Decision details

RESOLVED: That Cabinet;

A.    Noted the progress toward establishing the Integrated Care System and the further work required to describe how the ICS will operate at a Council and neighbourhood level.

B.    Delegated to the Executive Director for Adults, Communities and Wellbeing in consultation with the Cabinet member for Adult Social Care and Public Health the decision whether to modify the adult social care TOM contract (with Newton Europe).

C.    Recommended to Council the approval of one-off revenue funding of up to £1m to be agreed from general fund balances to contribute to the iCAN programme, subject to satisfactory evidence of a likelihood of a positive return on the investment.

D.    Delegated to the Executive Director of Adults, Communities and Wellbeing, in consultation with his Portfolio Holder the Executive Director of Finance (S151 officer), and the Portfolio holder for Finance the power to determine whether there is satisfactory evidence of a likelihood of a return on the investment.

E.    Noted that the iCAN funding will be included within the Better Care Fund section 75 and that this will be reported to and governed through the West Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Board.

F.    Agreed that quarterly updates of this report would be presented to Cabinet.

REASONS

A.    To respond to national guidance and requirements including the white paper Integration and innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all (Feb 21) and the formation of the ICS (integrated care system) since April 2021.

B.    To support the realisation of benefits across health and social care to achieve improved outcomes for residents, reduced operating costs and to reduce reliance on acute hospital care

C.    To utilise health funding to support the joint objectives outlined

D.    To progress the proposed changes before the winter of 2021 in order to secure early benefits and changes in ways of working ahead of anticipated high demand in hospitals and risk of poorer outcomes. This will minimise the risks and uncertainty of both demand and costs that are predicted for winter 2021.

E.    To further enable the integration of Adult Social Care and Health

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

A.    Health partners have requested that the Council support the commissioning of the system partner for iCAN. The rationale for this decision is based upon

                 i.                         the strong working relationships between the Council and health partners,

                ii.                         the Councils proven track record in taking forward a similar approach in its implementation of the Adult Social Care TOM

              iii.                         the need to act before winter 2021 to secure the capacity and change and current pressure on health resources to support this themselves

              iv.                         the financial advantages of the Council hosting the arrangements

B.    The local system knows what needs to change and the opportunities available.  However, unless we have the right capacity, with the right skills and experience to help us design new ways of working, based on evidence, we will be unable to implement the required changes sustainably at pace and scale.  The consequential impact for the system of not providing the required capacity will be that at some point the demand for service will become greater than the capacity available.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS DECLARED AND DISPENSATIONS GRANTED: None.