The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Business Intelligence and Performance on the proposed governance structure for the Health and Wellbeing Board to be established from April 2013. The report also incorporated a copy of the draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Sefton 2013-2018 and the Equality Analysis Report on the findings of the draft Strategy which had previously been considered by the Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board.
The Chair reported that a letter had recently been received from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside, requesting membership of the Board.
This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.
Decision Made: That
(1) subject to the delegation set out in resolution (2) below, the Council be recommended to approve the Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Sefton and note the findings within the Equality Analysis report;
(2) authority be delegated to the Strategic Director – People, in consultation with the Chair of the Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board (Cabinet Member for Children, Schools, Families and Leisure), to agree the next iteration of the Strategy which shall be submitted to the Council for approval;
(3) having due regard to the views expressed by the Shadow Board, the Council be recommended to approve that membership of the Board shall comprise the following:
· Councillors Cummins, J.J.Kelly and Moncur (as determined by the Leader of the Council);
· One representative of the local Healthwatch organisation;
· One clinical representative of the NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group;
· One clinical representative of the NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group;
· The statutory director for adult social care;
· The statutory director for children’s services;
· The statutory director of public health;
· The Chief Officer of NHS Southport and Formby and the NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Groups; and
· One representative of the National Commissioning Board
(4) the Council be recommended to agree a criteria for determining future membership of the Board beyond that listed in resolution (3) above, so as to enable a process to operate whereby future membership could be increased, provided that the tests set out in paragraph 4.6 of the report are met and the request from the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner be considered in the light of this criteria;
(5) the Council be recommended to agree that substitution should not apply to Board Members;
(6) the Council be recommended to agree that all members of the Board shall have the right to vote, but that this vote would only be exercised in exceptional circumstances: The convention that shall apply is that the Board would have an open debate and would reach decisions based on consensus. Should a vote be required, then it would be based on a simple majority of those present and voting at the meeting;
(7) the Council be recommended to note that the Board does not favour the creation of sub-committees at this time and that the requirements relating to the Code of Conduct and declaration of interests applies to Board members;and
(8) the principle functions of the Board be noted and considered by the Audit and Governance Committee and Council for inclusion within the Council’s Constitution as set out in paragraph 4.6 of the report.
Reasons for Decisions:
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 gives health and wellbeing boards specific functions. One of the statutory functions is to prepare a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The Council, NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, the National Commissioning Board, along with others, have a duty to co-operate. The regulations under section 194 of that Act set out the constitutional and governance arrangements of the Board. The Board has statutory powers from 1st April 2013, and is required to publish a Health and Wellbeing Strategy by April 2013.
Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:
None - There is a statutory requirement to produce a Health and Wellbeing Strategy and to establish a Health and Wellbeing Board.