The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 set out the legislation governing health and social care in Scotland with the intention of improving outcomes for the population. North Lanarkshire Council and NHS Lanarkshire opted for the “body corporate” model of integration, forming the Integration Joint Board and setting out the range of delegated functions within the Integration Scheme, which was formally enacted on 1 April 2016.
In September 2018, North Lanarkshire Council set out a new vision for the future direction of the council in ‘We Aspire’. The document set out a plan to revise the Integration Scheme and transfer the discretionary delegated functions for Children and Families and Justice Social Work Services to the newly reshaped Education and Families Service within the council. On 12 April 2019, the Cabinet Secretary approved the integration scheme changes, namely to remove children, families and justice social work.
Section 44 of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014, notes that “the local authority and the Health Board must carry out a review of the integration scheme before the expiry of the relevant period for the purpose of identifying whether any changes to the scheme are necessary or desirable”. The legislation clarifies the “relevant period” as “the period of five years beginning with the day on which the scheme was approved. One of the actions identified in the local integration review was to further review all aspects of the Integration Scheme for submission to both partner organisations before the end of the 2019/20 financial year. This review has taken place and further minor amendments have been made to reflect updated processes and structures relating to risk, support care and clinical governance and complaints processes. Following NHS Board and NLC Committee approval, the revised Integration Scheme will be subject to a 4 period of public consultation before final approval and submission to the Cabinet Secretary.
North Lanarkshire Council and NHS Lanarkshire are consulting on the proposed changes, with a closing date for feedback of Sunday, 28 February. Comments can be submitted to: noreply@hscnorthlan.scot