Meeting documents

This agenda item is linked to the next two agenda items to demonstrate how The Health and Wellbeing Board is working in an integrated way to deliver both the Better Care Fund and the Integrated Care System. All three agenda items will detail how the strategic work can be seen in operation through the example of the Hospital Resettlement Service.

Somerset Health and Wellbeing Board would usually have expected a refresh of the Better Care Fund and an update on the previous year’s plan. The plans and monitoring were delayed by NHS England, following the Covid-19 pandemic and, given the longevity of the response to this, have now been cancelled in order to focus on the effort to fight it. The report to the Board simply acknowledged that fact and keeps the Health and Wellbeing Board advised in line with its statutory duty.

The Board were informed that the Government has published a short statement setting out what local areas need to do to agree and finalise Better Care Fund (BCF) plans for this year. The statement builds on the advice given earlier this year to areas that they should prioritise continuity of provision, social care and system capacity and roll forward schemes from 2019-20 where appropriate, and where there is local agreement, in 2020-21.

This report was intentionally short as the main focus was on letting the Board have a full report on one of the examples of the way the Better Care Fund is being used to deliver integrated services.

The Somerset Health and Wellbeing Board:

·       Received for information,

·       Approved the recommendation to not produce an updated Better Care Fund for 2020-21 and await the guidance for 2021-22