Issue - meetings

To receive a report regarding the Better Care Fund 2018/19.

Members received an update on the Better Care Fund 2018-19.

During the discussion of this item the following points were made:

·         The Better Care Fund (BCF) had been developed to pool resources and deliver the integration of adult health and social care services, and had come into effect in 2014.

·         Locally the focus had been on making improvements in the adult services area.

·         Rhian Warner, Wokingham BCF Programme Manager, updated the Committee on the four local schemes; Integrated Front Door - The Health and Social Care Hub; Wokingham Integrated Social Care and Health (WISH) Team, including Step Down; Community Health and Social Care (CHASC) including Community Navigators and; Step Up.

·         It was noted that the top 10% of service users accounted for up to 50% of the spend in the Borough.

·         Rhian Warner highlighted the Step Up service.  Since December 2017 6 Step Up beds had been offered in Wokingham Community Hospital for residents, providing an alternative to acute hospital admission.  It had been very successful.

·         In response to a question from Councillor Richards regarding the capacity of the Step Up scheme, Rhian Warner indicated that the 6 beds had been operating at capacity for the last 6 months.  The number was considered sufficient but this would be kept under review.

·         Councillor Loyes questioned whether 24 hour a day care was provided under the Step Up scheme and was informed that it was. 

·         The Better Care Fund also funded six Berkshire West wide schemes; Care Homes (Community Support) Project - incorporating RRaT (Rapid Response and Treatment; Connected Care; Integrated Discharge Team (IDT) and Trusted Assessment; Street Triage – Mental Health; Falls and Frailty and Brokerage service for self-funders at the RBFT (provided by CHS Healthcare).

·         In response to a question from Councillor Mather, Rhian Warner clarified that the Connected Care project was running approximately 6 months behind. 

·         Councillor Loyes asked about the funding of the Street Triage scheme.  Rhian Warner commented that it was split according to usage.  Reading Borough Council paid the greatest proportion of the three Berkshire West local authorities and Wokingham the least.

·         Councillor Jones asked how successful the Street Triage Scheme was.  Rhian Warner stated that the number of people who would have gone into custody had reduced, and that savings had been made.  Councillor Jones went on to ask which organisations received these savings.  Rhian Warner explained that the scheme was partly funded by the Police and that savings were returned to the Police and health.

·         Members were pleased to note that the Falls and Frailty initiative had reduced conveyance to hospital rates by 30%.  In response to a question from Nick Durman, Rhian Warner explained that the Falls and Frailty was operated through the 999 service and that dispatchers determined whether it was more appropriate to send an ambulance or a rapid dispatch car.  Work was also being undertaken with Wokingham Medical Centre and population health management data around falls.

·         The Committee discussed the Step Down scheme which was due to cease in its  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9