Agenda item

Health and Wellbeing Board Annual Report

To receive and consider the Health and Wellbeing Board Annual Report for 2020/21.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to an annual report summarising the aims and accomplishments of the Health and Wellbeing Board for the 2020/21 municipal year. The report summarised work in several areas including combating loneliness, encouraging better physical health and activities, supporting young people’s mental health, setting up an unpaid carers group in support of the refresh of our Carers Strategy, and placing an increasing emphasis on the wider determinants of health. The report noted the influence of the pandemic and identified health inequalities as the priority focus for further work. The report noted the upcoming refresh of the board priorities, anticipated changes brought in through the Health and Care Bill.

 

In discussion, Members asked about efforts to support health inequalities below ward levels, because there is deprivation within all wards. In response, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health identified several schemes that were or will be implemented right across the Borough. The Cabinet Member also suggested Councillors reference the JSNA and ward profiles available there to generate ideas for initiatives that respond to the characteristics of the ward. The Director of Public Health also noted that some schemes are targeted by place, but most are targeted by pathway. Pathways are designed to be universal, so that everyone can access them. For example, setting up the Rotherham Community Hub. Funding constraints do sometimes require focussed efforts that sometimes become concentrated toward the centre, but the pathway approach helps ensure everyone can access the schemes. It was agreed that deprivation is not just in the centre but affects parts of the whole of Rotherham. Members were invited to email the Cabinet Member if there are areas that Members feel the Health and Wellbeing Board should be giving attention.

 

Members requested further information regarding bodies or boards monitoring the safeguarding partnership working.  The Cabinet Member cited multiple boards which deal with safeguarding, including the Safeguarding Children’s Partnership and the Safeguarding Adults Board, and multiple partner organisations including the Samaritans and Bernardos. A designated nurse for safeguarding employed by the CCG is a specialist support resource for all the partners in Rotherham for safeguarding. All services will have a safeguarding lead and have their own responsibilities for safeguarding. The Strategic Director also sits on the Health and Wellbeing Board as a statutory officer for safeguarding.

 

Members expressed interest in reading more details and figures associated with the activities and initiatives of the strategy delivered by the Health and Wellbeing Board. In response, Members were referred to the minutes and papers of the Health and Wellbeing Board meetings to read the full context of the strategy and its aims.

 

Further clarification was requested around the upcoming strategy refresh and what kinds of information will contribute to the refresh. The response noted the importance of the forthcoming census data and also the need to rescale timelines after COVID. Members were invited to put forward their priorities to feed into the refresh.

 

Resolved:-

 

1.    That the report be noted.

 

2.    That the refreshed strategy priorities be circulated to Members.

Supporting documents: