That:

(a)        the council’s contribution to the better care fund of £20.147m revenue and £1.706m capital for 2017/18 and £20.530m revenue and £1.853m capital for 2018/19, as set out in paragraph 26 of the report below, be agreed;

(b)       the option to enact the extension of the existing section 75 agreement to 31 March 2019 is agreed; and

(c)        the director for adults and wellbeing be authorised, following consultation with the solicitor to the council and s151 officer, to take all operational decisions necessary to approve the scheme level detail within the extended s75 agreement.

1.    As per the national requirements, the content of the plan was approved by the health and wellbeing board on 7 September 2017, with authority delegated to the director for adults and wellbeing, the chief officer of the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), and the chief finance officers of both organisations for finalising detail. The plan was submitted to the national better care support team in line with the 11 September 2017 deadline and following an assurance process, has been approved.

2.    It is a national requirement, set by NHS England, that the better care fund is transferred into one or more pooled funds established under section 75 of the NHS Act 2006. The existing section 75 agreement is due to end on 31 March 2018. There is no alternative as such an agreement must be in place; therefore it is recommended that the option to extend the existing section 75 agreement to 31 March 2019 is approved.