The Strategic Director, Health and Wellbeing will present Document “C” which describes the background to the development of a Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2017-2022 and provides a draft strategy for review and comment.

It is requested:

(1)       That Members provide verbal feedback on the draft Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy; and

(2)       That a timescale for written feedback is agreed at the meeting, if Members so wish.

(Sarah Muckle – 01274 432805)

The Strategic Director, Health and Wellbeing presented Document “C” which described the background to the development of a Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2017-2022 and provided a draft strategy for review and comment. She stated that the draft strategy was in its infancy and that it had been submitted to the Committee for comments at this early stage.

She provided a summary of the draft strategy, outlining four priority outcomes:

·         our children have the best possible start in life

·         the people of Bradford have good mental wellbeing

·         people are living their lives well and are ageing well

·         Bradford District is a healthy place to live, learn and work

The Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board was in attendance at the meeting to hear the Committee’s feedback.  She stated that the strategy would focus on wider determinants of health. 

Members made the following comments:

·         The draft strategy was an excellent document.

·         Accountability should be clarified in the strategy.

·         A concise strategy with greater focus was welcome.

·         Concerns were raised about front line practitioners delivering the services under immense pressure and ensuring they received the right care from their employers.

In response to Members’ questions, it was reported that:

·         The strategy included working with groups such as older people and people with disabilities.  Its references to health and well-being were meant in the broader sense and the importance of ensuring different groups were engaged was acknowledged. 

·         The Health and Wellbeing Board was a strategic partnership and any concerns about the work of any one of its partners would be scrutinised by the Board itself.

·         Detailed action plans would sit behind the strategy.

·         A pharmaceutical assessment would be undertaken to consider locations of pharmacies and demand for their services. 

·         The Home First vision document detailed the vision and ambitions for wellbeing in the District.

·         The Economic Strategy had not yet been published therefore it was difficult to say how the two would be aligned but there were potential links to inclusive growth and the role of big businesses in the District as well as a joint priority on reducing the amount of traffic flowing through the city centre in order to improve air quality.

The Strategic Director, Health and Wellbeing spoke of investment in front line staff while emphasising the service’s challenging budget.  She spoke of mindfulness sessions being delivered for staff as well as a Risk Panel which would ensure social workers felt supported in making difficult decisions following discussions with a panel who would take responsibility collectively for the outcomes of those decisions. 

She also spoke of investment in home care staff and work on retention of staff in that sector.  In response, a co-opted Member commented that this intention was not evident from the draft strategy. 

The Health and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder stated that work would be undertaken with businesses as part of The Healthy Bradford Charter to ask what they could do to help make Bradford a healthier place.  She also stated that, with regard to tackling childhood obesity, the Daily Mile initiative would be launched in District schools this term.

In relation to lessons learned, it was explained that the previous strategy was very lengthy in comparison, as it had tried to incorporate everything to be achieved around health and wellbeing which in turn had made it difficult to deliver.  Whilst it had been a useful document, it had been considered too lengthy, losing focus on some of the messages it contained, therefore the new strategy would be more concise and clearly focused on key outcomes.

The Health and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder emphasised that good practice from within the local authority and from other local authorities was being utilised.

A Member spoke of the importance of understanding the historical context to some health statistic when considering their impact on life expectancy in certain areas of the District e.g. air pollution and links to working in the textile industry.  He also spoke of mental health issues being recognised and addressed earlier in the workplace.  With regard to the priority outcome relating to children, he suggested research into what type of parenting brought the best out of children.  He considered the strategy should reference the role of schools in relation to childhood obesity and that links to food poverty should also be included.  He urged that discussions be held with people who were experiencing this issue in order to fully understand it. 

In response to the above, it was stated that actions would be picked up in the Healthy Bradford Charter and that Public Health were producing an anti-poverty strategy.  In relation to speaking to people living in poverty, this would be checked and reported back.

The Chair asked for clarification on who would be best placed to provide a report on workforce issues (including social workers, GPs and nurses).  In response, the Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board reported that the Health and Wellbeing sector’s Integrated Workforce Programme was due to be discussed at the Board’s next meeting.

Following concerns raised by a Member about the delivery and achievability of the strategy and how it would be monitored, officers stated that the strategy would be monitored by the Health and Wellbeing Board as the accountable body and that there was an emphasis on teams working better together to maximise opportunities to address priorities.  The Member was reassured by the increased partnership working.  A co-opted Member also commented that the Strategic Disability Partnership had been consulted on the draft strategy and welcomed the increase engagement with the partnership.

Resolved –

(1)       That the points raised by the Committee, including on performance measurement, accountability and workforce issues be considered as part of the on-going development of the strategy.

(2)        That the Healthy Bradford Charter be presented to the Committee        within three months.

(3)      That the Chair receives briefings on the Anti-Poverty Strategy and        the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment.

ACTION: Strategic Director of Health and Wellbeing