The Barking and Dagenham Better Care Fund (BCF) has been allocated £37.9 million for the 2026/27 financial year, with the aim of integrating health and social care services to support residents in remaining independent and at home. The fund, a collaboration between Barking and Dagenham Council and NHS North East London Integrated Care Board (ICB), focuses on preventative care and supporting residents within their communities.
Arabjan Iqbal, Better Care Fund Manager, presented the plan to the Health & Wellbeing Board and ICB Sub-Committee, highlighting key priorities for the upcoming year. These include developing neighbourhood working models to bring services closer to residents, enhancing proactive care for individuals with long-term conditions and frailty, and promoting healthier lifestyles. The BCF plan also aims to support integrated and preventative care services, including investing in reablement services, preventing avoidable long-term care home admissions, improving discharge processes, and supporting residents to remain independent and at home. Furthermore, the fund will enhance local community support and connections, enable access to activities and support at the right place and time, and utilize care technology to help residents remain independent for longer. The BCF also supports informal and/or unpaid carers and invests in equipment and home adaptations through the Disabled Facilities Grant.
The BCF plan for 2026/27 aims to address challenges related to rapid population growth and the increasing complexity of need, particularly for older people with long-term conditions/frailty and working-age adults with complex needs. It also seeks to tackle low healthy life expectancy and significant health inequalities by improving health literacy and ensuring residents receive the right support in the right place at the right time. The growing demand for services, including one-to-one support, homecare, and supported living, is also a key consideration. The BCF supports services designed to reduce reliance on fragmented short-term initiatives and strengthen sustainable, place-based delivery, thereby preventing avoidable escalation of care needs.
The BCF plan includes a target of no more than 130 admissions to nursing and residential homes for the year, representing a 3.7% improvement on the previous year's target of 135. Strategies to achieve this include prioritizing reablement and community support, utilizing assistive technology, implementing strength-based social work approaches, and reviewing intermediate care capacity. Piloting projects to boost homecare and equipment, alongside the use of new care technology services, will also be key. Strengthening prevention and early intervention at the adult social care front door, including earlier occupational therapy input and timely access to equipment and adaptations, is also a focus. The plan acknowledges that while actual admissions are tracking lower than the target, the acuity and complexity of the local population necessitate a realistic threshold. The target of 130 is considered realistic and safe, balancing aspirations for better performance with clinical reality.
Councillor Maureen Worby, Chair of the Health & Wellbeing Board, noted the importance of the BCF in addressing the borough's growing and increasingly complex population needs. The plan aligns with the council's It Starts Here: Partnerships for Change
vision, which seeks to foster a place where residents are proud to live, work, study, and stay.
The BCF plan for 2026/27 emphasizes collaboration with the Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector to enhance community support. This involves developing neighbourhood working models that support active communities and foster collaborative, proactive, and prevention-focused approaches. The BCF aims to ensure residents receive the right support in the right place at the right time through the integration of community health services, adult social care, and the VCFSE sector. The plan also targets social determinants of health, addressing factors beyond physical health such as housing, income, and employment, often through community-based initiatives. Supporting self-management and promoting independent living includes connecting residents to community-led activities and resources. Furthermore, the BCF supports the development of a Carers Charter and Action Plan, aiming to create a 'Carer Friendly Community' and recognizing the vital role of informal carers. The plan acknowledges the VCFSE sector's unique strengths in prevention, health creation, trusted relationships, cultural competence, and community engagement, and supports the VCFSE sector's involvement in delivering integrated pathways and potentially through a VCFSE-led population health initiative.
Key priorities for the BCF include enhancing local community support, enabling access to activities and support at the right place and time, and promoting healthier lifestyles. The fund will also support the development of integrated neighbourhood teams and the use of care technology to help residents remain independent for longer. The BCF also supports the delivery of integrated neighbourhood teams and a more preventative model of care for residents with 2-4 long-term conditions, addressing wider determinants of health such as housing, income, and employment.
More information on the BCF plan can be found in the Public reports pack for the Health & Wellbeing Board and ICB Sub-Committee meeting on Tuesday 21 July 2026. Public reports pack
