Summary of Integration Joint Board meeting: Sept 2025
Falkirk’s Integration Joint Board, responsible for the strategic planning and operational oversight of local health and social care services, met on 05 September 2025. Here’s a summary of what member’s discussed:
Chief Officer Statement
The Board considered a deputation and motion on the changes underway to the delivery of care at Tygetshaugh Housing with Care service. Providing an outline of this work, Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership’s Chief Officer, Gail Woodcock made a statement to Board.
| Agenda item 5: Deputation: Tygetshaugh Housing with Care |
| Agenda item 14: Motion on Housing with Care |
| Chief Officer Statement to Integration Joint Board |
Chief Officer Report
Presented at each board meeting, the Chief Officer report provides an overview of local, regional, and national updates across health and social care. This report presented a range of updates, including:
- IJB Carer Representative, Elaine Beveridge, has stood down from her position. The Board thanked Elaine for her support since January 2025 and has approved Sharon Mwale, currently substitute carer representative as the new carer representative.
- The team at Dollar Park Dementia Service have received positive inspection results following an unannounced visit from the Care Inspectorate on 5 August. The service was evaluated as very good (grade 5) across all areas inspected. The inspection found significant strengths in care provision and highlighted the proactive efforts of staff to provide flexible, personal care which result in improved outcomes.
- Falkirk has been highlighted as an area of good practice within the Coalition of Carer’s in Scotland’s recent Equal, Valued, and Sustained Report. The publication recognised the strengths of Falkirk’s Carer Representative Programme, which aims to strengthen carer involvement in service planning and decision making. Through tailored training and support, a pool of nine Carer Representatives are actively contributing to strategic discussions in meetings, enabling a broader range of carer voices to be heard.
Financial Updates
The Budget Monitoring Report provides a high-level summary of the current financial position. The forecast position is a projected overspend of £4.838m on the integrated budgets and an overspend of £6.614m in relation to the set aside budgets for large hospital services delegated to the IJB. The overall projected overspend will be manageable if required, with use of contingency reserves and contributions from partners, which have already been recognised as a risk for each partner as part of the budget setting process.
The Budget Strategy set out a proposed approach to the 2026/27 Budget. This process will be the first to include financial planning for Children and Families, Justice Social Work and Prison Healthcare Services, following their integration into the Partnership. An indicative timeline outlining the budget process is provided at paragraph 4.26 in the report.
Review of the Strategic Plan
The Board approved work to produce a new Strategic Plan, ahead of its renewal date in Summer 2026. The Partnership will now progress the development of a new plan, which will include an engagement and consultation process with partners and public audiences.
Forth Valley Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategic Plan
The Board approved the 2025-35 Forth Valley Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategic Plan. The strategy outlines three priorities areas as:
- Prevent: Focusing on tackling the root causes of poor mental health and wellbeing and health inequalities so everyone in the community can enjoy better mental health and wellbeing.
- Promote: To promote positive mental health & wellbeing support, free from stigma or discrimination
- Provide: Ensure people can confidently access mental health & wellbeing supports and services whenever they need them, for as long as necessary
An implementation plan is included with key actions to take forward the Strategy. Actions are set out across short term (1-2 years), medium term (3-5 years) and long term (6-10 year) goals. The implementation of the ten year strategy will be monitored by Integration Joint Boards, NHS Forth Valley Board, local councils, and Community Planning Partnerships. A Forth Valley Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Board and its strategic planning group will drive forward the implementation of this strategy.
Integration Joint Board Workplan
The Board has agreed a planned programme of work until June 2026. The workplan outlines the various reports and topics due to be presented at the Board’s next 5 meetings. Additional items will be brought to Board as required.
Assurance and Governance
In addition to topical and thematic reports, the Board received operational and monitoring updates including:
| Agenda item 12: Assurance Report from Performance, Audit, and Assurance Committee |
| Agenda Item 13: Communications and Engagement Update |
Further information
All Integration Joint Board meetings are livestreamed on Falkirk Council’s Committee Meetings YouTube channel. A recording is available to watch shortly after. A copy of all Board reports can be found on the Falkirk Council committee webpages.
The next meeting of the Integration Joint Board will be 31 October 2025. The Performance, Audit, and Assurance Committee will next meet on 26 September 2025.