Social Care: Integrated Care Systems

Lord Touhig Excerpts

Wednesday 11th January 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Markham (Con)]

It is, as the noble Lord says, a statutory requirement that the local authorities are represented on the ICBs. In the last few months, I and other Ministers have met and had discussions with all the ICBs. Every ICB is asked to put up a few people. I have had the local authority representative there as one of only three or four people in the meeting—that is key to all of this. They have been critical participants. They are very involved, and it is vital that they remain so.

[Lord Touhig (Lab)]

My Lords, the Government are to be congratulated on amending the Health and Care Act to ensure that responsibility for integrated care systems addresses the needs of children and young people under the age of 25. However, children with special educational needs or disabilities have lifelong problems. How will providers ensure that there will be integrated health and social care for disabled children and their families?

[Lord Markham (Con)]

This is the whole point and the way that we are moving; the real decision-makers running their local areas should be the ICBs. They know their areas and the needs of the people—including people with special needs and learning disabilities—more than anyone. It is absolutely their responsibility to understand the needs in their areas and to ensure that they are provided for under the commissions.