Agenda item

Consideration was given to a report presented by Janet Spurling, Scrutiny Officer, which provided an overview of the workshop held by a sub-group of the Select Commission to consider the re-commissioning of Childhood Obesity Services in Rotherham.

The Sub-Group were provided with the local context for the Rotherham Healthy Weight Framework and details of the current services provided.  The Framework brought together strategies to both prevent and treat obesity.  Due to the high number of overweight and obese adults and children across Rotherham, there was a continued need to provide several services with different levels of intervention for both adults and children.

The present services for children were contracted to 31^st March, 2014.  It was proposed to re-commission the services subject to funding being agreed at the same level.  Targets would be in line with NICE Guidance and recent Department of Health best practice guidance.

It was noted that children and families appeared to express a preference for participating in clubs rather than attending Rotherham Institute of Obesity (RIO).  The respective balance of services in the two areas and referral criteria would be revisited when determining the new contract specification.

Public Health worked closely with providers, partners and other services as part of the Whole Population Prevent Activity underpinning the four tiers in the model.  The sub-group was interested in exploring additional areas that could contribute to preventative activity and stressed the importance of connectivity across the Council with wider policies linking in to support reducing childhood obesity.

The Sub-Group also considered an overview of the wider issues including:-

·                Planning

·                Leisure and Green Spaces

·                Schools

·                Health Implications

·                Business Rate Incentives

The report also made recommendations with regard to both the Service re-commissioning and to wider Council policies which should also be supportive of the work to reduce and mitigate the impact of childhood obesity.

The Head of Health Improvement valued the involvement in the two meetings, welcomed any opportunity to improve performance and had received positive feedback on reducing childhood obesity.  From the numbers involved in the services over the past four years, there had been 4,000 weight management successes.

A discussion and answer session ensued and the following issues were raised and subsequently clarified:-

·                Parents cannot always be blamed for their children being obese and agencies must look at outside influences or encourage parents to involve their children in menu planning/meal preparation.

·                Reasons for the greater emphasis on the More Life Weight Management Camp as part of the Rotherham Healthy Weight Framework.

·                Role of the Local Planning Authority with the consideration of a 400 m exclusion zone for new fast food takeaway businesses near schools.

·                Pros and cons for the “closed door” policy by keeping pupils on school premises at lunchtime.

·                The wider issue of enforcement and legislation to keeping children on school premises and the wish for them to consume healthier food.

·                Personal choice by students when supermarkets and takeaways are easily accessible.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the positive work being carried out in Rotherham on childhood obesity through the Healthy Weight Framework be noted.

(2)  That the following recommendations of the Sub-Group be endorsed and forwarded to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board:-

·                The balance of activities commissioned for children between clubs and RIO should be reviewed as there appears to be an expressed preference for attendance at the clubs;

·                Establish interim contract monitoring and improved data management for obesity services once re-commissioned.

·                Promote more individual success stories of children and young people who have done well on the programmes to encourage others.

·                Consider including targets for referrals to weight management programmes as part of the new specification for school nurses.

·                Provide more information about services and encourage greater engagement with parents through schools, particularly in primaries, to reach children at a younger age.

·                Continue to promote whole family interventions and free activities such as walking initiatives and park runs.

·                Promote Rothercard more extensively to encourage increased participation in activities.

·                Explore the feasibility of introducing a healthy vending policy in DCL leisure centres.

·                Introduce a 400m exclusion zone for new fast food takeaway businesses near schools in Rotherham.

·                Strengthen the requirement for report authors to show awareness of the health implications of their proposals.

·                Feed in the points regarding whole population prevention activity and how this related to schools.

(3)  That a further report be submitted to the Health Select Commission by the Head of Health Improvement on the new contract specification and criteria for Childhood Obesity Services.

(4)  That a presentation be made to the Health Select Commission from the provider(s) of Childhood Obesity Services about their services and development plans once commissioned.

(5)  That consideration be given to the current legislation and whether this could be revised similar to that for smoking.