Purpose

 
The Better Care Fund (BCF) is a
programme spanning both the NHS and local government which seeks to
join-up health and care services, so that people can manage their
own health and well-being and live independently in their
communities for as long as possible.
 
The programme is planned and
delivered at Health and Wellbeing Board area level across England.
For West Sussex, day to day oversight of BCF is within the remit of
the Joint Commissioning Strategy Group on behalf of the Health and
Wellbeing Board. BCF planning is undertaken on an annual process,
which follows the issuing of national BCF planning guidance from
NHS England.
 
The national BCF programme
requires local systems to enter into a joint commitment via an
Agreement under Section 75 of the NHS Act. This enables budgets and
decision-making authority to be delegated between West Sussex
County Council (WSCC) and West Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB),
to the benefit of the BCF Programme.
 
The extension and variation of
the BCF Section 75 agreement has been appraised by County Council
Legal Services. 
 
As 2024/25 national planning
guidance requires agreements to be signed and in place by 30
September, an update to the financial schedules of the agreement is
proposed documenting the 2024/25 income and
expenditure. 
 
This decision will confirm that
WSCC will extend the BCF Section 75 agreement for 1st April 2024 to
31st March 2025.
 

Decision

The Director of Adults and Health has approved
that West Sussex County Council enters into the extension of the Better Care
Fund Section 75 agreement (as attached to this report at Appendix
1), for 2024-25.