The Committee in Common between the Cornwall Health and Wellbeing Board and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Partnership (IoS) Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) met to discuss several key items, including the Better Care Fund, the Healthwatch Cornwall Annual Report, and the Joint Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Commissioning Strategy and SEND Strategic Plan. The meeting also included updates on the Health and Wellbeing Board and Integrated Care Partnership Journey, as well as a stocktake on the Life Course Boards and Integrated Care Partnership Board.

Joint SEND Commissioning Strategy and SEND Strategic Plan

The committee was scheduled to discuss and provide feedback on the proposed adoption and implementation of the Cornwall Joint SEND Commissioning Strategy 2025 – 2030 and the Cornwall SEND Strategic Plan 2025 – 2028. These strategies aim to improve outcomes for children and young people (CYP) with SEND, addressing areas needing improvement as highlighted in the Local Area SEND Inspection 2023.

The SEND Strategic Plan outlines five core priorities:

• Improving the quality of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
• Ensuring effective communication to support positive experiences.
• Using data to evaluate services and their impact.
• Improving the education offer and outcomes.
• Addressing long waits for health services.

The Joint SEND Commissioning Strategy identifies five strategic priorities:

• Early identification and support.
• Sufficiency and quality of provision.
• Preparation for adulthood.
• Inclusion and belonging.
• Effective joint commissioning.

The report pack highlighted several challenges within Cornwall's SEND system, including rising demand for EHCP assessments, service delays, financial pressures, and exclusion rates¹. The report pack noted that requests for EHC needs assessments have increased by over 150% in six years, and less than 45% of plans are finalised within the statutory 20-week timeframe.

The report pack stated that the Joint SEND Commissioning Strategy aims to address these challenges through integrated planning, early intervention, and improved access to services. It was noted that the strategy does not commit additional funding but provides a framework for more efficient use of existing resources.

The report pack also noted that the SEND Strategic Plan is a response to the 2023 Local Area SEND Inspection and builds on earlier transformation work, offering a joined-up approach across education, health, and care services.

The report pack stated that the Committee in Common was asked to confirm its support for both the Joint SEND Commissioning Strategy and the SEND Strategic Plan, recommending their adoption by Cornwall Council and NHS partners.

Better Care Fund for Cornwall

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Better Care Fund (BCF) for Cornwall², which encompasses over £100 million of pooled funding. The report pack recommended that the Partnership delegate authority to the Chief Executive of Cornwall Council, in consultation with the Chief Executive of NHS Cornwall and the IoS Integrated Care Board, and the Chief Executive of the Council of the Isles of Scilly, to approve the submission of BCF quarterly and End-of-Year returns during 2025-26 to NHS England.

The BCF for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for 2025-26 sets out the following domains:

• A Narrative Plan, describing the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly system, achievements and priorities
• An expenditure plan describing planned expenditure against individual schemes
• An analysis of capacity and demand for intermediate care services
• Target performance levels across three mandated metrics

The priorities for 2025-26 are:

• Intermediate Care
• Community Equipment and Technology Enabled Care
• Carers
• Disabled Facilities Grant

The report pack stated that areas are required to set performance targets against three mandated metrics:

• Emergency Admissions to hospital for people aged 65 and over per 100,000 Population
• Average length of discharge delay for all acute adult patients
• The rate of people aged 65 and over whose long-term support needs are met by admission to residential or nursing care homes per 100,000 population

Healthwatch Cornwall Annual Report

The committee was scheduled to review the Healthwatch Cornwall Annual Report for 2024-25. The report reviews Healthwatch activities for the year, including work undertaken in supporting health and social care leaders to better understand the issues experienced by people using services in Cornwall.

The report pack stated that Healthwatch produced three reports in 2024-25, focusing on the cost of living, dentistry, and mental health. They also undertook six 'impact reviews' and 28 'enter and view' visits to gather evidence to support their statutory function.

The report pack stated that Healthwatch Cornwall's vision for 2025/26 is to work alongside communities to ensure their voices are heard and amplified, with priorities including:

• Building on existing work in areas such as Dentistry, Mental Health, and the Cost of Living.
• Improving access to GP surgeries.
• Understanding local issues around ADHD, Autism, and broader mental health needs.
• Exploring matters relating to minor injury units, care homes, and pharmacy services.
• Ensuring the voice of people with lived experience is represented with stakeholders.
• Addressing transport and digital exclusion in respect of rural health and care access.
• Growing the network of Listening Hubs to reach more communities.
• Focusing on prevention and the role of the VCSE sector³ in early intervention and community wellbeing.
• Enhancing the digital presence and reach of Healthwatch Cornwall.

The report pack stated that the Committee was asked to determine if any action was required following the review of the Healthwatch Cornwall Annual Report.

Stocktake on the Life Course Boards and Integrated Care Partnership Board

The committee was scheduled to receive a verbal update on the Health and Wellbeing Board and Integrated Care Partnership Journey, along with a stocktake on the Life Course Boards and Integrated Care Partnership Board.

The report pack included highlight reports from the Start Well, Live Well, and Age Well Steering Groups, as well as the Integrated Commissioning Partnership Group (ICPG).

Key points from the Start Well Highlight Report:

• National recognition of the HeadStart Kernow website.
• Completion of the SEND Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA).
• Launch of the Youth Employment Programme (YEP) for year 4.

Key points from the Live Well Steering Group Highlight Report:

• Parliamentary Award for excellence in Healthcare.
• National pilot funding secured for a 'work well' pilot.
• Achievement of highest engagement and quit rate nationally in treating tobacco dependency (severe mental illness) community smoking cessation.

Key points from the Age Well Steering Group Highlight Report:

• Endorsement of refreshed Intermediate Care Strategy and Delivery Plan.
• Finalisation of Discharge to Assess Protocol.
• Development of a 'Discharge Cell' led by the Director of Nursing.

Key points from the ICPG Highlight Report:

• Recommendation by NHS England of assurance of Better Care Fund (BCF) 2025-26 Plan.
• Recommendation accepted for partners to give officers a mandate to prepare proposed revised scheme descriptions reflecting 2025-26 BCF Plan.
• Joint SEND Commissioning Strategy - approach endorsed with requirement from chair for Strategy to be presented to Committee in Common.

Committee in Common Terms of Reference

The committee was scheduled to note the Terms of Reference between the Cornwall Health & Wellbeing Board and the Integrated Care Board. The document sets out the background, purpose, functions, and membership of the Committee in Common, aiming to align the forums to improve the integration of public health, prevention, health, and social care provision for the population of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.