Agenda item

- Chrissy Wright, Strategic Commissioning Manager, to present

Clare Burton, Commissioning, Policy and Performance, presented a progress report in relation to commissioning HealthWatch Rotherham together with an update on Government guidance, funding and secondary Regulations as follows:-

Secondary Regulations

-        These were still being developed by the Department of Health however Children and Young People were now included in the HealthWatch requirements. The Department of Health’s Summary Report key issues were set out as:-

o             The organisation did not need to be a social enterprise but must have the principles of 1 with at least 50% of profit/surplus reinvested to further the social objective

o             The constitution of the organisation must state that the main objective was to benefit the community

o             The secondary regulations would include further criteria about having lay people and volunteers in the local HealthWatch

o             In relation to the contract between the local authority and HealthWatch, the details of the 2008 Regulations would be carried forward with the intention of ensuring that the local HealthWatch operated in an open and transparent way

o             Requirement still for providers to respond to reports, recommendations and information requests including children’s social care

o             Referrals to scrutiny committee would be carried forward into HealthWatch

o             2008 Entry Regulations which set out the duty of Service-providers to allow entry to residential care provision would be carried forward including in relation to “excluded activities” (children’s social care)

o             Directions in relation to what should be addressed in the local HealthWatch annual report

-        The Regulations would be laid in October (contracts element) and November (enter and view elements) and come into force on 1^st April, 2013.

Progress

-        The local HealthWatch would be a member of the Health and Wellbeing Board and integral to the preparation of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the Health and Wellbeing Strategy together with any priority setting on which local commissioning decisions would be based.  It was proposed that an Elected Member also be a member of the HealthWatch Board of Trustees

-        HealthWatch Project Group – The Commissioning Project Group included representatives from the Local Authority and Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group

o             A vision had been developed and included in the consultation.  Information on HealthWatch had been added to the website and 2 surveys issued to members of the public, Health and Social Care Service users, voluntary and community sector network and community interest groups

o             TUPE Arrangements – Discussions had taken place with the CCG with regard to 2 members of staff; other roles that were subject to TUPE would be considered

o             Service mapping – completed

o             Commissioning and Procurement Plan – the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire would be issued on 3^rd September, 2012

o             NHS Complaints Advocacy – HealthWatch would be requested to provide at all levels of complaint process to ensure value for money

o             Funding – the current LINKs funding would become available for HealthWatch until 2014/15.  Additional funding would be made available to local authorities from 2013/14 to support both the information/signposting functions but also for commissioning NHS complaints advocacy.  The Department of Health had issued further guidance on the level of funding which was reduced from the original indication.  The revised funding level would be included in the specification and tendering documentation

Discussion ensued on the report.  It was felt that HealthWatch would have a big workload without the matching resources so it was imperative that work was not duplicated.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the progress achieve in relation to commissioning HealthWatch Rotherham be noted.

(2)  That the intentions of the Department of Health in relation to the secondary Regulations be noted.

(3)  That the proposal for an Elected Member to be a trustee on the Rotherham HealthWatch Board of Trustees be given further consideration.

(4)  That the revised level of funding available be noted.

(5)  That further reports be submitted on the outcome of the tendering process including the outcome of the evaluation process and the recommended provider.