Agenda item

Purpose: To consult the Board on the revised Strategy.

Lesley Wyman drew Members attention to her report on the Health and Wellbeing Strategy (HWBS). A lot of changes had been made since the Board meeting in September to incorporate the health and social care agenda. Priorities were based on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and there had not been any major changes over the past two years. The aim had been to narrow down the number of priorities compared to the original strategy.

Lesley Wyman reported that another area for the Board to discuss was how the HWBS sat with the Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS). The previous HWBS had touched on the wider determinants of health however, these had largely been covered in the SCS. Lesley Wyman asked if the Board were of the view that the wider determinants of health should be included within the HWBS or if they should be addressed in a separate strategy. She had included them within the priorities for the time being however, the Board needed to decide where they should be included. It was reported that this item largely linked to item 12 regarding the merger of the Local Strategic Partnership and Health and Wellbeing Board.

The rest of the Strategy was relatively self explanatory. It gave a picture of health and wellbeing in West Berkshire, the challenges faced and what the priorities were for the district. A section on the integration agenda was currently awaited. Tandra Forster confirmed that this section would be produced based on the Better Care Fund.

Lesley Wyman stated that the next step was to take the HWBS out to consultation. A consultation plan could be seen in appendix one.

Racheal Wardell stated that she had attended a meeting where there had been a really good discussion on integration on a West of Berkshire basis. There had been representatives from Wokingham and Reading local authorities as well as the CCGs, Hospital Trusts and Ambulance Trusts. There had been a shared ambition in the room for joint social care commissioning however, there had also been acknowledgement that they were still in the early days of the integration agenda. Rachael Wardell was in full support of plans for integration being included within the HWBS. She was also in support of slimming down the number of boards and strategies.

Rachael Wardell felt that information on carers should not just sit under the older people section within the strategy, as those requiring carers also included adults with learning disabilities, children and children who were carers themselves.

Dr Lise Llewellyn felt that the wider determinants of health needed to be included within the HWBS as they were crucial to the health and wellbeing of the population. Dr Llewellyn suggested that the priority on blood pressure be broadened out to cardiovascular disease.

Councillor Gwen Mason was concerned that Children’s issues were not being adequately reported on within the HWBS in its current draft. She could not identify where ordinary children’s views were being listened to.  There used to be a Children and Young People’s Partnership however, this had been disbanded.

Rachael Wardell reported that she was not concerned to the same extent as Councillor Mason as focus was being given to tackling inequalities and supporting vulnerable children and young people. Capacity within the system was limited which was why focus was being given to these areas. The Children and Young People’s Partnership had become unsustainable as there had been little scope to act on matters it was discussing due to resourcing pressures. Rachael Wardell stated that she would be happy to revisit the possibility of the children’s group once resources allowed.

Councillor Marcus Franks stated that although wider children’s issues were not covered by priorities within the HWBS, they were covered by individual services plans. Adrian Barker confirmed that Healtwatch were also listening to the views of children and young people in schools.

Adrian Barker reported that there were a number of areas where he would like to see more emphasis within the strategy. He wanted to see the public treated as equal partners; more detail on how the priorities and objectives would be delivered and how the different sectors would need to work together to do so, for example around obesity. Adrian Barker felt that the draft HWBS was largely focused on public health at the moment and if it was to drive partner commissioning plans this needed to be broadened out. Finally Adrian Barker felt that the wider determinants of health were extremely important and needed to be included. Although issues such as the environment should not be priorities within the strategy, there should be reference to how important these issues were to health and wellbeing. Adrian Barker felt that to ensure there was buy in into the priorities, task and finish groups should be formed to look at detailed aspects of the strategy.

Leila Ferguson highlighted that there was still a Children and Young People’s Forum, which was led on by Rosemary Lily from the voluntary sector.

Dr Barbara Barrie felt that the HWBS needed to embrace the Board’s commitment to patient choice at the end of life. Councillor Gordon Lundie supported this point.

Councillor Franks stated that going forward if agreed, the new Community Sub-Partnership would carry out a lot of the work around the wider determinants of health. Housing also needed broadening out to include the amount of housing and the sustainability of housing.

Lesley Wyman asked if the Board would like the wider determinants of health included within the main body of the HWBS or as a separate section. Dr Llwelleyn felt that they should be included within the overall HWBS to ensure they were not overlooked.

Dr Bal Bahia felt that the HWBS needed to reflect the current health and social care economy, if the Board were expecting partners to use the HWBS as a basis for their commissioning plans.

RESOLVED that Lesley Wyman would speak to Dr Bahia outside of the meeting.

Cllr Marcus Franks suggested that once the HWBS was agreed, the Board could choose three priorities that it would focus on over the following year. The aim of this was to ensure the Board took ownership and drove its own Strategy.

RESOLED that Councillor Franks’ suggestion for the Board to focus on a select number of priorities, be explored once the HWBS was agreed and placed on the forward plan.

Heather Hunter from Healtwatch was leading on the delivery plan for the HWBS and therefore Councillor Franks invited her to make any comments.

Heather Hunter reported that they had produced a timeline for consultation on the HWBS and were currently on track. However, she suggested that the four proposed public engagement meetings be replaced with a simple online presentation. This would also be supported by a paper version. It was felt that four public engagement meetings would be very restrictive and the online presentation would increase engagement with a wider audience and ensure people were not excluded.

Heather Hunter reported that the presentation would be taken out to the Healtwatch outreach stations. There were 27 outreach stations in 21 areas.

Rachael Wardell reported that she was in support of broadening consultation methods. She felt that rather having the online presentation instead on the public engagement meetings, it should be carried out in addition to it.

Heather Hunter stressed that the consultation was very time limited with little opportunity for advertisement and therefore they risked being criticised if they held the public engagement meetings.

Tandra Forster stated that she also supported the online presentation being carried out in addition to the public meetings.

Lesley Wyman confirmed that the final version of the HWBS was due to come to the next Board meeting on the 27^th November. Dr Llewellyn concurred with earlier comments of having both the online presentation and the public engagement meetings however, questioned what timescale was realistic for doing this. Heather Hunter felt that they would need a further two to three weeks.

Rachael Wardell noted that the HWBS was for delivery in the next municipal year and therefore suggested the final version go to the board meeting in January 2015 rather than November.

RESOLVED that the final version of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy would be brought to the Board meeting in January 2015 for sign off rather than November, to allow for a more thorough consultation phase. A new consultation timetable to be drawn up to reflect this.