Integration Joint Boards and Planning Groups

When the Integration Authority has been formed using the Body Corporate model, the Integration Joint Board (IJB) has overall governance responsibility for the Integration Authority.

The membership of the IJB is made up of voting and non-voting members. The formal arrangements for voting members are set out in the Integration Scheme and all voting members are either Local Councillors from the associated Local Authority or Non-Executive Directors from the associated Health Board.

The non-voting members that are required to be involved in IJBs include :

• The Chief Officer of the Integration Authority
• The Chief Finance Officer (or person who carries Section 95 responsibility for the IJB)
• The Chief Social Work Officer of the Local Authority
• A GP representative, appointed by the Health Board
• A secondary care medical practitioner, appointed by the Health Board
• A nursing representative, employed by the Health Board
• A staff-side representative that can represent the interests of Integration Authority staff employed by both the NHS and Local Authority
• A third sector representative
• A carer representative
• A service user representative

The IJB can also widen its membership to include others at its discretion.

When the Integration Authority has been formed using the Lead Agency model (only Highland have chosen to adopt this model), the Integration Joint Monitoring Committee has overall governance responsibility for the Integration Authority. Although the membership structure and Chair arrangements are slightly different the Joint Monitoring Committee fulfils the same functions as the IJB and has the same requirement to include stakeholders as non-voting members.

Further reading:

Integration Joint Board guidance (this link will take you away from our website)

Strategic Planning Groups

The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 requires each Integration Authority to establish a Strategic Planning Group to support it to develop its strategic commissioning plan and requires it to:

• Seek the views of the Group on the proposed content of the plan
• Take account of these views when drafting the plan
• Seek the views of the Group on the draft plan
• Re-draft the plan, taking account of these views

The Strategic Planning Group plays a key role in developing and finalising the strategic commissioning plan and also in reviewing and measuring progress. This is highlighted in the Strategic Commissioning Plans Guidance.

The group also needs to include locality planning groups in shaping their strategic plan, however as people may fulfil more than one role within the group this might not mean additional members.

Locality Planning Groups

The main purpose of the Locality Planning Group is to provide an organisational mechanism for local leadership of service planning, to be fed upwards into the Integration Authority’s strategic plan.

The Scottish Government has produced localities guidance that sets out what localities are for, the principles upon which they should be established, and some of the practicalities that Integration Authorities should take into account when establishing and supporting localities. It also makes it clear that localities must have real influence on how resources are spent in their area.

Locality arrangements are not defined in the legislation and Integration Authorities have the freedom to design their locality arrangements around local need. However, they must have input from:

• Health and social care professionals who are involved in the care of people who use services
• Representatives of the housing sector
• Representatives of the third and independent sectors
• Carers’ and patients’ representatives
• People managing services in the area of the Integration Authority

Further Reading:

• Localities Guidance (this link will take you away from our website)
• Strategic Commissioning Plans Guidance (this link will take you away from our website)