Better Care Fund (formally Integration Transformation Fund) deadline fast approaching

Integration transformation fund is no more – but only because it has been renamed as the Better Care Fund (not to be confused with the care provider company of the same name). However what has not changed is the tight deadline for the draft submission of 14 February 2014 and completed submission by April 2014. Given the pressures on local budgets being clear about the use of the funds, and how this will benefit the local community – and deliver value for both health and local government is a difficult task. How will your area give concrete reality to the abstract and often imprecise fine words of the Departments of health and communities and local government? As the Government has indicated there are opportunities from the current and 14/15 transfer of funds to local government to seek to put early work in place and identify areas where swift returns are achievable, but the plan needs to be a long lasting one, and may therefore involve the development of innovative contracting and funding approaches.

There may also be scope to identify ways of investing so as to free up access to other monies - funding for initial energy efficiency assessments to enable householders to access Green Deal funding for insulation to assist in avoiding fuel poverty with its consequential impact on health and wellbeing might be a less obvious route to take. Other ideas may involve greater use of community involvement to provide outreach and support, as part of an integrated approach to community support and treatment.

An example from NW London

Access the three documents below to see what a completed template looks like:

Tri-borough better care fund first draft submission

Appendix A: draft plan submission template

Appendix B: draft plan outcomes and finances (Excel)

Templates to use

Click here for a copy of the Better Care Fund planning template part 1

Click here for a copy of the Better Care Fund planning template part 2 (Excel)