Health and social care - annual performance reports: statutory guidance

About this guidance

The integration of health and social care has been a major programme of reform. Integration is about ensuring that those who use services get the right care and support whatever their needs, at any point in their care journey. With a greater emphasis on community-based and more joined-up, anticipatory and preventative care, integration aims to improve care and support for those who use health and social care services.

The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 ("the 2014 Act") established the legislative framework for the integration of health and social care services in Scotland under either an integration joint board or lead agency model. To ensure that performance is open and accountable, section 42 of the 2014 Act obliges integration authorities to prepare and publish an annual performance report setting out an assessment of performance in planning and carrying out the integration functions for which they are responsible. Annual performance reports are produced for the benefit of integration authorities and their communities.

The required content of the performance reports is set out in The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Content of Performance Reports) (Scotland) Regulations 2014. This guidance should be read in conjunction with these regulations, and lays out the minimum expectations on the content of these reports, with particular reference to the reporting of the core integration indicators to support assessment of performance in relation to the national health and wellbeing outcomes.

This is the second edition of this guidance. In late 2022, a working group was convened to refresh the guidance that was initially published in 2016. The intention in revising the guidance was to bring it up-to-date, draw upon wider good practice, and further support integration authorities to meet their statutory requirements. This version of the guidance also seeks to establish a solid foundation on which to take forward future developments in relation to reporting on the performance of integrated community health and social care.

Who this guidance is for

This guidance is primarily intended for those within integration authorities who will be responsible for the production of performance reports. It will also be of interest to:

• integration joint board chief officers
• chief social work officers
• planning and performance leads
• commissioning leads
• locality managers/leads
• finance officers (Section 95 Officers)
• participation and engagement officers
• strategic planning group members
• members of integration joint boards

It may also be of interest to a wider range of staff working in health and social care, members of the public and other interested parties.

By virtue of section 53 of the 2014 Act, an integration authority is required to have regard to this guidance when preparing a performance report.

Guidance structure

The guidance outlines relevant requirements in the 2014 Act and related regulations. Supplementary information, intended to support integration authorities effectively perform requirements under the 2014 Act and draw links to wider supporting resources, is detailed throughout the guidance. This information is presented in boxes, embedded within related sections of the guidance.

Other relevant guidance

This guidance should be read alongside our range of guidance and advice notes supporting the 2014 Act, particularly the guidance centred on:

• the national health and wellbeing outcomes
• integration planning and delivery principles
• the core suite of integration indicators
• clinical and care governance framework
• strategic plans
• finance
• localities