Agenda item

Anuradha Singh presented the item and provide a brief overview; 

She explained that Partnership Southwark is an important collaboration that has the ability drive real change in the way services and support are delivered for the benefit of residents.

There is a clear logic to the integration of health and care services -with the potential for ICS and place-level partnerships to drive improvements in population health, and tackle inequalities, by reaching beyond organizational boundaries and working with the voluntary and community sector and other non-statutory partners to address social and economic determinants of health.

RESOLVED

1.  The Southwark Health and Wellbeing Board noted the proposals in the appended slide-pack on leadership and governance arrangements within Partnership Southwark, which functions as Southwark’s Local Care Partnership (LCP) within the Our Healthier South East London Integrated Care System (SEL ICS).

2.  The Southwark Health and Wellbeing Board endorsed the direction of travel for leadership and governance arrangements within Partnership Southwark, including:

a)  The partnership’s ambition to deepen integrated planning and delivery arrangements within Partnership Southwark over the next 2-3 years, through an inclusive whole-system partnership that works collaboratively for the benefit of our population and communities. This includes working towards:

i)  a joint committee of the ICS NHS Body and one or more statutory provider(s), with delegated decision making on specific functions/services/populations to this committee; and

ii)  a joint Executive Place Lead (‘LCP Director’) recruited by the partnership who will lead partnership working at ‘place’ level and work with the joint committee to receive and manage agreed delegations. 

b)  The need to facilitate a realistic landing point for 1 April 2022 (given 2(a) will take time to work through with partners), when ICS arrangements are intended to be formalised nationally (subject to legislative changes currently progressing through Parliament). The partnership is committed to ensuring this landing point is buildable and sets the partnership up to move forward rather than restrict opportunities to deepen our integrated working arrangements. This includes:

i)  The establishment of the Partnership Southwark Strategic Board   (PSSB), which will operate in shadow form in tandem with the Southwark Borough Based Board for 21/22 and transition to a formal committee of the ICS NHS Body from 1 April 2022.  The PSSB will also operate as a sub-committee of the Health and Wellbeing Board as previously agreed by this Board.

(ii)  The recruitment of an LCP Director by the partnership, as an  individual ICS NHS Body appointment who will receive delegation from the ICS NHS Body. This will initially open to executive-level staff from within constituent partner organisations on secondment basis; and externally thereafter if no suitable candidate is found.

c)  The establishment of a lived experience assembly or similar, to support the service user/carer voice in Partnership Southwark’s governance arrangements.

d)  The commitment of time and leadership resource from all partners within Partnership Southwark to collectively work through and shape our place-based arrangements as we move forward.

3.  The Southwark Health and Wellbeing Board notedthat the multi-agency task and finish steering group that has been meeting to work through these arrangements, will continue to support this next phase of activity.  Key actions for this group to own will include:

a)  Finalising the Terms of Reference for the PSSB

b)  Developing role descriptions and recruitment processes for both the LCP  Director and Partnership Southwark Chair posts, which will be via open and transparent recruitment processes with input from all partners and inclusion of a stakeholder panel

c)  Shaping the wider borough partners leadership team which will work with, and provide support to, the LCP Director to secure the best outcomes for the Southwark population. This will be shaped in line with ICS guidance with designated leads from social care, primary care, community physical and mental health services, acute services and public health as a minimum.

d)  Facilitating the development of the response to the SEL ICS and Integrated Care Board (ICB) Chair (Designate), confirming the governance model for the Partnership Southwark Strategic Board and the process to secure place leadership in Southwark. 

In parallel to the task and finish group discussions, partners will progress strategic conversations within their organisations to ensure we come to an agreed LCP position on our place-based arrangements by the end of October and are co-shaping the roadmap for the partnership to deliver on its ambitions.