Brent Council's Cabinet has approved an agreement for the Better Care Fund (BCF) worth over £57 million for the 2026-27 financial year. The fund, a collaboration between Brent Council and the West and North London Integrated Care Board (ICB), aims to integrate health and social care services to improve outcomes for residents.
The BCF investment will support a range of initiatives focused on prevention, reducing health inequalities, and enabling residents to live independently for longer. Key priorities include supporting timely hospital discharges, strengthening community-based services, and fostering closer working relationships between health, social care, and the voluntary sector.
Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, highlighted the BCF's role in ensuring joined-up, compassionate care that responds to residents' circumstances and promotes healthier, more independent lives. He noted that the funding would support early intervention and community services, helping to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions and support residents returning home safely.
The agreement, established under Section 75 of the National Health Service Act 2006, will see a pooled budget of £57,025,104. This funding will be used for various schemes, including home adaptations, residential and nursing care placements, supported living, community equipment, and initiatives aimed at preventing hospital admissions and supporting carers.
Key schemes include the continuation of Bridging to Home and Complex Support services, which provide targeted short-term support for residents with higher needs. The BCF will also fund the expansion of integrated neighbourhood models, focusing on proactive and preventative care, particularly for vulnerable populations. The new Homeless Health NWL Enhanced Model will provide dedicated support within emergency departments to prevent unnecessary admissions.
The expansion of integrated neighbourhood models is a central tenet of the BCF plan for 2026/27. This approach aims to deliver measurable improvements by aligning organisations around shared outcomes, accelerating the shift to neighbourhood and preventative care, and maximising BCF funding for coordinated services. The plan specifically targets vulnerable populations and aims to address health inequalities by supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, mental health conditions, learning disabilities, dementia, and long-term conditions. The focus on early intervention, rapid response, and community-based support is designed to reduce avoidable hospital admissions, improve independence, and ensure care is delivered in the right place at the right time. Furthermore, the plan highlights the importance of addressing barriers to access for populations facing language barriers or other disadvantages. The Homeless Health NWL Enhanced Model is a prime example of this, designed to target high-risk and underserved populations and contribute to reduced health inequalities.
While the specific impact of the Homeless Health NWL Enhanced Model on emergency department wait times and patient flow is not quantified, it is described as aiming to reduce pressure on acute services and improve system flow by providing dedicated support within emergency departments to prevent unnecessary admissions and improve access to appropriate community-based care.
The BCF fosters closer working relationships between health, social care, and the voluntary sector through a shared commitment to prevention, reducing health inequalities, and supporting residents to live independently for longer. This is achieved by bringing together multidisciplinary partners to deliver coordinated support aligned to local needs. Specific collaborative initiatives include strengthening community-based services, facilitating timely hospital discharges, and engaging voluntary sector partners in service delivery. The Homeless Health NWL Enhanced Model exemplifies this collaboration by providing dedicated support within emergency departments and improving access to community-based care for high-risk and underserved populations. The BCF also supports the transition towards integrated neighbourhood working, ensuring services are coordinated around local communities.
Robust governance arrangements are in place to manage the expenditure, including oversight from the Health and Wellbeing Board, joint management by senior LA and ICB leaders, and operational reviews by a BCF management group. Performance is monitored through established frameworks, ensuring that BCF funding delivers measurable impact against key metrics and local priorities. The decisions made by the Cabinet can be found in the Decisions Monday 27-Jul-2026 10.00 Cabinet.pdf. Further details can be found in the Public reports pack Monday 27-Jul-2026 10.00 Cabinet.pdf and the Agenda frontsheet Monday 27-Jul-2026 10.00 Cabinet.pdf.
