Carole Burgoyne, Strategic Director for People reported that Integrated Commissioning was a fundamental change in how the council moves forward.  This was a joint programme between the Plymouth City Council (PCC) and NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).  They were looking to move to a position to care for people throughout their lives and look at the whole person in a person centred approach.  Commissioning was the building block to this with the need to focus on the governance arrangements and due diligence.

In response to questions raised, it was reported that –

(a)           the co-location of NEW Devon with Plymouth City Council at Windsor House had helped the discussions on integrated commissioning and they needed to work more on the detail for the cost benefits for both organisations;

(b)          they had looked at and identified a number of resources to be pulled together and identified what the costs would be.  They were also working with the finance teams on the costs and would be in a position to proportion the savings;

(c)           they would be looking at existing contracts to determine what we stop and what we continue with.  They were looking at £400k savings to be made by the end of this financial year;

(d)          the CCG were having face to face meetings and sharing information with staff on the changes.  They were fully aware that some staff would embrace the changes and some staff would feel threatened.  This was a similar story for PCC.  There was engagement with the Trade Unions.

Impact of the Care Act

It was reported that this was an update on reforming legislation which not changed since 1948.  Key duties are –

·                     clear partnership;

·                     duty to promote an individual wellbeing – whole person care;

·                     assessment of carers and provide services to carers;

·                     provision of advice and information;

·                     safeguarding adults to become statutory like children’s safeguarding.

Agreed that Caring Plymouth fully support and commend the following recommendations to Cabinet –

In order to meet the challenges facing the health and care system it is recommended that NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group and Plymouth City Council follow a road map towards integrated commissioning by formally approving the following steps -

1.         Plymouth City Council to review all commissioning activity across The People Directorate and Office of the Director for Public Health and establish a single co-operative commissioning unit ahead of integration;

2.         Plymouth City Council works collaboratively with NEW Devon CCG to achieve the first stage of an Integrated Commissioning Function by March 2015;

3.         Plymouth City Council works with NEW Devon CCG to develop a section 75 agreement(s) by the end of March 2015 to pool budgets based around:

3.1       Wellness;

3.2       Community Based Care;

3.3       Complex / Bed Based Care (excluding acute).

4.         Plymouth City Council works with NEW Devon CCG to develop single commissioning strategies based around the above.

Recommendations 3 and 4 are subject to further Plymouth City Council and NEW Devon CCG Governance Approvals prior to implementation in November 2014.

(Councillor Mrs Nicholson and Dr Mahony were not present for this item).