Highland Council endorses Planning for Integration

Members of The Highland Council have given their unanimous support to the planning for integration of services for adults and children in the Highlands.

The development of a Commission and proposed governance and management arrangements which are central to the transfer of functions and services to a Lead Agency model from April 2012 was approved by Council members.

Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Michael Foxley said: “What we will be putting in place will be a powerful, strategic committee to ensure democratic accountability and efficient service delivery. This new committee will have direct links to 9 Local Partnerships which will identify and address key local issues and consider the development of new initiatives.

“Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has been very supportive about the direction of travel that we are taking for the integration of health and social care in the Highlands and the Scottish Government recognises and supports the quality of work being undertaken here for integration. We need to continue to work together with the Scottish Government.”

Chief Executive of The Highland Council, Alistair Dodds explained the format of the developing Commission which will be presented to the Council in February/March 2012. He also outlined the proposed governance arrangements for Council responsibilities and proposed management arrangements for education and children’s services.

Mr Dodds said: “Planning for Integration is a significant change on a similar scale to local government reorganisation and there will be continuous change and improvements over the coming years to the way that we deliver services for adults and children in the Highlands.

“We hope to see improvements in performance and we need to take our staff and the community with us during these changes. This process of change should improve people’s lives throughout the Highlands  – adults and children - and there is still a lot of work to be done which we must get right.”

Two Local Partnerships (one urban and one rural) will be trialled prior to the 1st April in locations yet to be determined.