Agenda item

Report CS18101

The Board considered an update on the Bromley Improved Better Care Fund (IBCF) which was a time-limited grant to the Local Authority to fund adult social care services.

In the Spring Budget 2017, the Local Authority had been awarded an IBCF Grant of £4.2M for 2017/18, £3.4M for 2018/19 and £1.7M for 2019/20, which was provided for the purposes of meeting adult social care needs, reducing pressures on the NHS including timely discharge, and ensuring that the local social care provider market was supported.  The Local Authority had worked closely with the Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group regarding the use of the grant for 2017/18, and the Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group and Council’s Executive had agreed the proposed spending plans which included workforce development within social care, support for Integrated Care Networks and investment to increase the uptake of Direct Payments.  The Local Authority had also produced a set of recommendations for how the IBCF Grant could be used to best effect to create a financially sustainable adult social care system beyond 2020 to meet the needs of Bromley residents.  Members of the Health and Wellbeing Board were requested to note the proposals for the Improved Better Care Fund and to promote these proposals within their individual organisations.

In response to a question from the Chairman, the Director: Adult Social Care advised that there had historically been a low take-up of Direct Payments in Bromley due to the difficulties service users faced in managing their own care packages and a lack of choice within the local care market.  The proposed investment of IBCF Grant to fund a Direct Payments Lead Officer would drive forward the whole system response for Direct Payments and was expected to increase the uptake of Direct Payments by service users, enabling them greater choice and independent in managing their care as well as supporting the development of the local care market. Another Member noted the proposed investment in the Care Homes Investment Options Appraisal.  The Director: Adult Social Care reported that the Local Authority was facing increasing difficulty in securing local nursing home placements due to competition from self-funders and other local authorities.  To address this it was proposed to explore the potential for the Local Authority to purchase but not manage a care home with full nomination rights on the placements by instructing the Local Authority’s property surveyors to undertake a two-phased options appraisal on the purchase of suitable accommodation to identify if this was a viable proposal. 

A Member was concerned at a proposal to invest in a market development and support initiative.  The Director: Adult Social Care outlined the aim of the proposed investment which was to improve the sustainability and performance of Bromley care homes, assist in staff training and provide emergency care funding for those providers in danger of failing financially.  The Interim Director: Programmes noted that this was expected to drive a general improvement in the quality of care home provision across Bromley as well as enabling the Local Authority to meet its obligations in terms of safeguarding vulnerable service users.

The Independent Chairman, Bromley Safeguarding Children Board underlined the need for the impact of Improved Better Care Fund projects on children and young people to be considered, as the context of children’s lives was informed by the vulnerability of the adults around them.  The Director: Adult Social Care confirmed that that Adult Social Care services worked closely with Children’s Social Care services to ensure children and young people and their families received appropriate support where needed, such as during transition.

A further report providing an update on Improved Better Care Fund Projects supporting Winter Resilience for 2017/18 would be considered at the meeting of Health and Wellbeing Board in June 2018.  The Chairman requested that a table outlining details of all projects funded by the Bromley Improved Better Care Fund, including costings and duration be provided to the Board following the meeting.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.