decisions
or recommendations shall be reached by consensus. In exceptional
circumstances where consensus cannot be achieved and a formal vote
is required, the matter shall be decided by a simple majority of
those members voting and present in the room at the time the
proposal is considered. The vote shall be by a show of hands. If
there are equal votes for and against, the Chair will have a second
or casting vote. There will be no restriction on how the Chair
chooses to exercise a casting vote.
Decisions within the terms of
reference of each committee will be taken at Board meetings and are
not subject to ratification or a formal decision process by partner
organisations. However, where decisions are not within the
delegated authority of either committee, these will be subject to
ratification by the constituent bodies.
The
Board may invite representatives of partner organisations to attend
for, or to present, specific items as appropriate.
Procedural Rules for Board Meetings
The
procedure rules for HWB meetings will apply to the Somerset
Board.
Chairing arrangements
The
Leader of the Council shall appoint the Chair of the Board annually
from within the Council’s representation on the Board. The
Leader shall appoint up two Vice-Chairs on an annual basis at least
one of which shall come from within the health service
representation on the Board.
In the
event that the Chair is not present, but the meeting is quorate the
voting members present at the meeting shall choose which Vice-Chair
is to chair that meeting.
