Agenda item

   To consider the recommendations in respect of the Joint Commissioning Leadership Team Review.

Consideration was given to a report concerning the recommendations from the Joint Commissioning Leadership Team (JCLT), which had been formally created in April 2013, with a shared purpose of collaboratively commissioning and reviewing services across Cheshire East.

A number of drivers had led to the need to review the form and function of JCLT, both as a joint commissioning group and in relation to overseeing the progress of the  Better Care Fund (BCF). . The review had involved a series of small groups or individual conversations with strategic partners, to gather the views and experiences and, most importantly, to identify what collective commissioners believed needed to be in place to support integrated service delivery and commissioning for the future.

The review work had commenced in July and concluded in mid August. The report had been shared with the JCLT / BCF group, at its September 2015 meeting and this has informed the final report of the group to the Health and Wellbeing Board. There had been a number of key areas of agreement and one lack of agreement had been identified with regard to the challenge around the geography and what footprint should be operated to. It had been agreed that a number of recommendations should be made to the Board. Details of these are set out below:-

i)       Acknowledge the findings of the review as highlighted above.

ii)     Advise on the future expectations of JCLT.

iii)    In the interim, consider delegating authority for developing joint commissioning governance to key members of HWB (namely CCG Chief Executives, Directors of Adults’ and Children’s Social Services and the Director of Public Health).

iv)    Approve BCF governance being withdrawn from JCLT and managed via a discrete sub-group comprising finance and commissioning leads from the CCGs and CEC. This group will provide assurance and monitoring prior to formal reports going to HWB for approval. Reports to JCLT will be by exception.

v)     Approve the draft Terms of Reference for both JCLT and BCF Governance Group (see Appendices 1 and 2 respectively).

           In considering the recommendations, the Board agreed that it would be better to withdraw the BCF governance from the JCLT. However, it was not felt that the Terms of Reference should be approved at this stage and that work should continue under the existing arrangements and that the Terms of Reference be considered at a future meeting, early in the new year, if required.  It would be necessary to discuss the governance arrangements, including collaborative governance and to consider at what point there needed to be a report back to Cabinet.

           It was suggested that it may be appropriate to look at geographical/footprint issues in the commissioning approach and to link this to the horizon scanning work, in order to address this.

          RESOLVED

1.    That the findings of the review as highlighted in the report be acknowledged.

2.    That, in the interim, authority for developing joint commissioning governance be delegated to key members of HWB (namely CCG Chief Executives, Directors of Adults’ and Children’s Social Services and the Director of Public Health, or their nominees).

3.    That the BCF governance be withdrawn from JCLT and managed via a discrete sub-group, comprising finance and commissioning leads from the CCGs and CEC. This group to provide assurance and monitoring prior to formal reports going to HWB for approval. (Reports to JCLT to be by exception).

4.            That approval of the draft Terms of Reference for both JCLT and BCF Governance Group be deferred and that they continue to work under the existing arrangements .