The Committee in Common between Cornwall Health and Wellbeing Board and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Partnership met to discuss several key issues, including the Better Care Fund, child poverty, and sexual and reproductive health. The committee ratified the decision to submit the Better Care Fund quarter 1 return to NHS England, endorsed the Director of Public Health Annual Report focusing on child poverty, and delegated authority to endorse the Ten Year Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy. Additionally, the committee reviewed joint priorities, a forward plan, and reports from Life Course Steering Groups.

• ## Better Care Fund (BCF)

  The committee ratified the decision, made under delegated authority, to submit the formal quarter 1 return to NHS England for 2025-2026 for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly's Better Care Fund (BCF). The Better Care Fund is a jointly managed fund between Cornwall Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB), with expenditure of approximately £100 million per year.

  The report highlighted that expenditure was within 1% of planned spend, and Cornwall was performing close to target on two metrics and better than target on the third. Regional benchmarking showed strong comparative performance, and risks were being managed through governance and recovery plans.

  The report also clarified specific actions taken to address areas within the Better Care Fund where performance was slightly off target. For discharge delays, the intermediate care delivery strategy was key, with early signs of improvement through lower-level discharge pathways. For emergency admissions, the Age Well Steering Group's admission avoidance approach was showing positive impact, though further integration with urgent care programmes was needed.

  The Chief Executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT) commended Cornwall Council and the ICB for its significant efforts in progressing the Better Care Fund, which had shown significant improvements in reducing discharge delays at RCHT.

• ## Director of Public Health Annual Report 2025-2026

  The committee endorsed the contents of the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2025/2026 and supported the recommendations on child poverty. The report, jointly developed with the Directors of Children Services from both Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, focused on how poverty affected babies, children, and young people and their communities.

  Key points from the report included:

  • 27,000 children and young people live in relative poverty in Cornwall.
  • Poverty affected entire families and not just children.
  • Basic needs such as food, housing, and education were often unmet.
  • Stigma and shame were recurring emotional impacts.
  • Mental and physical health were deeply affected.
  • Structural issues and intergenerational poverty persisted.
  • Children often felt excluded from opportunities due to financial constraints.

  The committee also agreed to develop, adopt, and implement a poverty impact assessment tool specifically for children and young people in poverty by Christmas 2025.

• ## Ten Year Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy

  The committee delegated authority to the Director of Public Health and the Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health, Councillor Thalia Marrington to endorse the Ten Year Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy, subject to it reflecting the comments of the committee as outlined in the minutes, in particular Cornwall's changing population (race and ethnicity) and learning from the previous 10 year strategy. The final version of the Ten Year Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy is to be circulated to the Committee.

  The strategy had been developed using comprehensive needs assessments, community engagement, and listening to residents about their experiences, needs, and preferences for service delivery. Key points included the strategy's aims and objectives, links to national policies such as the Woman's Health Strategy and Towards Zero HIV, the consultation process, and the importance of a strong focus on health inequalities for young people, women, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and learning difficulties. Priorities included prevention, access, integration, and inclusion, with success measures such as reducing under 18 pregnancies, sexual transmitted infections, and late HIV diagnosis, ensuring access to contraception and digital services, improving sex education for children, including those outside mainstream settings, and reducing travel time to specialist services to under 40 minutes.

• ## Joint Priorities and Forward Plan

  The committee noted the statutory requirements and supported the draft priorities of the Committee in Common and Life Course Steering Groups for 2025-2026, and endorsed the proposed approach to future planning and performance monitoring. The report outlined the statutory responsibilities of the Committee in Common, the foundation for its forward plan, identifying its legal duties which included the Better Care Fund and the Director of Public Health Report. Responsibilities had been mapped to the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP), ensuring alignment with statutory frameworks. The Committee's life course approach informed strategic priorities for 2025-2026. In light of national policy changes, including the NHS 10 Year Plan, the Committee would use the Autumn and Winter to agree co-commissioning priorities beyond 2026 which would be aligned with emerging national performance frameworks, including the Local Government Framework and NHS Oversight Framework.

• ## Life Course Highlight Reports

  The committee received the latest reports from the Co-Chairs of the Live Course Steering Groups and Integrated Commissioning Partnership Group, and approved the revised priorities for 2025-2026 from each Life Steering Group. Updated membership was noted by the Committee.

  The Chief of Staff highlighted the importance of embedding the successful work across the Start Well, Live Well, and Age Well programmes into future strategic planning. These initiatives, developed through strong multi-agency collaboration, were gaining momentum and must be supported as the system responded to national reforms, including the NHS 10 Year Plan.

  The various Chairs of the Life Course Steering Groups provided an overview and highlighted the following:

  • Start Well Steering Group: Three new priority areas identified (school readiness, children thriving in communities, and education continuity). Focus on reducing long waiting lists, especially for speech and language services, together with an emphasis on waiting well and supporting children while they await services. Concern was raised with regard to infant deaths in temporary accommodation and proposals to bring forward a Sleep Well Campaign.
  • Live Well Steering Group: Existing priorities retained with clearer naming for better understanding and impact. Focus on continuity and deepening impact rather than introducing new priorities. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) highlighted as a key area with national funding secured and winter planning underway. Mental health identified as a system-wide priority for the next quarter.
  • Age Well Steering Group: Focus areas included reducing falls, supporting hospital discharge and home recovery, and promoting independence to reduce long-term care placements.

• ## Integrated Commissioning Partnership Group Summary of Pooled Fund Arrangements

  The committee noted the status, governance, and oversight arrangements relating to the various pooled fund arrangements between Cornwall Council and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board. The Integrated Commissioning Partnership Group (ICPG) continued to function as a business as usual forum for jointly commissioned activity, reporting alongside life course steering groups. The August highlight report reflected steady progress and identified key risks and achievements. It was noted that the Section 117¹ and 75 partnership agreement was expected to be concluded in the Autumn and was seen as a major milestone in joint commissioning between Cornwall Council and the ICB.