Agenda item

Rachael Leslie explained that a Joint Health and Well-being Strategy (JHWS) was a statutory requirement but there was no mandated format or time period. The current Strategy had the key aims of increasing physical activity, improving mental well-being and reducing the use of alcohol and had been for 5 years. A new Strategy would be developed for 2021 to meet the needs identified in the JSNA possibly with a small number of priorities but over a longer timeframe.

Joint Health and Well-being Strategies in other areas had been assessed and there was generally a move away from topics towards themes and inequalities and a focus on the wider determinants of health. Most strategies looked at ways of working such as asset-based approaches or tackling ACES and working together to make long term impacts.

Strong engagement and co-production was recognised as being important but it was difficult to bring people together. A small strategic group had held one meeting about the development of the new strategy but it was still possible for the membership of that group to be expanded. The group had looked at what other areas were doing and it recognised that it was necessary to work with the Children’s and Young People’s Strategy. There was a wealth of intelligence already available but any gaps needed to be identified.

Next steps would be to identify some possible priority areas and check with Partners and the local population that they were working along the right lines. As well as moving towards themes and looking at inequalities or asset-based approaches, it was felt that the time period of the strategy should be longer term, maybe up to 20 years, to give opportunities to measure change. There was a suggestion that a reference group could be created to detail what changes individuals experienced in their lives each year to show what impact the strategy was having. The high-level document would be supported by more focussed action plans. The strategy would initially be funded by the Public Health Ring Fenced Grant, although other funding was also available for improving health.

Various comments were made by Board members:

·       It was queried how members of the public would be invited to engage to ensure that the strategy did not just reflect the views of professionals. It was explained that a large amount of insight and information was already available from various agencies and Worcestershire Children First would be launching a survey which would be going out to all parents, carers and families as well as professionals, to see what was important to them. Following the collection of such information any gaps could be identified and efforts made to engage using various methods such as questionnaires or focus groups

·       There were concerns that as the STP covered both Herefordshire and Worcestershire it shouldn’t be the driver for the local strategies but rather the Health and Well-being Board should be the driver within Worcestershire. It was agreed that care was needed that duplication did not take place and that a new strategy gave the opportunity to look at engines for delivery.

·       It was clarified that the Health and Well-being Board would own the JHWS, which should be considered the ‘Daddy strategy’ and other strategies needed to be aligned so that work was not duplicated. The JHWS was a strategy for Worcestershire and the right partners needed to be involved. The Directors of the different partnership organisations needed to ensure it was a strategy for Worcestershire.

·       It was accepted that there was the potential for ‘engagement fatigue’ but that could be helped by ensuring that the JHWS was the central strategy, that there was a commonality of language and that consultation was done collectively rather than in pockets. Efforts would be made to reach hard to reach groups

·       Healthwatch wanted to be involved in the development of the Strategy and agreed that the work on the wider determinants of health should be brought in. They felt that Board Members had a responsibility to shape the strategy for the people of Worcestershire and the Project Group needed to invite specific people to sit round the table to develop the Strategy rather than hope the right people volunteered

·       The VCS representative on the Board stated that he would try to find a VCS rep for the Strategy group. He felt that the strategy should be developed in four stages: analysis, which was being done through the JSNA; reflection, which could be carried out by the Health and Well-being Board; choice of priorities and implementation, either through the Health Improvement Group or other delivery method and then review

·       It was suggested that a future Board meeting would be used to carry out an assessment and prioritisation exercise for the strategy.

RESOLVED that the Health and Well-being Board:

a)    Noted the progress made in the development of a new Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy; and

b)    agreed the proposed focus and approach.