Purpose

1.    Decision Taken

The Council Leader (acting as the former Health and Wellbeing Board Chair and subsequent Co-Chair) and Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Equalities (and Co-Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board), delegated the authority to the Exec Director for Adult Social Care and Health to approve the Kingston Better Care Fund plan 26/27, on behalf of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

2.            Reasons for Decision

The Better Care Fund (BCF) is a national programme that supports local systems to successfully deliver the integration of health and social care in a way that supports person-centred care, sustainability and better outcomes for people and carers.

As per national planning requirements, RBK submitted the Kingston BCF plan 26/27 to the national BCF team on 18 May 2026. National planning requirements ask that Health and Wellbeing Boards formally sign off the plan.

The national DHSC assurance letters, required to authorise the spending of the pooled BCF budget, are scheduled for release at the end of July 2026, but only if confirmation is provided that the local Health and Wellbeing Board has signed off on the plan.

Due to elections, the Kingston Health and Wellbeing Board has not met since May 2026. In order to progress with the delivery of the BCF spend plan without delay, we are seeking an urgent decision under Procedure Rule 30. The BCF plan will be reported to the next Health and Wellbeing Board which is likely to meet in September 2026.