Appendix 1 - BCF Narrative Plan Template

Sep 12, 2026

BCF narrative plan template for local areas to submit Better Care Fund (BCF) narrative plans, aligning them with agreed BCF spending plans and national metrics ambitions. Designed to ensure narrative plans cover all headings and topics, supporting consistent governance and stakeholder involvement. Includes guidance for cover, executive summary, national condition sections, integration of health, social care, and housing services, joint priorities for 2023-25, and examples of key achievements and approaches.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time9 min

AccessFree to download

Cover

Health and Wellbeing Board(s)

Bodies involved strategically and operationally

How have you gone about involving these stakeholders?

Governance

Executive summary

Priorities for 2023-25

Key changes since previous BCF plan

National Condition 1: Overall BCF plan and approach to integration

Joint priorities for 2023-25

Approaches to joint/collaborative commissioning

Integrated frailty unit and urgent community response achievements

National Condition 2

Enabling people to stay well, safe and independent at home for longer

BCF narrative plan template This is a template for local areas to use to submit narrative plans for the Better Care Fund (BCF) . All local areas are expected to submit narrative BCF plans. Although the template is optional, we ask that BCF planning leads ensure that narrative plans cover all headings and topics from this narrative template. These plans should complement the agreed spending plans and ambitions for BCF national metrics in your area’s BCF Planning Template (excel) . There are no word limits for narrative plans, but you should expect your local narrative plans to be no longer than 25 pages in length. Although each Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) will need to agree a separate excel planning template, a narrative plan covering more than one HWB can be submitted, where this reflects local arrangements for integrated working. Each HWB covered by the plan will need to agree the narrative as well as their excel planning template. Cover Health and Wellbeing Board(s) . Sefton Health and Wellbeing Board Bodies involved strategically and operationally in preparing the plan (including NHS Trusts, social care provider representatives, VCS organisations, housing organisations, district councils) . Strategic Housing Forum, Sefton CVS, NHS Acute providers and Community Providers, Health Watch, Sefton Council, ICB – Sefton Place. How have you gone about involving these stakeholders? Utilisation of the Sefton Partnership infrastructure , we have shared with the Partnership board for comment , and we have actively engaged with key stakeholders from this group through our BCF working group. Governance Please briefly outline the governance for the BCF plan and its implementation in your area. Executive summary This should include: • Priorities for 2023-25 • Key changes since previous BCF plan. The plan reflects our key priorities to support maximising independence at home wherever possible. It reflects a clear commitment to Intermediate care growth and working with the domiciliary care market differently to deliver. It also represents our ambition to grow alternatives such as adaptations, creative uses of the DFG programme and growth of the use of telecare and community equipment. We continue to see elements of key children’s service delivery which has helped us drive integrated improvements in this area. A big development is the investment in 2-hour response, third sector support to discharge and widening of the discharge hub model. All these elements contribute to early intervention and prevention, and we believe the overall reduction in unplanned care and getting people home quicker when they do need hospital support. National Condition 1: Overall BCF plan and approach to integration Please outline your approach to embedding integrated, person centred health, social care and housing services including: • Joint priorities for 2023-25 • Approaches to joint/collaborative commissioning • How BCF funded services are supporting your approach to continued integration of health and social care. Briefly describe any changes to the services you are commissioning through the BCF from 2023-25 and how they will support further improvement of outcomes for people with care and support needs. Our Partnership plan supports delivery of the borough’s health and wellbeing strategy, Living Well in Sefton. We share a single vision, namely that Sefton will be: “A confident and connected borough that offers the things we all need to start, live and age well, where everyone has a fair chance of a positive and healthier future”. Our plan sets out our objectives across the life-course, starting from pregnancy and continuing right through to supporting those who are nearing the end of their life. This underpins our shared commitment to adopting a “whole population, whole partnership”approach to delivery. In order to realise both our vision and shared commitment, we have identified three cross-cutting theme

FAQs

What is the purpose of the BCF narrative plan template?

It provides a structured template for local areas to submit narrative plans for the Better Care Fund (BCF), ensuring required headings and topics are covered.

What should the executive summary include?

It should include priorities for 2023-25 and key changes since the previous BCF plan.

What does National Condition 1 ask local areas to describe?

It requests the approach to embedding integrated, person-centred health, social care, and housing services, including joint priorities for 2023-25 and commissioning approaches, plus changes to BCF-funded services from 2023-25.

Sep 12, 2026

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