Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Wyatt declared his personal interest in item 16 (Response to Winterbourne View), because a family relative is involved in the ‘Speak-up’ organisation which is mentioned in the submitted report

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10^th June, 2013, be approved as a correct record.

-        minutes of meeting held on 12^th June, 2013

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board held on 12^th June 2013.

Resolved:- That the contents of the minutes be noted.

-        Jim Shaw, Living Streets Project, to report

Members welcomed Jim Shaw (Living Streets) who was attending the meeting to explain the progress of the Living Streets Project. Mr. Shaw’s presentation included the following salient issues:-

: Living Streets is a national charity for pedestrians, established in 2000 as the successor to the Pedestrians Association which had formed in 1929;

: Living Streets is responsible for the annual ‘walk to school’ week for school pupils;

: a grant of £278,000 from the Big Lottery (Wellbeing Fund) has been obtained to implement the Living Streets project for Older Persons;

: the Older Persons project will last from April 2013 to March 2015 and includes capital funding for improvements to the public realm; most of the project will happen in Doncaster and Rotherham, although certain aspects will be County-wide;

: the principal benefits of the project are : (i) to identify barriers to walking within communities;  (ii) to assist in preventing the social isolation of elderly people; and (iii) measures to reduce the incidence of falls by elderly people.

: progress reports about the project will be submitted periodically to both the Rotherham and Doncaster local authorities;

: since the beginning of the Older Persons project, discussions have begun with officials representing Transport, Health and Adult Social Care in order to maximise the benefits of the project.

Members thanked Jim Shaw for his informative presentation.

-        Joanne Jones, Grow Project, to report

Discussion took place on the function and role of the Rotherham Maternity Services Liaison Committee. Mrs. S. Barrett and Mrs J. Jones attended the meeting, representing the organisation G.R.O.W. (Giving Real Opportunities to Women).

The Central Government’s strategy in 2005 and 2006 included the requirement to establish local service liaison committees. Stakeholders were required to design services to meet the needs of women in the local area.

Members noted that there is an important dialogue between service providers and service users, in order to improve the quality of service provided. The objective was that maternity services in Rotherham should achieve the highest standard.

It was also noted that a pilot project is currently taking place of the way in which women are able to access community midwifery services.

Members were informed that, in terms of community care, there is a well-established and valuable support network for bereaved women who have lost babies soon after birth.

Discussion also took place on the way in which larger numbers of new mothers are being encouraged to breast-feed their babies. In addition, clear guidance was being made available in respect of:-

- the preparation of formula milk-feed for babies;  and

- helping pregnant women to stop smoking.

Resolved:- (1) That the information be noted.

(2) That the Health and Wellbeing Strategy be submitted to a future meeting of the Maternity Services Liaison Committee, for consideration.

(3) That the Maternity Services Liaison Committee be asked to consider issues they may wish to include in the review of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting of the Environment and Climate Change Strategy Group held on 14^th May 2013. At that meeting, there had been consideration of the report entitled ‘Rotherham’s Adaptation to Climate Change – a gap analysis’ prepared by a Masters degree student of Sheffield Hallam University.

Resolved:- That the contents of the minutes be noted.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Director of Health and Wellbeing stating that, in December 2012, the Department of Health had published the report entitled ‘Transforming Care: A national response to Winterbourne View Hospital - Department of Health Review: Final Report’. This review had taken place as a consequence of the exposure of the abuse that occurred at the Winterbourne View Hospital, South Gloucestershire, in May 2011 and explained the lessons to be learned and actions that should be taken to prevent such abuse from re-occurring.

The Department of Health report contains clear, timetabled actions for Health and Local Authority Commissioners working together to transform care and support for people with learning disabilities or autism who also have mental health conditions or behaviours viewed as challenging.

Discussion took place on the contents of the document which had been prepared after the ‘stock-taking’ assessment of these services locally, as required by the Department of Health review. The Winterbourne View Joint Improvement Programme is asking local areas to complete a stock-take of progress against the commitments made nationally that should lead to all individuals receiving personalised care and support in appropriate community settings no later than 1st June, 2014. The assessment document had been submitted to the Department of Health within the prescribed timescale. Members noted that the Care Quality Commission had inspected quality of care provision at the Rotherham Assessment and Treatment Unit during November, 2011.

It was noted that this matter would also be considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board at its meeting to be held on 10^th July, 2013.

Resolved:- That the report be received and its contents noted.

(Councillor Wyatt declared his personal interest in the above item, because a family relative is involved in the ‘Speak-up’ organisation which is mentioned in the submitted report).

-        Stakeholder Conference

Tuesday, 30^th July, 2013

Yorkshire Event Centre, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate

-        Health and Wellbeing: Making Equality a Reality

Annual Policy Conference

12th September, 2013

Wakefield Town Hall

Consideration was given to attendance at the following conferences:-

(a) Stakeholder Conference - Tuesday, 30^th July, 2013 - Yorkshire Event Centre, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate;  and

(b) Health and Wellbeing: Making Equality a Reality - Annual Policy Conference – Thursday, 12th September, 2013 - Wakefield Town Hall.

Resolved:- That the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing (or substitute) be authorised to attend.