Issue - meetings

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services on proposals for the Council to develop a closer working with NHS Barking and Dagenham in order to deliver the best possible outcomes for residents of the Borough.

The key aims of the proposal are to achieve better community outcomes, create opportunities for savings, avoid loss of investment in the Borough and strengthen the ability to take joint decisions.  The Corporate Director referred to the three options for integration of:

• A Strategic Partnership – this model most closely resembles the current position in Barking and Dagenham;
• Integrated Management – this would build on Option 1 through joint Board arrangements and senior management appointments;
• Integrated Leadership – this model seeks to maximise the scope for integration through combining the most senior level posts across both organisations, the delegation of decision-making to a joint governance board and the integration of common support services.  With regard to the latter issue, the Corporate Director confirmed that this will be considered as part of the Council’s Strategic Partnering project. 

During the discussions the issue of potential liabilities relating to NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) schemes was raised and the Corporate Director undertook to refer this matter to the joint working group that will be progressing the proposals.

Agreed, to assist in the delivery of the Community Plan, the Local Area Agreement and the Community Priority “Healthy”, to formally endorse the intention to move to an integrated leadership model (Option 3) with NHS Barking and Dagenham.