Issue details

Proposed Decision

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health (as part of progressing the Stop Smoking Grant agreement entered into earlier in 2024), to approve the enhanced stop smoking services and agree the framework arrangements for management of the related grant funding.

Background

On 4 October 2023, the Government published ‘Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation’ which sets out the proposed actions the government will take to tackle smoking and youth vaping.This included a programme of funding to support current smokers to quit smoking, with £70 million additional funding per year for local authority stop smoking services and support.

The aim of this additional funding is to ensure there is a nationwide comprehensive offer to help people stop smoking across England and to increase the number of smokers engaging with effective interventions to quit smoking.

This new funding is in addition to the Public Health Grant and will be provided through a new Section 31 Grant on top of the current Public Health Grant allocations. This funding is ringfenced for local authority led stop smoking services and support. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will provide the grant and the additional funding will be used to complement and enhance existing stop smoking services in Kent.

KCC received the full grant agreement in February 2024, detailing the relevant conditions and the full funding allocation for 2024/2025, £1,944,823.

The additional funding is anticipated to be provided over the next five financial years, starting from 2024-25 until 2028-29. The grant agreement covers the first year, with funding for subsequent years subject to spending review settlements, following the routine practice for all government expenditure. It will be important that KCC is able to demonstrate on an annual basis, that it is achieving good value for money and delivery of outcomes, while balancing the likelihood that any underspends in year may lead to future reductions in the grant allocation.

Local authorities will be required to maintain their existing spend on stop smoking services, based on the stop smoking service data they have submitted for the year 2022 to 2023. They should ensure they maintain this level of funding throughout the whole grant period.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has determined that the grant will be paid based on the understanding that the funding will be used to:

• Invest in enhancing local authority commissioned stop smoking services and support, in addition to and while maintaining existing spend on these services and support from the public health grant. This should not replace other/existing programmes which support smokers to quit, for example the tobacco dependency programme delivered within the NHS Long Term Plan
• Build capacity to deliver expanded local stop smoking services and support
• Build demand for local stop smoking services and support
• Deliver increases in the number of people setting a quit date and 4 week quit outcomes, reporting outcomes in the Stop Smoking Services Collection.

Reason for Decision

A Key Decision (Decision No: 24/00001) was taken in February 2024, which approved the Council entering into the agreement to secure the funding. A further key decision is required to approve the commissioning of enhanced stop smoking services and agree the framework for management of related grant funding.

The additional funding is a great opportunity for KCC to increase and enhance the stop smoking service offer for Kent residents and therefore improve outcomes (measured through 4 week quits). The funding will be used to build demand and capacity in stop smoking services and increase targeting.

It is proposed that commissioning activity is undertaken to enhance the stop smoking services and support available for residents of Kent. Work is underway to plan commissioning activity for 2024/2025 and future years. All planned activity is in line with the Grant Conditions and will aim to increase the number of people in Kent quitting smoking.

It is also proposed that a ‘Stop Smoking Service Framework’ will be used to determine spend of local stop smoking service grant funding and support decision making. Under this Framework all expenditure of Local Stop Smoking Services and Support Grant funding must be in line with budget forecasting and adhere to DHSC Local Stop Smoking Services and Support Grant terms and conditions. Proposals for spend must meet one of the following criteria:

1. Will support the council in enhancing commissioned stop smoking services and support. This should not replace other/existing programmes which support smokers to quit, for example the tobacco dependency programme delivered within the NHS Long Term Plan
2. Will support the council to build capacity to deliver expanded local stop smoking services and support
3. Will build demand for local stop smoking services and support
4. Will support the council to deliver increases in the number of people setting a quit date and four week quit outcomes.

An example of a project that would meet the criteria:

• Develop marketing materials and social media campaigns to increase awareness of local stop smoking services (this may involve engagement with people who smoke).

KCC will be required to work with the DHSC to provide the necessary information and data to monitor and evaluate progress.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

Reject the Stop Smoking Services and Support Grant – The option of turning down the additional stop smoking services funding was discarded as there are many people in Kent who will benefit from this resource, and it is a great opportunity for KCC to increase and enhance the stop smoking service offer for Kent residents and therefore improve outcomes.

Distributing funding on an individual basis with some via Key Decision and some managed operationally – The option for handling all funding activity on an individual basis, with certain projects managed at operational level and others progressing via the Key Decision process as and when required was considered. That option would not enable the council to respond quickly and flexibly to changing demand and need or provide a clear strategic plan for delivering against the Local Stop Smoking and Support Grant requirements.

How the proposed decision meets the priorities of New Models of Care and Support as set out in ‘‘Framing Kent’s Future – Our Council Strategy 2022 – 2026’’

Stop smoking services supports KCC to achieve the following priorities set out in the Councils Strategy 2022-2026 ‘Framing Kent’s Future’:

Priority 1: Levelling up Kent

• To see significant improvements in the economy, connectivity, educational attainment, skills and employment rates and public health outcomes in deprived communities in coastal areas so that they improve faster than the rest of Kent to reduce the gaps

• To work with our partners to hardwire a preventative approach into improving the health of Kent’s population and narrowing health inequalities.

How the proposed decision supports Securing Kent’s Future

Stop smoking services supports KCC to achieve the priorities set out in Securing Kent Future, by preventing people from getting long term health conditions linked to smoking, which increase’s demand and costs in Health and Social Care.

Financial Implications

The table below shows the confirmed maximum amount of funding allocation for Kent.

Table 1: Kent Funding Allocation 2024/2025

The grant allocation will initially apply for the first year of the grant (the financial year 2024 to 2025).

The additional funding is anticipated to be provided over the next five financial years, until 2028-2029.

The government cannot provide specific allocations for 2025 to 2026 and beyond at this stage. Funding for subsequent years will be subject to spending review settlements, following the routine practice for all government expenditure. Authority has been delegated via the previous decision, for Officer agreement to accept any future funding allocations providing it is on similar terms.

Important to highlight that this funding is in addition to the Public Health Grant and therefore the Stop Smoking activity and spend for this programme does not create any additional pressure on KCC’s base budget.