Agenda item

ShivBhurton, Joint Commissioning Manager, presented the submitted report in respect of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment refresh programme together with a short powerpoint presentation.

Phase one of the process had focused on updating and validating the current statistical data and supporting analysis and interpretations.  Sections within the document had been re-written to reflect current priorities and emerging trends observed since the last publication.  The refresh programme had highlighted radical changes in the landscape such as Mental Health, therefore indicating a much more in-depth needs analysis. 

For phase 2, user perspective and wider community engagement would be considered, which would include various consultation activities to reflect user perspective within the JSNA.

There were 4 key areas which were being strengthened within the JSNA:-

• Migrants
• Vulnerable Adults
• The Third Sector
• Financial Implications

The key issues that Rotherham MBC and NHS Rotherham would have to address over the next five years were:-

• The impact of an ageing population
• The potential impact on health, wellbeing and services of the economic downturn
• The most effective way to promote healthy living initiatives such as increasing physical activity and exercise, nutritional diet and raising awareness of risks of smoking and alcohol consumption
• The most effective way to reduce the gap between healthy and actual life expectancy
• The most effective way of increasing the independence of people with life limiting long term conditions
• The most effective way of increasing independence, choice and control for people suffering with dementia and the development of new service models to address this effectively in the future
• The effectiveness of using preventative strategies to save future care costs
• Service to reflect the changes in the demographic profile of the learning disability population

A consultation exercise was undertaken at Fairs Fayre in October 2010 to update the refresh Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and this would be widened further at a later stage.  Emerging feedback during the current phase of the consultation suggested:-

• Support for a service which promoted independence and maintained people at home
• More support for carers both in the caring task and their own wellbeing
• Development of low level support services
• Targeting people who were socially isolated
• Better supported housing options including Extra Care Housing
• Alleviation of the impact of the economic downturn
• Access to transport and activities, especially in the evenings

This area would be further strengthened during phase 2.

The next key steps to be taken were:

• More analysis to be undertaken at locality level and work needed to make more data available at Area Assembly level.
• Continue the process of reconfiguring services so that they addressed future needs
• Ensuring that the refreshed JSNA was accessible to health and social care professionals so that they could access up-to-date information.  Work to be undertaken to develop a web based JSNA, regularly updated and incorporate all the information from the DH dataset was initiated as part of the phase 2 of this work programme.
• Bring together the JSNA and the Corporate Needs assessment so that there was clear demarcation and no duplication.  Work had begun in linking with various key areas such as Children and Substance Misuse Services.

A question and answer session ensued and the following issues were raised and clarified:

• Where Autism fitted into the JSNA as it did not currently feature
• The need to identify health issues on a Ward by Ward basis in order to focus funding on necessary improvements.  A comment was made that an analysis could be done on the demographics on a Ward by Ward basis and it was suggested that a presentation of this information be given at the next meeting of the Panel.

Resolved:- (1) That the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment refresh programme be noted.

(2) That a presentation be given by Miles Crompton in respect of the demographics of the Borough as referred to above to a future meeting.

(3) That Shiv Bhurton report back to the Panel in June/July 2011, once the refreshed JSNA is completed.