Apologies were received from Mr Garnett, Mr Smith and Dr Watts.

Mr Dawson for Mr Smith.

None.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 26 March 2014.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on the 26 March were signed and approved as a correct record.

To receive the Understanding Herefordshire Report 2014.

The Board received a presentation on the Understanding Herefordshire Report 2014.

It was noted that the report was the overall integrated assessment of the health and well-being needs of Herefordshire’s population and provided strategic intelligence for commissioning and business planning, particularly to determine priorities for resource allocation.  The emphasis was to focus on a small number of key priorities for the public sector and partners over the next few years, to meet the health and well-being needs of the people of Herefordshire.

In the ensuing discussion, the following points were raised:

·         That the Spider chart indicated areas of deprivation, and where an issue was closer to the outside of the chart, the higher the deprivation was.

·         That new information had been included in the present Report from the Children’s Integrated Needs Assessment and the Community Safety Strategic Assessment.  The Director of Children’s Wellbeing added that a more detailed Children’s Integrated Needs Assessment would be scrutinised by the Herefordshire Children’s Safeguarding Board and a report would be brought back to this Board.

The Chairman of Healthwatch welcomed the document, and said that it provided a good evidence base for the Board, and issues that arose from it should be added to the Work Plan.

·         It was suggested that an impact assessment should be undertaken of any documents that arose from this report.  The assessments should make it clear as to the gap between what was reported in the Understanding Herefordshire report, and what the experience was locally.  Impact assessments should be reported on a quarterly and annual basis, and fed into a five year plan. Consideration could also be given to ensuring that assessments were regularly produced along these lines for Mental Health, and built into the Board’s Work Plan.

Resolved: That the report be noted and used to inform future planning, decision making and commissioning.

To receive a presentation on the Health and Social Care System, to include:

·         Better Care Fund Submission.

·         Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s 5 Year Plan.

The Board received verbal reports on the Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s 5 Year Plan and the Better Care Fund Submission.

The Chief Officer, Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (HCCG) reported that the first draft of the 5 year planning process had been brought to a previous meeting of the Board, and work was in hand to further develop the HCCG’s strategic thinking. Engagement had been sought with wider partners and supporters, and there was an appetite for involvement with further development, and feedback from the initial draft plans had been positive. Emerging themes had included: the need to work closer together in order to address the financial implications of change across the health sector; the opportunity to think more creatively as to NHS buildings could be used in the wider community and the need to think about very different ways to provide health care in the future.

In the ensuing discussion, the following points were raised:

• That to have a conversation around where the health and social care sector was in terms of the population of the County would be a useful exercise for the Board, which needed to be providing systems leadership on behalf of the residents of Herefordshire. 

• That greater responsibility should be taken by the Board to provide a singles step strategic leadership and ensure resources were put into universal health and targeted provision in order to ensure that change benefited all residents of the County.

• That a Community Masterplan was being put in place to establish the important links between infrastructure projects and health and social care redesign.

The Board received an updated report on the Better Care Fund, which was seen as an important vehicle for the commissioning of Health and Social Care.  The next update of the Better Care Fund would be submitted on the 20^th June and would include draft financial principles.

Resolved: That the reports be noted

To receive an impact analysis and update report on the Care Bill 2013-14.

The Board received an updated impact analysis on the Care Bill. It was noted that the Care Bill would introduce a new legal framework for adult social care which would put the wellbeing of individuals at the heart of an integrated care and support system and would be effective from 1 April 2015.   It would introduce a number of new duties for local authorities and would have significant implications across the whole of adult social care, and beyond – particularly in relation to finance, IT systems and workforce.  Table 2 of the report outlined the Council’s position on the clauses within the Bill.

Resolved: That the report be noted, and that quarterly updated reports be provided to the Board.

To receive a presentation on the Adult Wellbeing Peer Challenge.

The Board received a verbal report on the imminent peer challenge of the Adult Social Care system.  The Director of Adults Wellbeing reported that this was not a review in the same manner of that undertaken by Oftsed, but was a sector led external scrutiny that would be of great significance to the Adult Wellbeing Directorate.  There was an opportunity to provide them with key lines of enquiry such as the transformational changes around the workforce and the care user workforce.

It should be of concern to the Board that the Adult Wellbeing transformation process be judged to be fit for purpose as a result of this exercise.

Resolved: That an updated report be provided to a future meeting.

To note the Board’s Work Plan.

The Board noted its Work Plan.

Resolved:  That the scheduled bi-monthly Workshops be cancelled.