Agenda item

Report CS18065

The Executive considered an update on the Improved Better Care Fund (IBCF).  The report summarised the National Conditions for the use of the IBCF and the spending recommendations to be made from the IBCF grant.

The Improved Better Care Fund was a time-limited grant provided to local authorities for investment in adult social care services including meeting current and future adult social care needs, ensuring that the local social care provider market was supported and reducing pressures on the NHS such as through timely discharge from hospital.  In the Spring Budget 2017 the London Borough of Bromley was awarded an IBCF Grant of £4.2M in 2017/18, with additional grant funding of £3.4M and £1.7M to be provided in 2018/19 and 2019/20 respectively.  A condition of the Improved Better Care Fund allowed this grant to be spent in advance of final NHS England approval of the Bromley Better Care Fund Plan following agreement of any spending plans by health and wellbeing partners.  It was proposed that the Council’s Executive agree that the IBCF grant for 2017/18 be utilised to stabilise and reduce pressures on the health and social care market, as well as provide opportunities for ‘invest to save’ projects across adult social care in the short to medium term.

The Director of Corporate Services suggested that Recommendation 2.3 should be amended to read “Grant delegated authority to the Deputy Chief Executive & Executive Director for Education, Care and Health Services with the agreement of the Portfolio Holder for Care Services (including Public Health) to draw down the value of the IBCF Grant for 2017/18 (£4.184m) and to determine detailed expenditure plans for the IBCF Grant proposals within the framework described in this report.”

The Portfolio Holder for Care Services advised Members that the proposals within the report were around increasing capacity and invest to save through direct payments.  The Portfolio Holder also corrected a typing error in paragraph 4.1.5. of the report.  The balance of the 2017/18 IBCF Grant would be £842,000 not £842m as stated in the paragraph.

The Portfolio Holder for Resources, Councillor Graham Arthur, noted that the IBCF was time limited for three years and sought assurances that any recurring costs would be contained within the IBCF.  In response the Interim Director of Programmes confirmed that it was anticipated that recurring expenditure would be contained within the IBCF and that expenditure would be closely monitored.  The IBCF would be used to pump prime a number of initiatives for the three years of the fund.

The Chief Executive stressed that the Local Authority was taking advantage of the IBCF while it was available in order to reduce costs and deliver on some of the Council’s priorities.  There would need to be ongoing discussions with colleagues in the Health Sector in relation to plans for services beyond the current three years of the IBCF.

The Leader stressed his hope and expectation that performance around the delivery of Direct Payments would significantly improve as a result of the funding that was being allocated.

The Chairman of the Executive and Resources PDS Committee expressed concern surrounding the value for money being delivered by the post of IBCF Project Manager and IBCF/BCF Programme Manager.  The Leader suggested that it may be helpful for a briefing note to be provided to the Chairman of the Executive and Resources PDS Committee outlining the post and the functions it performed.

The Executive noted that the report had been scrutinised by the Care Services PDS Committee on 9^th October 2017, and the recommendations made by that Committee were approved, subject to the amendment outlined above.

RESOLVED: That

1.  The value of this IBCF grant in paragraph 3.3 of the report and the conditions relating to the IBCF grant as identified in para 3.2 of report CS18065 be noted;

2.  The principles of the areas identified for investment in adult social care as set out in section 4 of report CS18065 be approved;

3.  Authority be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive & Executive Director for Education, Care and Health Services with the agreement of the Portfolio Holder for Care Services (including Public Health) to draw down the value of the IBCF Grant for 2017/18 (£4.184m) and to determine detailed expenditure plans for the IBCF Grant proposals within the framework described within reportCS18065 ; and,

4.  Subject to the agreement above, the recurring costs of £1.7m in 2018/19 and £1.6m in 2019/20 identified in paragraph 8.2 of report CS18065 be agreed.