Committee in Common between Cornwall Health and Wellbeing Board and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Partnership - 14 July 2025

The meeting began with a statement that there were no declarations of interest and no public questions were posed. The Chairman confirmed that the existing Terms of Reference (ToR) had been signed by the Integrated Care Board (ICB), Cornwall Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly, and that any future amendments would require formal approval. At the request of the Council’s Leader, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Partnerships was appointed to co‑chair the Committee in Common with the ICB Chairman. A further request was noted for an additional representative from the Isles of Scilly, which would necessitate a revision of the ToR to maintain balanced membership. Councillor Mckenna proposed, and the Committee agreed by consensus, that the ToR be amended to incorporate these changes.

The Service Director for People Commissioning introduced a report on the Better Care Fund (BCF), a national funding vehicle that requires ICBs and local authorities to pool resources to address overlapping health and social‑care responsibilities, particularly hospital discharge. The Strategic Lead Commissioner for Partnerships explained that the BCF is administered by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care under a Section 75 Agreement and that the 2025‑2026 Better Care Plan had been approved by the Joint Health and Wellbeing Board on 25 March 2025 and by NHS England South West on 30 May 2025. The plan retained four priority areas—intermediate care, equipment and technology‑enabled care, support for carers, and disabled‑facilities grant implementation—and aligned with three national performance measures (emergency admissions for those over 65, average discharge delay time, and long‑term care admission rates). Cornwall’s performance on these measures was reported as favourable relative to comparable areas, and the Board had adopted a full set of supporting indicators for local monitoring.

Healthwatch Cornwall presented its Annual Report for 2024‑2025, highlighting nearly 5 000 resident experiences gathered, support for over 1 500 individuals navigating services, more than 200 sign‑posting inquiries, and five co‑produced partnership boards. The Chief Executive noted the organisation’s influence on strategic decisions in dentistry, cost‑of‑living, and mental health, and emphasized its statutory independence. Discussion covered the future attendance of the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care at Healthwatch’s new Mental Health Board, potential collaboration with Youth Council representatives, and concerns about the proposed closure of Healthwatch England and its impact on local representation. The Committee resolved, by consensus, to note the report, to take no immediate action, and to continue dialogue with Healthwatch Cornwall to sustain its role.

The Service Director for People Commissioning also introduced the Cornwall Joint SEND Commissioning Strategy and the SEND Strategic Plan 2025‑2028, developed in response to the 2023 Ofsted inspection and required under the SEND Code of Practice. The plan outlines five priorities: improving the quality of Education, Health and Care Plans, strengthening communication with families, using data for service evaluation, enhancing inclusive education, and reducing long waits for health services. The Together for Families Additional Needs Commissioning Manager warned that failure to approve the strategy could trigger an improvement notice and formal monitoring, with