Joint Commissioning

The Social Care and Health Directorate jointly commissions some services with South Tyneside Primary Care Trust.  Generally, these are undertaken within the arrangements of a partnership agreement under the Health Act 1999.

These partnership agreements can be for:

• Lead commissioning
• Pooled budgets
• Integrated service provision.

Lead Commissioning

This is where one of the partners (either the Local Authority or the Primary Care Trust) takes the lead on behalf of the other partner to commission / purchase a service or a range of services as set out in the agreement.

Pooled Budgets

This is where two or more partners pool money into a discrete pooled budget and where one of the partners is responsible for managing the pooled budget. The purpose and scope of the use of the money from the pooled budget will be established within the Partnership Agreement.

Integrated Service Provision

This is where the partners merge their services together to deliver a single integrated service and where one of the partners is responsible for the management and running of that service. It provides the opportunity for different professionals to work under a unified management structure.

The types of partnership agreements that are currently in place include:

• Community Equipment Store - pooled budget
• Community Learning Disability Team - pooled budget
• Community Learning Disability Team - pooled budget
• Learning Disability Development Fund - pooled budget
• Continuing healthcare and NHS funded nursing care - lead commissioning.

We are currently working on the following partnership agreements:

• Mental Health Voluntary Sector Commissioning - lead commissioning
• Delayed discharges - pooled budget.

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