The Cabinet Member Signing meeting is scheduled to consider a report on a Section 75 Partnership Agreement with the NHS. This agreement facilitates joint commissioning and pooled budgets for various adult and children's services.

Section 75 Partnership Agreement

A key item on the agenda is the potential extension of a Section 75 Partnership Agreement between Haringey Council and NHS NCL ICB. This agreement, which has been in place since 2017, is a contractual mechanism that allows local authorities and the NHS to collaborate on commissioning services. The report outlines that the current agreement is due to expire in February 2026, and there is a need to establish a new agreement to cover the financial years 2025/26 and 2026/27.

The report details that the Section 75 agreement enables lead commissioning for specified care groups and pooled budgets for specified care groups. ¹ Initially focused on adult services, the agreement was later extended in 2018 to include children's services. The proposed extension aims to ensure continued coordinated commissioning of services, focusing on promoting good health and tackling health inequalities. It is anticipated that this will lead to integrated and flexible commissioning, a coordinated preventative approach, and improved quality in community health services.

The report also considers alternative options, including exiting the arrangement, which was dismissed due to the potential dismantling of a framework that supports good working relationships with the NHS and could lead to duplication of efforts and resources. The recommended option is to renew the legal framework for joint funding of local services, which is seen as reducing duplication in contract management and monitoring, streamlining decision-making, and reducing administrative burdens.

The report highlights that a Section 75 agreement is a requirement for receiving Better Care Funding². The services commissioned under this agreement support key outcome areas within the Council's Corporate Delivery Plan 2024-2026, including Best start in life, Happy childhoods, Successful futures for children and young people, and A healthy and active population, Secure and resilient lives, and Vulnerable adults are supported and thriving for adults, health, and welfare.

The report also notes that the local NHS Trusts providing services through this agreement include Whittington Health NHS Trust, which offers integrated hospital and community care, and North London NHS Foundation Trust, which provides mental health specialist services. The extension of the agreement is intended to provide stability amidst ongoing restructuring of the ICB and changes to the Neighbourhoods agenda and the Better Care Fund policy framework.

The financial implications of the agreement are significant, with combined contributions totalling £95.157m for 2025/26 and 2026/27, funded by ICB contributions and the Council's Adults Social Care, Public Health, and Children's Social Care and Education budgets. The report confirms that there are no legal reasons preventing the Cabinet Member from approving the recommendations. The Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010 has also been considered, with the partnership agreement expected to have a positive impact by enabling more flexible use of resources to meet identified needs.