250925 - IJB Minute
North Ayrshire Council · 13 November 2025
Back to Integration Joint Board — 13 November 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership Minute of Integration Joint Board meeting held on Thursday 25 September 2025 at 10.00 a.m. involving participation by remote electronic means and physical attendance within the Council Chambers, Irvine. Present (Physical Participation) Voting Members Councillor Chloe Robertson, North Ayrshire Council (Vice-Chair) Councillor Tom Marshall, North Ayrshire Council Tom Hopkins, NHS Ayrshire and Arran Professional Advisers Caroline Cameron, Director of Health and Social Care Partnership Thelma Bowers, Head of Service (Mental Health) (NAHSCP) Eleanor Currie, Interim Section 95 Officer Darren Fullarton, Associate Nurse Director/ Lead Nurse Sharon Hackney, Lead Allied Health Professional Lisa Davidson, Public Health Representative Scott Hunter, Chief Social Work Officer Stakeholder Representative Lorna Sim, Staff Representative NHS Ayrshire and Arran Lynda MacFarlane, Staff Representative Present (Remote Participation) Voting Members Joyce White, NHS Ayrshire and Arran (Chair) Professional Advisers Iain Jamieson, Clinical Director Stakeholder Representative Paul Smith, Carer Representative Vicky Yuill, Third Sector Representative In Attendance (Physical Participation) Elizabeth Stewart, Head of Service (Children, Families & Criminal Justice) Kerry Logan, Head of Service (Health and Community Care) Michelle Sutherland, Partnership Facilitator (Health & Community Care) Debbie McGill, Head of Primary and Urgent Care Services Peter McArthur, Senior Manager, Alcohol & Drug Services Michael McLennan, Lead Officer (Alcohol & Drugs Partnership) Fiona Mitchell-Knight, Audit Scotland
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David Jamieson, Audit Scotland Angus Brown, Audit Scotland Karen Andrews, Team Manager (Governance) Annie Johnston, Principal Manager (Business Support) Ruth Wilson, Team Leader (Litigation) Craig Stewart, Committee Services Officer Mark Sugden, Communications Officer Apologies Councillor Anthea Dickson, North Ayrshire Council Councillor Nairn Angus-McDonald, North Ayrshire Council Linda Semple, NHS Ayrshire and Arran Marc Mazzucco, NHS Ayrshire and Arran Aileen Craig, IJB Monitoring Officer 1. Chair’s Remarks Prior to commencing with the business of the meeting, Councillor Robertson (Vice- Chair) advised that in agreement with the Chair, Joyce White, she would chair this meeting of the Partnership as the Chair was not available to attend the meeting in person due to personal reasons. 2. Apologies for Absence Apologies for Absence were noted. 3. Declarations of Interest In terms of Standing Order 7.2 and Section 5.14 of the Code of Conduct for Members of Devolved Public Bodies. Joyce White declared a voluntary role, as a Board Member on a sub-group, of Phoenix Futures. 4. Minutes The accuracy of the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 August 2025 were confirmed and the Minutes signed in accordance with Paragraph 7(10 of Schedule 7 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. 5. Director’s Report Submitted report by Caroline Cameron, Director (NAHSCP) on the developments within the North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. Noted. 6. Primary Care Update Submitted a report by Debbie McGill, Head of Primary and Urgent Care Services, on the provision of Primary Care Services across Ayrshire and Arran.
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Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. Noted. 7. Primary Urgent Care Update Submitted a report by Debbie McGill, Head of Primary and Urgent Care Services, on provision of primary urgent care services delivered through the Ayrshire Urgent Care Service (AUCS). The report provided an update on the innovative pathways developed and tested throughout 2024. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. Noted. 8. North Ayrshire HSCP & ADP Annual Performance Management Report – 2024/25 Alcohol and Drugs Submitted a report by Peter McArthur, Alcohol and Drug Services on the annual performance information in relation to the partnership’s Alcohol and Drug services. The Annual performance report was set out at Appendix 1 to the report. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. Noted. 9. North Ayrshire HSCP & ADP Medication Assisted Treatment - Annual Report Submitted a report by Peter McArthur, Alcohol and Drug Services on the North Ayrshire HSCP & ADP Medication Assisted Treatment - Annual Report, set out at Appendix 1 to the report. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. Noted. 10. 2024/2025 Audited Annual Accounts Submitted a report by Eleanor Currie, Chief Finance Officer, on the audited annual accounts for 2024-25 and the report from External Audit. The Audited Annual Account 2024-25 were set out at Appendix 1 and the letter of representation set out at Appendix 2 to the report. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. The Board agreed to (a) note that Audit Scotland had completed their audit of the annual accounts for 2024-25 and issued an unqualified independent report auditor’s report; and (b) approve the Audited Annual Accounts to be signed for issue. 11. External Audit Report 2024/2025 Submitted report by Audit Scotland on the External Audit Final Report of the audit Financial Statements.
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Fiona Mitchell-Knight of Audit Scotland provided a verbal report on the appendices to the report, including highlighting key aspects in relation to the findings of their audit, and also responded to members’ questions in relation to their report. The key messages of the report were • in 2024/25 a budget overspend of £3.593 million was reported, covered by additional funding contributions from partners; • The IJB used £4.730 million of reserves in the year. At 31 March 2025 the IJB has £3.161 million of earmarked reserves and no uncommitted reserves. The IJB Reserves Strategy recommends that the IJB will aspire to hold between 2 and 4% of its annual budgeted expenditure as an uncommitted reserve. The lack of any uncommitted reserves therefore represents a significant financial risk to both the IJB and its partners; • The 2025/26 budget included proposed savings of £4.019 million. The latest six-month progress update on the IJB’s transformation plan reports a £2.93 million savings and overspend reduction target for 2025/26; and • The Medium-Term Financial Outlook has identified required savings of between £8.1 million and £21.4 million in 2026/27 (best case to worst case scenarios). The IJB’s cost base is not sustainable; current funding levels and savings from transformation will not cover the estimated costs. The IJB needs to support more radical reform and cost reductions if it is to demonstrate financial sustainability. The Chair thanked Audit Scotland for their work in auditing the IJB. Noted. 12. 2025-26 – Month 4 Financial Performance Submitted report by Eleanor Currie, Interim Chief Financial Officer (HSCP) on the Integration Joint Board’s financial performance as at Month 4 (July). Appendix A to the report detailed the financial overview of the Partnership position, while Appendix B provided an overview of those service changed which did not have financial savings attached and the BRAG status around the deliverability of each saving. Appendix C highlighted the movement in the budget position following the initial approved budget, with further detail on the reserves set out at Appendix D. The proposed recovery action was outlined in Appendix E, while Appendix F highlighted information on the costs of bank and agency staff. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. The Board agreed to (a) note the overall integrated financial performance report for the financial year 2025-26 and the current overall projected yearend overspend of £5.259m reducing to £1.733m after planned recovery actions; (b) note the progress with delivery of agreed savings; (c) approve the actions which are being taken to progress financial recovery and that an updated recovery plan will be presented to the next IJB; (d) note the projected overspend position of £0.134m for services managed under Lead Partnership arrangements by South Ayrshire HSCP and request that a financial recovery plan is proposed to bring the budget back online for 2025/26; (e) note that services managed in East Ayrshire under Lead Partnership arrangements are projected to overspend by £0.430m and that a financial recovery plan will be
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presented to the IJB on 29 October 2025 for formal approval; and (f) note the remaining financial risks for 2025-26. 13. IJB – Reserves Policy Submitted report by Eleanor Currie, Interim Chief Financial Officer (HSCP) on the Reserves Policy following review, with the Policy set out at Appendix 1 to the report. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. The Board agreed to approve the Reserves Policy set out at Appendix 1 to the report. 14. Financial Inclusion Strategy 2025-30 Submitted report by Annie Johnson, Principal Manager, on the Financial Inclusion Strategy 2023-28 and the updated Strategy for 2025-30, set out at Appendix 1 to the report. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. The Board agreed to approve the Financial Inclusion Strategy for 2025-30 set out at Appendix 1 to the report. 15. Chief Social Work Officer Annual Report 24/25 Submitted report by Scott Hunter, Chief Social Work Officer (NAHSCP) on the annual Chief Social Work Officer report required by the Scottish Government, set out at Appendix 1 to the report. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. Noted. The meeting ended at 12.40 p.m. The full meeting proceedings can be viewed at https://north-ayrshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home