Agenda item

Report from the Interim Director of Policy, Strategy and Engagement.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1. Receives the recommendations listed as approved by Health Select Commission:

Public Awareness and Information, Including Engaging Men and Young People:

a)    That the Council seeks to improve public awareness of perimenopause and menopause through:

i)      The establishment of a single, well?promoted online menopause resource on the RotherHive or another appropriate online medium, supported by printed information that can be accessed via relevant community settings accessible to the digitally excluded.

ii)     That bespoke targeted content aimed at men, young people and employers is included in that resource to ensure a holistic and borough wide approach to raising awareness.

iii)   That the Council works with education providers including schools and colleges to ensure that young people receive age appropriate advice and guidance regarding the effects of the menopause and how to seek support if they or their loved ones are affected.

Primary Care Improvement:

b)    That the Council seeks to support Primary Care Improvement in relation to perimenopause and menopause through:

i)      Encouraging the adoption of a ‘Menopause Champion’ in every GP Practice in Rotherham, and sharing information regarding GPs’ Menopause Champions once achieved.

ii)     Encouraging, via the ‘Menopause Champion’ GP network and in conjunction with the NHS Healthcare in the Community Agenda, Development of the Town Centre Health Hub and through collaborative work with TRFT (The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust), RDaSH (Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust) and South Yorkshire ICB (Integrated Care Board), the establishment of a clear and consistent menopause pathway, including consistent assessment tools and referral guidance.

iii)   Encouraging, through the ‘Menopause Champion’ GP network and collaborative work with TRFT, RDaSH and South Yorkshire ICB, the expansion of GP and practice staff training through Protected Learning Time and online modules to further support service delivery, consistency and capability to provide perimenopause and menopause care in Primary Care settings.

Mental Health Support:

c)    That the Council seeks to improve Mental Health Support during perimenopause and menopause by:

i)      Encouraging health partners, including GPs to embed menopause screening questions within Talking Therapies and other mental health pathways.

ii)     Increase the visibility of mental health support options within all menopause information, advice and guidance materials.

Community Support and Engagement:

d)    That the Council seeks to improve Community Support and Engagement during perimenopause and menopause by:

i)      Working with relevant Council Services, Health Partners and the Voluntary and Community Sector to expand menopause cafés and community information sessions across more venues.

ii)     Working with relevant Council Services, Health Partners and the Voluntary and Community Sector to further develop outreach support to minority ethnic communities, faith groups and groups with language barriers.

Workplace Health:

e)    That the Council seeks to improve Workplace Health in the context of perimenopause and menopause by:

i)      Producing and promoting a bespoke ‘Rotherham Menopause Workplace Toolkit’ setting out best practice, reasonable adjustments and support options for adoption by the Council and which can be shared with employers across the borough to support ‘menopause positivity’, creating space for open conversations and contributing to reducing the number of women affected by perimenopause and menopause who leave the workforce.

ii)     Promoting workplace ‘Menopause Champions’ in local organisations and businesses, starting with RMBC (Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council) as an exemplar employer

System Leadership:

f)      That the Council seeks to improve System Leadership in the context of perimenopause and menopause by:

i)      Utilising the connectivity of the Rotherham Women’s Health Network to support the drive for better perimenopause and menopause awareness and care across the borough.

ii)     Inviting partners who work with the Council as part of the Health and Wellbeing Board and Safer Rotherham partners, who comprise of some of the borough’s largest employers, to adopt workplace ‘Menopause Champions’ and to support a broader agenda of working towards making Rotherham a ‘Menopause Friendly Borough’.

iii)   Developing a shared multi?agency action plan with measurable outcomes in support of that aim, including considering inclusion of improvements in menopause information, advice and support in the Council’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

iv)   Working with relevant Council Services, Health Partners and the Voluntary and Community Sector to explore opportunities to secure sustainable long?term funding for menopause initiatives across Rotherham Place.

2.    Following submission to Cabinet, that those recommendations within the control and influence of external bodies, are shared with relevant health partners and commissioners for consideration and response.

3.    That Cabinet provide a response to these recommendations within 2 months in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, Appendix 2, The Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, Part 3, Section 1.

Consideration was given to the report which summarised the findings and recommendations of the Health Select Commission Spotlight Review into the Menopause. The report was endorsed by the Health Select Commission during its 14 May 2026 meeting, and subsequently by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board at its 3 June 2026 meeting.

The Health Select Commission convened a multi-agency menopause Workshop to explore the lived experience of Rotherham residents, to understand challenges within current service pathways, and identify opportunities to strengthen support across health, community and workplace settings. The session brought together GPs and Clinicians, the Council’s Public Health, Adult Commissioning and Libraries Services, Healthwatch Rotherham and Voluntary and Community Sector providers such as Rotherham United Community Trust (RUCT) with Elected Members representing the Health Select Commission. Discussions revealed some consistent themes, identified some areas of strength and others where more could be done to support Rotherham’s residents through their experience of the Menopause.

The recommendations produced during the session had direct links to the Council Plan 2025-2030 in the context of the ‘Residents Live Well’, ‘Children and Young People Achieve’ and ‘An Economy That Works For Everyone’

Strategic Outcomes, which in conjunction with participants expressed wishes and expectations, led to the ultimate determination to re-frame the Workshop as a Spotlight Review and formalise the recommendations.

Discussions had centred around the following themes:

-       Public Awareness and Information, Including Engaging Men and Young People (paragraph 2.4 of the report.)

-       Primary Care Improvement (paragraph 2.5.)

-       Mental Health Support (paragraph 2.6.)

-       Community Support, Engagement and Outreach (paragraph 2.7.)

-       Workplace Health (paragraph 2.8.)

-       System Leadership (paragraph 2.9.)

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health thanked the Health Select Commission for their work on this extremely important matter. She stated that it was a tremendous piece of work, and she would work with the relevant service to respond to the recommendations accordingly.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    Receives the recommendations listed as approved by Health Select Commission:

Public Awareness and Information, Including Engaging Men and Young People:

a) That the Council seeks to improve public awareness of perimenopause and menopause through:

I) The establishment of a single, well-promoted online menopause resource on the RotherHive or another appropriate online medium, supported by printed information that can be accessed via relevant community settings accessible to the digitally excluded.

ii) That bespoke targeted content aimed at men, young people and employers is included in that resource to ensure a holistic and borough-wide approach to raising awareness.

iii) That the Council works with education providers including schools and colleges to ensure that young people receive age appropriate advice and guidance regarding the effects of the menopause and how to seek support if they or their loved ones are affected.

Primary Care Improvement:

b) That the Council seeks to support Primary Care Improvement in relation to perimenopause and menopause through:

i) Encouraging the adoption of a ‘Menopause Champion’ in every GP Practice in Rotherham and sharing information regarding GPs’ Menopause Champions once achieved.

ii) Encouraging, via the ‘Menopause Champion’ GP network and in conjunction with the NHS Healthcare in the Community Agenda, Development of the Town Centre Health Hub and through collaborative work with TRFT (The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust), RDaSH (Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust) and South Yorkshire ICB (Integrated Care Board), the establishment of a clear and consistent menopause pathway, including consistent assessment tools and referral guidance.

iii) Encouraging, through the ‘Menopause Champion’ GP network and collaborative work with TRFT, RDaSH and South Yorkshire ICB, the expansion of GP and practice staff training through Protected Learning Time and online modules to further support service delivery, consistency and capability to provide perimenopause and menopause care in Primary Care settings.

Mental Health Support:

c) That the Council seeks to improve Mental Health Support during perimenopause and menopause by:

i) Encouraging health partners, including GPs to embed menopause screening questions within Talking Therapies and other mental health pathways.

ii) Increase the visibility of mental health support options within all menopause information, advice and guidance materials.

Community Support and Engagement:

d) That the Council seeks to improve Community Support and Engagement during perimenopause and menopause by:

i) Working with relevant Council Services, Health Partners and the Voluntary and Community Sector to expand menopause cafés and community information sessions across more venues.

ii) Working with relevant Council Services, Health Partners and the Voluntary and Community Sector to further develop outreach support to minority ethnic communities, faith groups and groups with language barriers.

Workplace Health:

e) That the Council seeks to improve Workplace Health in the context of perimenopause and menopause by:

i) Producing and promoting a bespoke ‘Rotherham Menopause Workplace Toolkit’ setting out best practice, reasonable adjustments and support options for adoption by the Council and which can be shared with employers across the borough to support ‘menopause positivity’, creating space for open conversations and contributing to reducing the number of women affected by perimenopause and menopause who leave the workforce.

ii) Promoting workplace ‘Menopause Champions’ in local organisations and businesses, starting with RMBC (Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council) as an exemplar employer.

System Leadership:

f) That the Council seeks to improve System Leadership in the context of perimenopause and menopause by:

i) Utilising the connectivity of the Rotherham Women’s Health Network to support the drive for better perimenopause and menopause awareness and care across the borough.

ii) Inviting partners who work with the Council as part of the Health and Wellbeing Board and Safer Rotherham partners, who comprise some of the borough’s largest employers, to adopt workplace ‘Menopause Champions’ and to support a broader agenda of working towards making Rotherham a ‘Menopause Friendly Borough.’

iii) Developing a shared multi-agency action plan with measurable outcomes in support of that aim, including considering inclusion of improvements in menopause information, advice and support in the Council’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy. iv) Working with relevant Council Services, Health Partners and the Voluntary and Community Sector to explore opportunities to secure sustainable long-term funding for menopause initiatives across Rotherham Place.

2.    Following submission to Cabinet, that those recommendations within the control and influence of external bodies, are shared with relevant health partners and commissioners for consideration and response.

3.    That Cabinet provide a response to these recommendations within 2 months in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, Appendix 2, The Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, Part 3, Section 1.