Issue - meetings

The appendix to this item is included in the ‘Supporting Documents’ pack.

Mark Tyson, Commissioning Director Adults’ Care and Support, introduced the report and explained that the report in July 2017 on the future direction of the Board had mentioned a narrative history of health and social care integration in the Borough.  Sometimes it is useful to look back to see how you have developed as an entity and to put down a record of the learning gained along that journey.  The report and its appendix provided a first attempt at that narrative and Partners were now being asked to contribute towards the document.

Matthew Cole said that he felt that some changes seem to be so imbedded that it can take years to change and there still needed to be a way to deal with organisational differences. 

Sharron Morrow commented that it was important to write the history down and, more importantly, too learn from it.  There had certainly been areas where there was no immediate accord because organisation see things from a different perspective.  This exercise could help the process of further understanding each other’s ethos.

The Chair welcomed the narrative and indicated that whilst there have been robust discussion on some issues, a strong, mature and open partnership had been achieved and that had enabled progress and positive change. 

Mark also drew attention to the Policy Positions in section 5 of the report, which were set out in greater detail in part 3 of Appendix A.

The Board:

(i)  Noted the contents of the report and welcomed the narrative history of health and social care integration in the Borough, as set out in detail in Appendix A to the report; and

(ii)  Approved the policy positions detailed in part 3 of Appendix A to the report and agreed that the Board would adhere to those principles in relation to all future integration initiatives, in short that:

·  Our focus is on Barking and Dagenham

·  We are shaping our own destiny

·  BHR is our major focus for cross-borough work

·  Everything should strengthen localities, where feasible

·  We are committed to integrated delivery

·  Partnership can and should encompass robust challenge

·  We want to strengthen democratic leadership of health

·  We work at our own pace

·  We will work sustainably

·  Innovation is key

(iii)   Noted that work was ongoing to deal with organisational differences and the need to have robust mechanisms to overcome any differences as they occur.