1 Summary

The following decisions are sought.

1. Approve the S31 agreement for signature and seal.

2. Agree Director of SSD will have delegated responsibility, for services developed through the use of the pooled budget.

3. Endorse the joint CAMHS Strategy (scheduled in S31)

2 Reason(s)

2.1 To enable the Section 31 Agreement to be formally sealed.

3 Other options considered and rejected

3.1 None

4 Conflicts of Interest declared by the decision-maker or other Executive Member consulted

4.1 None

5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

5.1 None

6 Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

6.1 Not applicable

Approved by: Date of decision:

Councillor Felicity Hindson

1. Summary

Background:

1.1 In April 2003 Hampshire County Council (Social Services and Education Departments) and the seven Hampshire Primary Care Trusts submitted an Expression of interest to the Department of Heath and Department for Education and Skills to establish a Child and Adolescent Mental Health, (CAMH) Pathfinder Children's Trust. This application was successful and over the subsequent months work has taken place, through a multi-agency steering group, to establish a framework for the Children's Trust which has culminated in the attached S31 agreement.

The partners proposed the creation of a CAMHS commissioning Children's Trust for the following reasons:

1.1.1 To develop and improve services and outcomes for families, through improved commissioning arrangements and joint investment. It was generally acknowledged that CAMH services needed greater investment in Hampshire;

1.1.2 to ensure a strategic approach to planning and development, through shared work and learning;

1.1.3 pooling of funds would enable the partners to work together to commission services and reduce associated costs;

1.1.4 to ensure greater equity and consistency of services for CAMHS users across Hampshire,

1.1.5 to link Hampshire's work to the NSF, as the only CAMHS Children's Trust in England;

1.1.6 to help shape the future of children's services and share learning with other Children's Trust pathfinders;

1.1.7 to secure additional funding for this area of work, including a pathfinder grant.

2 The S31 Agreement:

2.1 It is proposed that the partners take an incremental approach to joint commissioning of CAMHS. The S31agreement therefore outlines the first phase of this development. It is planned that the partners work together in the first phase to move towards a comprehensive commissioning Children's Trust for CAMHS which takes full responsibility and accountability for all CAMHS commissioning in the county and which has an infrastructure to support it. It is therefore intended that this S31 agreement will be superseded by a more comprehensive agreement in 2005. This will only be done with the full agreement of all of the partners, following delivery of a jointly agreed work plan with key targets to build all elements of information needed to commission more comprehensive CAMH services.

Key elements of the agreement:

2.1.1 The S31 agreement will be for a 3 year period or until superseded by a more comprehensive S31 agreement.

2.1.2 The creation of a joint pooled development budget made up of CAMHS development funds from PCTs and the County Council.

2.1.3 All partners will be guaranteed investment to meet the 10% increase in CAMH services required by DH / NSF.

2.1.4 The creation of a CAMH Children's Trust Board consisting of lead officers from each of the partner agencies, with delegated responsibility for services developed through the use of the pooled budget. The board will be chaired in rotation by each partner agency on an annual basis.

2.1.5 The board will ensure quarterly reports are submitted to PCT Boards and the County Council for scrutiny.

2.1.6 The creation of a joint planning structure which ensures informed commissioning across Hampshire.

2.1.7 Contracting of services will remain with each of the partners. All governance arrangements and risk management therefore remain with the partners as at present. (See Planning and commissioning below).

3 Functions of the Children's Trust:

3.1 The Children's Trust will have a strategic commissioning function and begin to develop joint commissioning of provision for CAMHS. The Children's Trust will cover the county of Hampshire, creating a planning structure for commissioning of CAMH services for children 0-18 years.

3 Proposed Structure:

4 Planning and commissioning in Phase 1:

4.1 Hampshire commissioners and providers of CAMH services have agreed a joint CAMH strategy setting out the objectives for the development of the service over the next three years.

It is proposed that the CAMHS commissioning group will work in partnership with the CAMHS Strategy Group and Local Implementation Groups to undertake analysis of need and service mapping, to inform the creation of a county and local improvement plans. These will identify priority areas for spend and service development, based on local and county needs. The county improvement plan will be submitted to the Children's Trust Board for approval and funding, through the pooled development budget. Commissioned services funded through the joint pooled development budget will be agreed by the partners, who will identify the appropriate partner to enter into contractual arrangements with providers. The Children's Trust will not enter into contracts / service level agreements in its own right at this stage, in order to prevent a two tier system of commissioning for CAMHS and to ensure that clinical and organisational governance remains within the control of partner agencies.

The commissioning structure will be supported by the appointment of a CAMH Commissioning and Planning Manager, working on behalf of all of the Children's Trust partners. This post is being funded through the Children's Trust Pathfinder Grant.

5. Recommendations:

1. Approve the S31 agreement for signature and seal.

2. Agree Director of SSD will have delegated responsibility, for services developed through the use of the pooled budget.

3. Endorse the joint CAMHS Strategy (scheduled in S31)

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act

None