Decision details

The Better Care Fund (“BCF”) is a programme spanning both the NHS and local government to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society, placing them at the centre of their care and support, and providing them with ‘wraparound’ fully integrated health and social care, resulting in an improved experience and better quality of life. The Improved Better Care Fund (“IBCF”), and Disabled Facilities Grant are additional elements to the Better Care Fund, which are paid as direct grants to Councils, but must be pooled into the local BCF plan and regulated by a Section 75 Agreement pursuant to partnership arrangements permitted under the NHS Act 2006.

The varied Clause 2.3 of the Agreement allows the existing fund transfer arrangement and the related budget and governance arrangement of various schemes to be extended for a further 12 month period by the agreement of Doncaster Council and DCCG through the Better Care Fund Partnership Board.

This ODR concerns the BCF, IBCF and Disabled Facilities Grant pooled budgets between DCCG and Doncaster Council for the financial year 2021/22.

To vary the Agreement as follows:
a) To vary clause 2.3 to allow the extension of the Agreement for one further period of 12 months for the period 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022;
b) To update the terms of reference in schedule 2 of the Agreement;
c) To update Schedule 5 of the Agreement to reflect post COVID 19 systems of working;
d) To update the policies attached at schedule 7 to include the Council’s Work, Experience, Internship and Volunteer Worker policy;
e) To allow the option of further variations to schedule 5 and schedule 6 to reflect future published governmental guidance regarding the operation of the Better Care Fund.

To extend for a period of 12 months the existing 2020/2021 Section 75 Better Care Fund and Improved Better Care Fund Framework Partnership Agreement relating to the pooling of funds between DCCG and Doncaster Council for 2021/2022 in accordance with the proposed varied clause 2.3 of the Agreement and ODR Decision - Reference AHWB.056.2019_S75_Council_CCG_2019-20 2020_21

Option 1 – Do nothing. This is not an option as joint working to meet the requirements for transforming Doncaster’s health and social care needs is a key priority for both the Doncaster Council and the DCCG and the receipt of the funding is dependent upon a signed section 75 Agreement between both DCCG and Doncaster Council.

Option 2 (recommended) – Provide approval to extending the Agreement for 20/21 and where necessary varying it to update the appropriate references for the 21/22 financial year and allow further variation when the Better Care Planning Requirements are known.