Consultation on amendments to the Scheme of Integration for health and social care

A consultation has been launched on revisions to the Scheme of Integration for health and social care, the legal contract between NHS Grampian and Moray Council underpinning the Moray Integration Joint Board.

The changes include duties to support adult carers becoming the responsibility of the Board and amendments to functions around support and protection of adults at risk of being harmed.

The opportunity has also been taken to update the scheme to reflect arrangements which have been put in place since the document was originally drafted and consulted on three years ago.

The integration blueprint sets out in detail which functions the local authority and NHS Board have delegated to the Moray Integration Joint Board which began operating in April 2016.

The integration authority, which is funded by Moray Council and NHS Grampian, has responsibility for the joined-up governance, planning and resourcing of adult social care services, adult primary care and community health services and some hospital services.

Services are delivered through Health & Social Care Moray, a single operational unit working to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for patients, service users, their families and communities and make efficient and effective use of limited resources.

The revised draft Scheme of Integration document (showing tracked changes) for consultation can be reviewed by clicking on the link below.

The key changes to the documents are summarised as follows:

The addition of extra functions and deletion of repealed functions:

Annexes 1 (Functions delegated by Health Board) and 2 (Functions delegated by Local Authority):

• to reflect the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 functions that must be delegated i.e. preparation of local carer strategy, setting of local eligibility criteria, and support for adult carers;
• to include parts of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 that must be delegated and were omitted in error from the original scheme re visits, interviews and examinations and a new function (moving adult at risk in pursuance of a removal order) that complements an existing delegated function (Removal Orders). 

Changes to update the document:

• Section 1 (Definitions and Interpretation), Section 2 (Local Governance Arrangements), Section 3 (Board Governance) and Section 12 (Finance) – to reflect that the Moray Integration Joint Board has now been established and operating for almost two years and is a statutory Community Planning Partner;
• Section 6 (Corporate Support Services) – to update deadlines;
• Section 9 (Clinical and Professional Governance) – to reflect the establishment of a Clinical and Care Governance Committee;
• Section 10 (Chief Officer) – to reflect that the Chief Officers Operational responsibilities have now been set out;
• Section 13 (Participation and Engagement) – to include reference to this consultation exercise and to reflect that a Communications and Engagement Strategy is now in place for the Integration Joint Board;
• Section 14 (Information Sharing) – to reflect that arrangements were confirmed;
• Section 15 (Complaints) – to delete reference to the Council’s Social Work Complaints Review Committee, whose work has now been taken over by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman;
• Section 17 (Risk Management) – to reflect that a Strategy and Risk Register is now in place;
• Annex 5 (Additional Local Information) – not formally part of the scheme and removed.

How to respond

Comments can be sent to involvement@moray.gov.uk  or by post to Public Involvement, Health & Social Care Moray, 9c Southfield Drive, Elgin IV30 6GR.

The deadline for responses is 31 January.

Comments will be considered by Moray Council and the NHS Grampian Board next month. The revised document must be submitted to the Scottish Government for approval by 2 March.