Agenda item

To consider a report of the Chief Finance Officer (CCG) and Deputy Chief Executive (S151 Officer, Stockport Council).

The objective of the report is to inform the Health & Wellbeing Board of the Better Care Fund (BCF) the financial outturn position of the BCF for 2020/21 and to update on the performance of the 2020/21 BCF schemes.

The Board are recommended to approve the BCF 2020/21 Finance Outturn and to note the performance of the 2021/21 BCF Schemes.

Officer contact: Paul Graham, Strategic Financial Advisor (Stockport Council), 0161 474 4674, paul.graham@stockport.gov.uk and Gina Wilson, Project Support Officer, (CCG), gina.wilson1@nhs.net

A representative of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services), Stockport Council submitted a joint report with the Chief Finance Officer, Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group (copies of which had been circulated) regarding the Better Care Fund (BCF) End of Year Return 2020/21 and provided an update on the financial performance of the BCF as at 31 March 2021 (Quarter 4).

In response to the Covid-19 Pandemic, NHSE/I had agreed that formal BCF plans did not to be submitted or assured in 2020/21. However Health and Wellbeing Boards were still required to approve plans locally and prioritise continuity of provision, social care capacity and system resilience and with local agreement roll forward schemes from 2019/20 where appropriate. This was the approach taken by the Stockport system which was approved by the Sub-Committee at its meeting held on 26 January 2021.

In addition systems were required to submit an end of year return confirming that the national conditions had been met, total funding sources and a breakdown of agreed spending on social care from the Clinical Commissioning Group’s minimum contribution.

RESOLVED – (1) That the 2020/21 Better Care Fund End of Year Return be approved.

(2) That the financial performance of the Better Care Fund as at 31 March 2021 be noted.