LGA Governance


Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Westminster Room, 8th Floor, 18 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3HZ. View directions

Contact: David Symonds 

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome and declarations of interest

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed Cllr Sue Woolley and Jo Farrar (SOLACE). She also welcomed Mark Smullian from Local Government Chronicle.

 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Izzi Seccombe (Chair), Jason Zarodzy and Jonathan McShane.

2.

Adult Social Care Efficiency Programme

To receive a presentation from Professor John Bolton, JRFB Ltd and visiting Professor at the Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes University.

Minutes:

Professor John Bolton gave a presentation in the findings of the Adult Social Care Efficiency (ASCE) programme. The programme's objective was to help councils take forward their efficiency and transformation agendas in adult social care. Over a third of upper-tier authorities participated in the three-year programme, working on 44 projects.

 

The programme supported participating authorities to refine and develop the efficiency and transformational approaches required to meet the challenges of reduced funding, demographic pressures and the need to develop more personalised services. The findings from the programme and examples from Councils are available on the LGA website.

 

Professor Bolton stated that Councils had coped with demographic pressures from an increasingly elderly population by reducing costs in older people’s services. Every Council has introduced some if not all of the mechanisms for achieving efficiencies he had identified. Some councils cannot go any further in driving out efficiencies. Councils are facing serious challenges in how they cope with the demand for social care and in the need to radically transform services.

 

Members highlighted the importance of a focus on re-ablement and early intervention in managing demand, though the impacts would invariably be longer term.

 

 

3.

Adult Social Care Funding pdf icon PDF 140 KB

Minutes:

As a result of wider cuts to local government funding, adult social care was under considerable financial strain. Additional pressures posed by the Care Act and changes to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards are exacerbating the situation. The LGA was working to keep the issue of adult social care funding firmly in the national spotlight in the run up to the General Election and is considering next steps for the Better Care Fund.

 

The report was introduced by Councillor Colin Noble, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care Funding  and Reform.

 

As a result of wider cuts to local government funding, adult social care was under considerable financial strain. Additional pressures posed by the Care Act and changes to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards are exacerbating the situation. The LGA is working to keep the issue of adult social care funding firmly in the national spotlight in the run up to the General Election and is considering next steps for the Better Care Fund.

 

Members requested that the report needed to be amended to be more ambitious, with greater emphasis on prevention and the role of public health, and a positive vision for health and wellbeing, recognising the role of partner organisations. The report should be clear that there is no expectation that Government should simply pay individual councils “compensation” based on whatever they spend in implementing the Care Act; rather that actual costs should be reviewed and if there is a substantial gap between the funding made available and the actual costs of the new burdens, that must be funded.

 

Members also made the following points:

 

·         Integration and prevention needs to be led by Health and Wellbeing Boards locally driven in order to respond to local needs.There is no “one size fits all” and future reforms must build in local flexibility. The BCF has been too restrictive.

·         A ‘transformation’ fund is required to drive change locally. The estimated funding gap for social care is a minimum figure.

·         A campaign needs to be meaningful at a level the public can understand;

·         We should include a greater focus on mental health;

·         The growing economy is making it harder to recruit carers in some areas, and some councils are facing a shortage of good providers.

 

 

 

Decision

 

The Board noted the report subject to the requested amendments.

 

 

4.

Future of Health and Wellbeing Boards pdf icon PDF 101 KB

Minutes:

This report summarised the purpose of the Future of Health and Wellbeing Boards project and sought direction from the Board on the key messages of the report.

 

Since their creation in 2013, the ambition and scope for Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) have grown far beyond their original statutory duties, especially in relation to drive forward the scale and pace of integration of health and social care. This report outlined the purpose of a project to further develop the LGA’s and NHS Clinical Commissioners policy position on the future of HWBs, for launching at the LGA’s Annual Conference in July 2015.

 

The current LGA policy position on HWBs is set out in Investing in our Nation’s Future: the First 100 Days of the next Government.  This project will test the ambition and appetite for a greater role for HWBs and identify how we can move towards this ambition in a flexible and localist way.

 

Alyson referred to items 10.1-10.6 contained in the report, which set out the principles of health and wellbeing boards and welcomed comments contained in paragraphs 11.1- 11.4 of the report.

 

Members noted the report and considered that there needed to be an ambitious approach for Health and Wellbeing Boards with an expectation that they should be operating at the highest level. At the same time, there needed to be a pluralist approach which suited the needs of localities rather than being dictated by the centre. It was noted that there were variations in the performance of Health and Wellbeing Boards but the report was a good and useful starting point. The Board were keen to progress this matter and to take ownership of it, in particular they felt that we should set ambitious principles as the basis for devolving powers to Health and Wellbeing Boards.

 

Decision

 

The Board noted and welcomed the report progress so far.  They asked for paragraphs 10.2 and 11.4 to be revised to indicate the need for a more ambitious approach.

5.

2015 Care and Health Improvement and Integration Programme and Better Care Fund Update pdf icon PDF 152 KB

Minutes:

Andrew Webster introduced the report, which sought Board approval and direction on the broad range and approach to the 2015/16 Care and Health Integrated Programme.

 

Decision

 

The Board noted the report and would send any comments direct to Andrew Webster. These comments would be taken into account in negotiations and agreements with the programme sponsors.

 

The Board noted the update on the Better Care Fund.

6.

Public Health update pdf icon PDF 156 KB

Minutes:

The report provided an update on the transfer of responsibilities for the commissioning of public health responsibilities for 0-5 year olds from NHS England to local government on 1 October 2015 and an update on tobacco control and public health workforce matters since January 2015.

 

A Public Health survey was tabled at the meeting which was welcomed.

 

The Board noted the report and requested that a report should be submitted to the next meeting on Public Health prevention.

7.

Notes from the previous meetings pdf icon PDF 92 KB

a)    Board meeting on 2 December 2014.

 

b)    Joint CWB/HAF Forum on 2 December 2014.

 

c)    Joint Lead Members meeting CWB and Children and Young People on 8 January

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the following meetings were agreed:

 

a)    Board meeting on 2 December 2014.

b)    Joint Board and Health Accountability Forum on 2 December 2014.

c)    Joint Lead Members meeting- CWB and Children and Young People on 8 January 2015.

 

It was agreed that the minutes of the Joint Resources and CW Board Lead Members meeting on 25 February 2015 would be submitted to the next Intra-Board newsletter.

 

 

8.

Outside bodies, external meetings and other CWB business updates pdf icon PDF 127 KB

Minutes:

Members noted the report, which covered a wide range of issues.

 

It was also noted that there had not been any written response from the Minister concerning winter pressures.

 

It was also noted that Cllr Lynn Travis had given apologies for absence for the next meeting and it was requested by Cllr Elaine Atkinson that the next Intra-Board newsletter would refer to the Skills for Care meeting with Lead Members from Community Wellbeing and Resources Boards on 25 February and a meeting she had attended on FGM.