Agenda item

Purpose: This report is to set out the proposed future high-level structure of the Public Health (PH) team in West Berkshire, following a recent review by the Local Government Association.  It does not seek to finalise the team-level structure, which will be articulated once the high-level position has been agreed and progressed.

(Councillor Somner declared a personal interest in Agenda item 17 by virtue of the fact that he worked for the NHS.  As his interest was personal and not prejudicial he was permitted to take part in the debate and vote on the matter).

(Councillor Stewart declared a personal interest in Agenda item 17 by virtue of the fact that her husband worked for the NHS.  As her interest was personal and not prejudicial she was permitted to take part in the debate and vote on the matter).

The Council considered a report (Agenda Item 17) concerning the Delivery of Public Health functions in West Berkshire.

MOTION: Proposed by Councillor Janine Lewis and seconded by Councillor Martha Vickers:

That Council:

·         Recommended that the high-level structure set out at Appendix A is implemented at the earliest available opportunity.

·          Under this recommendation:

a) Council is asked to approve the recruitment of a Director of Public Health (DPH).

b) The DPH post will be hosted by Reading Borough Council and jointly funded by West Berkshire Council.

c) The DPH will oversee the delivery of public health functions in both Reading and West Berkshire.

d) The DPH will be a member of the Corporate Leadership Team in both local authorities.

e) Two PH teams will be formed – one in Reading Borough Council (RBC) and one in West Berkshire Council (WBC). There will be no shared Team.  Selected posts will transfer to respective local authorities; these posts will be identified once the key principles have been agreed.

f) Those teams will have formal line management under the shared DPH.

g) A ‘dotted line’ will run between key posts, indicating regular discussion to agree actions through consensus and negotiation.

h) The RBC and WBC PH teams will formalise arrangements to share best practice, work collaboratively on shared agendas, share information and intelligence, etc. This will be captured in a Service Level Agreement. Those teams will also explore similar opportunities for shared work across Berkshire and potentially with other authorities. In West Berkshire, this will also include the establishment of a Public Health Board.

i) Further work will be required to agree the structure at team level.

j) Further work will be required to carry forward the wider recommendations in the LGA Report.

k) Targeted consultation with directly affected staff and Trades Unions will be undertaken if required”.

Councillor Janine Lewis explained to the Council that following the LGA peer review, it was determined that Public Health required its own DPH, and it was a statutory requirement to do so. The position was to be shared with Reading Borough Council and both authorities would have Public Health teams that would report directly to the DPH, who would report to both Chief Executives. Councillor Lewis added that the recommendation was based on the belief that the approach would support the correct focus on local challenges and resources appropriate to each area, champion Public Health within each Local Authority, ensure compliance with the relevant legal framework, support leadership based on Public Health principles and that failure to recruit a DPH would lead to legal breaches and negative impacts to the health of the population.

Councillor Ross Mackinnon expressed that he was happy with the principles of the report but was concerned about the lack of reporting line for the DPH to the Chief Executive of West Berkshire Council.

Councillor Dominic Boeck questioned how proper scrutiny was to be conducted on the transition from the current system.

Councillor Lewis answered that the report would go through Scrutiny. The DPH would be reported to by both teams from each Local Authority and the DPH would report to both Chief Executives.

Paul Coe explained that in the chart within the report, the dotted line represented the ‘pay and rations’ piece and the straight line represented the ‘reporting in principle’, and assured Councillors the DPH would be reporting to the Chief Executive.

Councillor Boeck asked how the Council would monitor the transition and Mr Coe added that once the position was agreed, a memorandum would be put in place to develop an understanding between the two Councils. Mr Coe stressed that the Public Health Board would become an important vehicle to bring further transparency on how the Public Health Grant would be used.

Councillor Boeck stated that the report was lacking in detail and if it had more detail it would allow for more confidence in the report.

The Chairman explained that the detail of the report was limited because much of the details were to be discussed with Reading Borough Council once the position was agreed.

Councillor Martha Vickers welcomed Councillors Boeck and Mackinnon’s comments, as it was important to scrutinise Public Health to make sure it would be delivered properly. The Councillor noted that Public Health impacted all residents’ lives and that it was good to have the opportunity to raise the profile of the matter. Councillor Martha Vickers had worked in the NHS and so had experience of both areas. The differing needs of both areas was something that needed to be scrutinised to make sure that it worked for the residents of West Berkshire.

The Motion was put to the meeting and duly RESOLVED.