Issue - meetings

(Public Health to report)

A Strategy to improve people’s health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities.  It will be used to guide all health-related commissioning plans and spending decisions

Alison Iliff, Public Health Specialist, presented the draft revised Health and Wellbeing Strategy which would run from 2015-2018 and had been informed by stakeholder and public consultation events.

It had 5 key aims each underpinned by a comprehensive action plan:-

-          All children get the best start in life

-          Children and young people achieve their potential and have a healthy adolescence and early adulthood

-          All Rotherham people enjoy the best possible mental health and wellbeing and have a good quality of life

-          Healthy life expectancy is improved for all Rotherham people and the gap in life expectancy is reducing

-          Rotherham has healthy, safe and sustainable communities and places

A number of ‘indicator bundles’ and data sources were currently being identified which would help measure progress.  A sub-group of the Health and Wellbeing Board was to be established to ensure delivery against the action plans.

The draft Strategy had been amended to incorporate comments received which included:-

·           Reference to National  Policy re. Children and Young People’s Services

·           Clear and explicit linkages between aims 2 (children and young people achieve their potential and have a healthy adolescence and early adulthood) and 3 (all  Rotherham people enjoy the best possible mental health and wellbeing and have a good quality of life)

·           Increased focus on early help, child neglect and how they related to CSE

·           Underpinning principal around community resilience and harnessing assets in the local community

Consultation on the draft Strategy would take place prior to its final approval with the final sign off week beginning 28^th September.

It was felt that the focus on mental health was critical.  The Youth Cabinet had identified it as 1 of their primary priorities going forward and its known links to CSE, suicides and bullying. 

The workshop style Board meeting on 30^th September would hopefully provide the “so what” to the Strategy before its final sign off.

Resolved:-  That any final comments on the draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy be conveyed to Alison Iliff by 4^th September.