Issue details

Better Care Fund Section 75 Agreement

Proposed decision:

a)  To agree that Kent County Council enter into a Section 75 agreement with the Kent clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), which will formalise the implementation of the Better Care Fund (BCF) and establish the required pooled fund

b)  To delegate the authority to the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing to arrange sealing of the Section 75 agreement

 

How the decision relates to Corporate Objectives:

 

It supports Health and Social Integration – the Section 75 agreement will allow the pooled fund to be established and, in turn, the integration plans under the BCF to proceed. The BCF Plan has been approved and the pooled fund is required to ensure these funds are available for 1st April 2015.

 

Care Act Implementation – the Section 75 agreement will enable funding to support the implementation of the Care Act, in line with corporate objectives and national policy.

 

Supports the Kent Vision as a national Integration Pioneer – to put the citizen at the centre with services wrapped around what’s important to them.

 

Supports Adult Social Care Transformation through facilitating partnership working and joint commissioning of health and social services across the Kent health economy. 

Financial Implications: The Section 75 agreement will include the pooling of £101.4m for the BCF.  This will include £10.6m Capital from the County Council and £90.8m Revenue from the Clinical Commissioning Groups.  Kent County Council will be the host. The agreement outlines the financial contributions to the pool, the funding flows out of the pool, including for the protection of social care, VAT implications and financial reporting requirements. 

Legal Implications: County Council Legal Services are currently engaged in drafting the Section 75 Agreement, which will then be reviewed and agreed by all relevant parties and approved by the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board.

Equality Implications: The agreement will allow for the implementation of the BCF plan. The plan is centred on improving health and social care outcomes for all the residents of Kent by transforming services within the community.

The BCF is one of the strategic priorities of the Adult Services Transformation Portfolio within the Social Care, Health and Wellbeing Business Plan.

 

Decision type: Key

Reason Key: Expenditure or savings of more than £1m;

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Division affected: (All Division);

Notice of proposed decision first published: 09/02/2015

Decision due: Not before 9th Mar 2015 by Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health
Reason: in order that the proposed decision can be published for a minimum of 28 days, in accordance with statutory requirments

Lead member: Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health

Department: Social Care, Health & Wellbeing

Contact: Jo Frazer, ASCH STP Lead 03000 415320 Email: jo.frazer@kent.gov.uk.

Consultation process

The Section 75 agreement will include the pooling of £101.4m for the Better Care Fund.  This will include £10.6m Capital Grant from the County Council and £90.8m Revenue from the CCGs.  The County Council will be the host and the agreement outlines the financial contributions to the pool, the funding flows out of the pool including, for the protection of social care, VAT implications and financial reporting requirements. 

 

           The flow of funds within the agreement is as follows:

 

Source of Funds

Pooled Fund

Application of funds

KCC    £10.640m

£101.404m

KCC Protection of social care  £28.254m

CCGs£90.764m

KCC Care Act implementation  £3.566 m

Total   £101.404m

KCC Social Care Capital grant   £3.432 m

 

Districts Disabled facilities grant  £7.208m

BCF schemes (Ring-fenced CCG out of hospital commissioned services)  £18.591m

BCF Payment for performance  £7.641m

CCG carers’ break schemes £3.443m

BCF schemes  £29.269m

Total £101.404 m

 

 

 

Legal Implications

Kent County Council Legal Services are currently engaged in drafting the Section 75 Agreement, which will then be reviewed and agreed by all relevant Parties and approved by the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board.

 

Equality Implications

The Section75 agreement will allow for the implementation of the BCF plan. The plan is centred on improving health and social care outcomes for all the residents of Kent by transforming services within the community.

 

Consultees

Updates on the Better Care Fund were noted by the Adult Social Care and Health Cabinet Committee in December 2013 and September 2014.

The Cabinet Committee will discuss it at its meeting on 3 March 2015

Other consultation planned or undertaken: KCC carried out a public consultation on Kent’s Better Care Fund Plan from 14 February 2014 to 3 March 2014.

 

Financial implications: Jo Frazer Programme Manager, Health and Social Care Integration 03000 415320 Email: Jo.Frazer@kent.gov.uk

Legal implications: 15/00015

Equalities implications: Expenditure or savings of more than £1m

Decisions

Agenda items