Sussex Health and Care Assembly (Sussex Integrated Care Partnership)

Terms of Reference

 

Governance

1.    The Sussex Health and Care Assembly (the Assembly) is a formal partnership forum jointly established by NHS Sussex, Brighton & Hove City Council, East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council (the three Local Authorities) in accordance with the Constitutions of each body. The Assembly is the Integrated Care Partnership for Sussex, established under the Health and Care Act 2022 and these Terms of Reference have been agreed by each of these bodies.

Purpose

2.    The purpose of the Assembly is to support and promote greater integration and collaboration across health and social care at a strategic, Sussex-wide level.  It will build upon the local Health and Wellbeing Strategies and co-ordinate the strategic direction for meeting the broader health, public health and social care needs of the population of Sussex to settle an Integrated Care Strategy for Sussex. It will undertake any other activities agreed by NHS Sussex and the three Local Authorities to help address the wider determinants of health and wellbeing and greater health equality at a strategic level.  Its work will build upon and be informed by work at place level in Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex, including through the local Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.

 

Responsibilities

The Assembly will:

3.    Develop, approve and publish an Integrated Care Strategy for the whole population of Sussex, using best available evidence and data, covering health and social care and addressing the wider determinants of health and wellbeing.  This will be built from local assessments of needs and assets identified at place level, based on Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.

4.    Complement existing governance arrangements including Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) and other place-based partnerships, and ensure governance and decision-making are proportionate, support subsidiarity and avoid duplication across the Sussex Health and Care System.

5.    Promote and enhance integrated approaches, partnership working and collaboration within the Sussex health and care system, where these can improve planning, outcomes and service delivery.

6.    Complement place-based working and partnerships, developing relationships on a pan-Sussex basis.

7.    Highlight where coordination is needed on health and care issues and, through the development, promotion and oversight of the Integrated Care Strategy, challenge partners to deliver the action required. This includes, but is not limited to:

·              helping people live more independent, healthier lives for longer;

·              taking a holistic view of people’s interactions with services across the system and the different pathways within it;

·              addressing inequalities in health and wellbeing outcomes, experiences and access to health and care services;

·              improving the wider social determinants that drive these inequalities, including employment, housing, education, environment, and reducing offending;

·              improving the life chances and health outcomes of babies, children and young people;

·              improving people’s overall wellbeing and preventing ill-health.

 

8.    In preparing the Integrated Care Strategy:

·         consider the extent to which the needs could be met more effectively by the making of arrangements under section 75 of the National Health Service Act 2006 (rather than in any other way);

·         have regard to—

(a) the mandate published by the Secretary of State under section 13A of the National Health Service Act 2006, and

(b) any guidance issued by the Secretary of State;

·         involve the Local Healthwatch organisations for Sussex and involve the people who live or work in Sussex; and

·         may include a statement of its views on how arrangements for the provision of health-related services in the area could be more closely integrated with arrangements for the provision of health services and social care services.

 

9.    Each time the Assembly receives an assessment of relevant needs it will:

(a) consider whether the current Integrated Care Strategy should be revised, and

(b) if so, prepare a revised Integrated Care Strategy.

 

10.Report to NHS Sussex and the Health and Wellbeing Board of each of the three Local Authorities after each meeting of the Assembly, highlighting issues that require action. 

Members

11.As set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, the core membership of the Assembly (as the Integrated Care Partnership) is NHS Sussex and the three local authorities.  The composed Assembly may then appoint others. The three Local Authorities and NHS Sussex will each appoint their members to the Assembly in accordance with their respective Constitutions.  Members are bound by the Standing Orders and Codes of Conduct of their respective appointing bodies, including those relating to equalities, confidentiality and information governance.

12.The Assembly will consist of the following members representing the four statutory partners:

NHS Sussex [the Integrated Care Board] (1)

·              Chair of NHS Sussex (or their nominated substitute)

 

Brighton & Hove City Council (1)

·              Health and Wellbeing Board Chair (or their nominated substitute)

 

East Sussex County Council (1)

·              Health and Wellbeing Board Chair (or their nominated substitute)

 

West Sussex County Council (1)

·              Health and Wellbeing Board Chair (or their nominated substitute)

 

One officer from each of the local authorities and NHS Sussex will also be permitted to attend to contribute towards the work of the Assembly and/or assist and advise the Health and Wellbeing Board Chairs or NHS Sussex Chair as appropriate. 

In addition to the membership from the statutory partners, the following members will also be appointed to support the work of the Assembly:

 

·         Independent Chair, appointed by the four statutory partners

·         2 x Education Members, one from Further Education and one from Higher Education in Sussex

·         1 x Employment Member, from the Sussex Chamber of Commerce or equivalent organisation in Sussex

·         1 x Housing Member, with experience of housing and the built-environment in Sussex

·         1 x Physical Activity Member, with experience of providing sport and leisure services in Sussex

·         2 x Healthcare Members, including the Chief Delivery & Strategy Officer of NHS Sussex and a General Practitioner in Sussex

·         3 x Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise Members, one from each place in Sussex

·         3 x Independent Health and Social Care Champion Members, one from each Healthwatch in Sussex

 

The Assembly will appoint further members or observers as it considers appropriate in line with its agreed work programme. 

 

Subject matter experts, research specialists, people with lived experience of each stage of the life course and representatives from seldom-heard communities can also be invited to attend and participate in specific agenda items at Assembly Meetings, with the agreement of the Independent Chair and the four statutory partners.

 

 

 

 

Procedure

 

Chairmanship

13.An Independent Chair and secretariat will be appointed by the four statutory partners. The Chair should be a resident in or have a close association with Sussex and must not be currently employed by or have any affiliation with any of the members of the Assembly to demonstrate their neutrality and transparency.  A competitive process will be used to, recruit and select, with unanimous support, an Independent Chair. The Independent Chair will be employed by one of the four statutory partners in just this specific role. Any disciplinary and dismissal processes in respect of the Independent Chair will be undertaken in line with the employing partner’s policies and procedures but can be triggered by any one of the Assembly Members from the four statutory partners.

Meeting proceedings and quorum

14.The Assembly will meet formally, in public, at least twice per year, unless the Assembly resolves to meet in private in accordance with reasons permitted by the legislation relevant to the meetings of public bodies. Additional meetings may take place as required, with the agreement of the Chair and the four statutory partners.

15.Meetings held in person will be at venues providing accessibility to the public. Members of the Assembly may attend remotely with the agreement of the Chair. Any formal public meetings held entirely virtually will be recorded to provide openness and transparency to the public.

16.The Assembly is quorate when there are four members of the Assembly present including at least one representative from NHS Sussex and each of the three Local Authorities.  If the quorum has not been reached, the meeting may proceed if those attending agree, but no decisions may be taken. Members attending meetings virtually will be counted towards the quorum.

17.In any circumstance where a decision is required the Chair shall strive to ensure a consensus is achieved.  If a vote has to be taken, in the event of an equality of votes, the Chair shall have a second or casting vote.  Each core (NHS Sussex and local authority) member of the Assembly will be entitled to a single vote. The voting rights of any other members appointed by the Assembly will be determined by the Assembly.

Attendance

18.Where a member cannot attend a meeting of the Assembly, they may send a nominated substitute, with agreement of the Chair, who will have equivalent voting rights.

Engagement

19.Where relevant to its responsibilities, the Assembly may engage and consult with partner organisations to promote strategic integration and collaboration across the health and social care sector in Sussex. This should not duplicate existing engagement/consultation arrangements, such as carried out at place level by Health and Wellbeing Boards. Key consultees of the Assembly will include:

·              Healthwatch Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex

·              Patient Forums for each area of Sussex

·              Place-based partnerships

·              NHS and social care providers

·              Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations

·              Higher and Further Education providers

·              Housing specialists

·              Local Enterprise representatives

·              Other subject matter experts as required.

 

Administration and access to agenda and reports

20.Organisation and administration for the Assembly will be overseen by the Independent Chair but is a shared responsibility between the four statutory partners, who also need to agree the funding and timing. Support will be provided by one of the four statutory partners on a full cost recovery basis and managed through a Service Level Agreement. NHS Sussex will continue to publish the agendas, papers and recordings of Assembly meetings on the Sussex Health & Care website.

21.The four statutory partners will make equal contributions towards the cost of the Assembly. 

22.Each statutory partner will also provide a venue and refreshments free of charge for one of the Assembly Meetings each year in rotation.

23.The Independent Chair will be responsible for agreeing the Assembly dates and venues with the four statutory partners for the year in advance.  The Independent Chair will then need to agree the agendas, papers and presentations with the four statutory partners at least two months before each Assembly meeting. 

24.Copies of the agenda and reports for meetings of the Assembly will be provided to Members (via e-mail) and published on the NHS Sussex website (for public access) at least five clear working days before the meeting.    Assembly papers will be available online for a period of six years, after which time they will be archived.

25. The Assembly meetings will be recorded professionally so that a video of each meeting can be published on the Sussex Health & Care website within 48 hours of the meeting.

26.Minutes of meetings shall be recorded by the secretary and submitted in draft form to the NHS Sussex Board, and the Health and Wellbeing Board of each of the three Local Authorities. The draft minutes will also be published on the NHS Sussex website once approved by the Chair. Minutes will be subject to final agreement by the Assembly.

27.The secretary will support the Chair of each Health and Wellbeing Board to prepare and deliver reports to the three Local Authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards and the NHS Sussex Chair to deliver reports to the NHS Sussex Board.

Terms of Reference publication and review

28.These Terms of Reference will be published on the websites of NHS Sussex and the three Local Authorities.

29. As a partnership forum, it will be important to ensure there is a robust review process for the Assembly.  Its Terms of Reference will be reviewed by the Assembly on an annual basis. Any proposed changes will require the approval of NHS Sussex and each of the three Local Authorities.

 

Document Control

Document Reference	SHCA ToR
Version	DRAFT V.3
Approval	Sussex Health and Care Assembly
Issued on	TBC
To be reviewed by	TBC

 

Change Record

Date	Change	Comments
26/01/24	Independent Chair, revised membership and updated working arrangements	Based on a governance and effectiveness review by the Assembly Members and the Statutory Members between October 2023 and January 2024.