COUNCILLORS in the last Gwent council to debate the section (s) 33 frailty agreement with the health service, have voted to pull out of it.
At a special meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council on Wednesday, March 25, councillors received a report that explains the need to leave the agreement and the process required to make this happen in line with constitutional arrangements.
The decision needed to be taken before March 31 as a year’s notice to leave the agreement has to be given.
This would see the agreement end on March 31, 2027.
The arrangement between Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and the five local authorities across Gwent came into being in 2011 and has allow the organisations to combine funding to support people living with frailty, including older residents who require care at home.
The original s33 agreement came to an end in 2015 and was replaced with the current arrangement in 2016.
Cabinet member for adults and communities, Cllr Jules Gardner (Labour – Brynmawr) presented the report.
Cllr Gardner said: “Recent challenges in setting annual budgets alongside a growing recognition that there are disparities in resource allocation, service delivery and performance and funding, have prompted concerns regarding the equity of partner contributions.”
This year the council contributed £744,000 to the funding pot which was £55,000 more than last year.
And the overall budget has now climbed to £19.2 million with an overspend of £106,000 predicted.
In 2016 the budget had been £15.9 million.
Cllr Gadner said: “The s33 agreement had fulfilled its original purpose of loan repayment and suggested a move towards more local arrangements, which would enable more flexibility to provide more community placed based services.
“From a Blaenau Gwent perspective, this is reinforced by the development of the deal and the increasing role and functions of Integrated Service Partnership Board in the delivery of a vision for place-based community care.”
He stressed that the agreement by now was “not fit for purpose” and should be terminated.
Due to the “federated” approach which sees Blaenau Gwent work in lockstep with Torfaen Council, Cllr Gardner outline what joint chief executive Steve Vickers had suggested as a way forward.
Cllr Gardner said that Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen are starting: “discussions with health colleagues to explore opportunities for improving integrated urgent care across both areas.”
Cllr Gardner said: “The focus of this work to strengthen reablement and rehabilitation pathways so that residents can receive more effective support at home and recover more quickly.”
He added that the other council’s had all agreed to terminate the agreement.
Opposition Independent group leader Cllr Wayne Hodgins (Brynmawr) wanted to see a joint working group of councillors set up with Torfaen
Cllr Hodgins said: “There’s a lot of discussions going on and as part of them member (councillors) need to be involved to have an input into how we see this working.
“There has to be some more alignment from members across the two authorities.”
Council leader Cllr Steve Thomas (Labour – Tredegar) said that this needed to be “explored further” to find out if this can be done.
Joint strategic director of adults and communities David Leech said: “I’m sure there will be member involvement and scrutiny in the development of the new proposals, and I imagine a decision at the end once they have been developed.”
Councillors then moved to a vote and unanimous agreed to exit the s33 agreement.