Agenda item - SECTION 75 AGREEMENT: APPROVAL OF REVISIONS FOR 2017/18

Agenda item

SECTION 75 AGREEMENT: APPROVAL OF REVISIONS FOR 2017/18

A report from the Executive Director of Health, Housing and Adult Social Care is attached. (Key decision – reference number 4488)

(Report No.53)

(8.40 – 8.45 pm)

Minutes:

Councillor Alev Cazimoglu (Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care) introduced the report of the Executive Director of Health, Housing and Adult Social Care (No.53) seeking to renew the Section 75 (pooled funding) Agreement for 2017/18.

 

NOTED

 

1.               That the report outlined the proposed contributions for 2017/18 and sought approval of these to allow the revised Section 75 Agreement to be finalised to ensure appropriate governance arrangements were in place.

 

2.               This was an agreement between the Council and the Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group pooling budgets to help ensure joined up health and social care services. 

 

3.               This year the agreement has been streamlined and improvements made to help ensure better provision of services for local residents.  Twelve contracts had been merged into one.

 

4.               The terms and conditions remain as previously agreed.  Paperwork and bureaucracy will be reduced.

 

5.               The agreement was for one year at a time, but there would be an option to extend. 

 

Alternative Options Considered: NOTED that, including the Better Care Fund, there were currently twelve separate pooled funds under the Section 75 agreement. Continuation of maintaining these schedules separately had been considered and consensus reached that having a single pooled fund, a single and common governance process with all terms and conditions to continue as previously agreed was the most efficient and appropriate option. NHS England guidance required the pooling of the Better Care Fund to be via a Section 75 Agreement.

 

DECISION: The Cabinet

 

1.               Agreed to approve the proposed contributions to the Section 75 Agreement for 2017/18.

 

2.               Agreed to approve the creation of a single pooled Better Care Fund to include all pooled funds previously contained under separate S75 schedules with those terms and conditions to continue as previously agreed.

 

3.               Agreed to delegate formal sign off of the Section 75 Agreement on Enfield Council’s behalf by the Executive Director of Health, Housing and Adult Social Care following formal approval from the Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group for a period of one year with the option to extend the contract period by a further period of up to one year at a time.

 

4.               Noted that the final Better Care Fund (BCF) guidance had been issued by the Department of Health in early July 2017 which had prevented a submission of the BCF spending plan to the Health and Wellbeing Board on the 12 July 2017. The BCF spending plan and the report had now been sent to the Health and Wellbeing Board members for consideration.

 

5.               Noted that the Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group Governing Body would be considering the same authorisation to enter into the agreement on 20 September 2017.

 

Reasons for recommendations: NOTED, the following reasons as set out in section 5 of the report:

·       The pooled funds within the existing Section 75 Agreement required amendment to reflect contract value uplifts and staff pay awards.

·       Creating a single pooled fund rather than 12 separate pooled funds did not change the terms and conditions attached to the spending plan for each area of spend and was a more efficient option.

·       Both Enfield Council and Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group had endorsed the amendments (subject to final approval through Cabinet and the ECCG governing body) to the Section 75 Agreement, and the recommendation to re-issue and re-sign the document.

·       The revised Section 75 Agreement would further consolidate and improve collaborative working between Enfield Council and Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group, providing stability to existing local services and supporting the transformation and integration of health, social care and children’s services.

(Key decision – reference number 4488)

Supporting documents: