Decision

The Board considered a progress report of the Locality Director of Strategic Performance – Health and Social Care which updated on the financial position of the pooled budget for the financial year 2023/24. The pooled budget excluded the Better Care Fund (BCF) which would be reported separately to this Board in 2023/24.

The Director of Corporate Resources / Chief Finance Officer presented the information and outlined that an overspend of £6.7m was being reported against the Local Authority pooled budgets (Excluding Covid related pressures). This included pressures of £6.8m against Children’s budgets due to increased placement costs and SEND (Special Educational Needs) transport pressures, and a £0.1m in year saving forecast against Public Health budgets due to in year savings on staffing costs due to vacancies. Cabinet had noted that the overspend was being reported and that a recovery plan was being developed, which would be reported alongside quarter two finance update report.

The Senior Officer also informed that the risk share agreement 2023/24 would remain the same as in previous two years, so that both partners were responsible for their own pooled fund gap and in year underspend or overspend.

Resolved that the £6.7m overspend position being forecast in relation to pooled budgets at Outturn, which would be either be recovered or funded from increased contribution from the Local Authority be noted.

Reason for decision:

This report updated the Board on the Health and Social Care pooled budgets for 2023/24 in line with National Health Service England (NHSE) guidelines and the Greater Manchester (GM) Health and Social Care Partnership requirements. As part of operating a pooled budget regular monitoring reports are required.

The Better Care Fund has been excluded from the pooled reporting and would be reported separately to the Board in line with NHSE requirements for reporting each quarter.

Alternatives considered and rejected:

The operation of a formal pool in 2023/24 builds on the shadow pool that was operated by the Integrated Care Board in 2017/18 and was in line with previous years reporting; therefore, there were no alternatives to consider.