Agenda item

The York Better Care Fund (BCF) plan has been developed through a collaborative process, ensuring alignment with national priorities and local partnership objectives. The final plan was submitted on 28 March, meeting the national submission deadline. The York Health and Wellbeing Board is now asked to review and approve the plan as part of the BCF assurance process.

The Corporate Director of Adults and Integration presented on behalf of the report author (Interim Head of All-Age Commissioning), advising that the final plan, submitted in March and outlined in the report, had been approved in the hour prior to the board meeting.

She explained that the York Better Care Fund (BCF) plan had been developed through a collaborative process, ensuring alignment with national priorities and local partnership objectives. She highlighted a few of its key points, noting that there were no significant changes to the scheme but that there had been some work with partners through the delivering capacity group and key stakeholders to understand the scheme names; it was identified there were a number of existing schemes that were called different things but doing the same thing. The number of schemes had not really reduced, rather they have been amalgamated under some of the BCF plan headings

The board expressed concern about funding for pay award increases being met internally, asking whether this would total to be a significant amount.

The Corporate Director of Adults and Integration was not able to confirm for 2025/26 as she did not have full information for the current year’s pay awards approved at this stage.

The board asked about “Move Mates” and the proposed redirection of its resources to other schemes; were these similar in terms of building confidence and promoting exercise outdoors?

The Corporate Director of Adults and Integration clarified that there were no other specific schemes undertaking the same activities as Move Mates, rather there were preventive schemes which the funding was being redirected towards, but given the overall budget had not increased significantly, it had not been possible to commission a significant amount of new services.

The board responded on this point of there being no great uplift in funding, asking whether or not this prompted further concerns.

The Corporate Director of Adults and Integration answered that funding was always a cause for concern and a balancing act, but that a significant amount of work, effort, consultation and engagement had gone into considering/funding each scheme, and continued review and evaluation was required through the year and beyond. It was not possible to source any additional funding for BCF at a national level, and the council had therefore provided significant additional funds over and above this.

The board suggested that there was more potential for Voluntary and Community Sector to get involved in this area.

The board noted that the largest BCF contribution listed on the tables as charity or voluntary sector was that to York Carer Centre Service and associated respite and other services and asked whether this funding all went into voluntary sector or whether these could be entered into two separate lines.

The Chief Executive, York CVS clarified that the Carers Centre receives £400,000 and this was only a fraction of the amount allocated.

The Corporate Director of Adults and Integration said she would clarify this information and follow up with board members after the meeting.

The Health and Wellbeing Board then

Resolved:   To review and approve the 2025/26 plan, given its collaborative development and alignment to both BCF and HWBB priorities.

Reason:     To keep the Board updated on the Better Care Fund Plan.