Decision details

The BCF is a programme spanning both the NHS and local government. Its aim is to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society by placing them at the centre of their care and support and providing them with ‘wrap around’ fully integrated health and social care, resulting in an improved experience and better quality of life.

The council carried out a Black and Minority Ethnic Health Needs Assessment that people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities face access issues in Doncaster with primary care and dentistry services in particular. These workers will facilitate more accessible health and wellbeing services. Additionally, and more immediately these workers will contribute to mitigating the impact of the COVID pandemic on our Gypsy, Roma and Traveller citizens.

Following the recommendation from Joint Commissioning Operational Group, approved by Joint Commissioning Management Board on 29 October 2020, this decision is to agree to provide Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) with a total of £87,862 over a two-year period to enable them to employ a Gypsy Traveller Link Worker. Funding would be due to commence from 1 April 2021, from the Non Recurrent BCF Earmarked Reserve allocated to the Place Plan.

During 2020/21 financial support for local authorities was made available from the Government by way of grants under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 to deliver key activities to respond to local outbreaks of COVID, provide containment interventions and support residents most impacted by COVID. The Council received Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) £2.495m and £5.527m both approved via a Rule 16 on 9th November 2020 and 23rd December 2020 respectively. Both approvals delegated to the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources and the Portfolio Holder for Public Health future decision making regarding these funding streams. Current guidance stipulates that this funding must be spent by 31st March 2022.

As the result of the COVID pandemic with its disproportionate impact on our minority ethnic citizens a number of community link workers have been employed to support the implementation of the COVID outbreak management plan. To better meet the needs of these communities it was decided to recruit two Gypsy Roma and Traveller link workers, over a two-year period.

This decision requires and adjustment of the initial funding decision with respect to its start date. Specifically, funding of £87,862 from 1st April 2021 from the COVID contain grant and funding of £82,862 from 1st April 2022 from the Non Recurrent BCF Earmarked Reserve allocated to the Place Plan.

Additionally, although these posts are directly employed by the CCG they are embedded within a cohort of council employed community link workers and are supervised by the COVID Community Link Coordinator.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED
Option 1 – Do Nothing: Doing nothing could result in failure to meet our duties under the Equalities Act and reach out to the most marginalised in our society. (Not recommended).

Option 2 – Approve the use of Contain the Outbreak Fund for the two posts in 2021/22 and Better Care Fund earmarked reserve in 2022/23, a total amount of £175,724 to enable an official link with the Gypsy Roma and Traveller community via the two posts. Having link workers to provide information and communicate with both the Council and Healthcare Services provides an operational means of bridging the gap between Health/ Social Care professionals and the Gypsy Roma and Traveller communities which would feed in to the wider localities agenda. (Recommended)