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Terms of Reference

1.  The Purpose of the Health and Wellbeing Board (“the Board”) is to lead improvement of health and well-being and to oversee transformation of health and care services in Staffordshire. This includes:

·         Leading a conversation with the public about how they can improve their own health and well-being.

·         Ensuring that there is a clear prevention programme to improve health and wellbeing and reduce ill health and the associated demand on health and care services, in line with the Health and Well-being Strategy.

·         Ensuring a commitment and contribution from all partners to the prevention programme and assuring its implementation.

·         Providing democratic input to the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership [STP], alongside Stoke on Trent City Council.

·         Acting as an advocate for the changes required to ensure the sustainability of the health and care services and shaping proposals to ensure that they are publically acceptable.

·         Overseeing the Better Care Fund [BCF] and encouraging joint commissioning between the County Council and the NHS.

·         Monitoring health and well-being, identifying emerging trends and any additional actions required.

·         Carrying out the statutory functions of the Board as listed in paragraph 2.

2.  The statutory functions of the Board are set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012:

·         Prepare and publish a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) as well as a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment every 3 years.

·         Prepare and publish a Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) setting out how the needs identified in the JSNA will be prioritised and addressed.

·         Ensure effective public engagement and consultation in developing the JSNA and JHWS.

·         Promote the integration of health and social care services including to provide advice, assistance and other support in encouraging arrangements under section 75 of the NHS Act 2006.

·         Encourage providers to work closely with the Board and encourage those that provide health, health related or social care services in an area to work “closely together”.

·         Consider and report on whether CCG Commissioning Plans have taken proper account of the JHWS.  http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/7/part/5/chapter/2/crossheading/healthand-wellbeing-boards-establishment/enacted

Key Principles

3.  The Board is committed to:

·         Providing strategic leadership based on evidence: focusing on those areas where the Board can make the biggest difference to health and well-being.

·         Transparency in decision making: so that the public can understand the decisions being taken and the rationale behind them.

·         Involving the public in decision making: allowing people to have their say and an opportunity to influence decisions.

·         Acting with courage and conviction: to ensure that decisions are taken in the long term interests of the whole population.

Membership

4.  The following are constituent organisations and members of the Board. Note that some of these are mandated by statute: 

Organisation	Individual
Staffordshire County Council (x3)	Cabinet Member for Health and Care (Co-Chair) Cabinet Member for Children’s Services Cabinet Member for Learning and Employability
CCGs (x5)	Clinical Chair for each CCG, (with one representative being Co-Chair)
Staffordshire County Council	Director of Health and Care (statutory member – DASS plus DPH)
Staffordshire County Council	Director of Children’s Services (statutory member)
CCG (x1)	Accountable Officer (statutory member)
Healthwatch	Chair of Chief Executive (statutory member)
STP (x2)	STP Director Chair of STP Clinical Advisory Group
Voluntary Sector (x2)	Chief Executive of SCYVS Chief Executive of Support Staffordshire
District and Borough Councils (x3)	Senior elected member x 2 (to be agreed) Chief Executive x 1
Police	Chief Constable or nominee
Fire	Chief Fire Officer or nominee

 

5.  Members will be asked to nominate one substitute who is able to attend meetings in the event they are not available.

6.  NHS England will be required to attend at the Board’s request when it is considering a matter relating to the exercise, or proposed exercise, of their commissioning functions.

7.  Members will be expected to follow the terms and spirit of the “job description”   

8.  The Board is a Committee of Staffordshire County Council and is to be treated as if it were a committee appointed by that authority under section 102 of the Local Government Act 1972. 

9.  Decisions will be made by consensus. The Board does not have the power to direct any of the statutory organisations. However where the Board has agreed a course of action is will expect the statutory agencies to ensure that this is enacted.

10.  Board members will come to meetings with the authority to take decisions on behalf of their organisations or will secure this where necessary through their own governing bodies.

11.  Board members are expected to feedback the deliberations and decisions of the Board to their respective organisations.

Quorum

12.  The quorum for a meeting shall be a quarter of the membership including at least one elected member from Staffordshire County Council and one member from the NHS. 

Project and Administrative Support

13.  Programme and project management will be provided by the County Council.

14.  Administrative support will be provided by the County Council.

Expenses

15.  Constituent organisations are responsible for meeting the expenses of their own members.

Meeting Arrangements

16.  Meetings will be held in public except where there are items that need to be considered in public due to protect the confidentiality of individuals or commercial confidences.

17.  Meetings will be held at a frequency and intervals to be determined by the Board and there will be at least 4 meetings a year.

18.  The expectation is that items will go to relevant sub-groups beforehand so that the advice of these can be considered by the Board.

19.  The Board will establish its own Forward Programme of activity which will be reviewed at each meeting to ensure it remains appropriate. 

20.  Agendas for each Board meeting will be published at least 7 working days in advance of a meeting. Draft minutes will be circulated to the Chairs for comment and circulated within 10 working days of each meeting. Final minutes and actions will be published after they have been ratified by the Board. 

21.  Standard agenda items:

Statutory Duties

·           BCF update and issues for consideration

·           JSNA update

·           STP and issues for consideration

·           Healthwatch Annual Report

·           Commissioning Intentions

Prevention

·           Prevention programme update and issues for consideration

·           Families Strategic Partnership updates & Board Annual Report

System Issues

·           Strategies and updates

·           Director of Public Health Annual Report

22.  Any reports for a meeting of the Board should be submitted to the County Council’s Member and Democratic Services team no later than ten working days in advance of the meeting.

Subgroups

23.  The Board will have the following subgroups:

·           Prevention Programme Management Group

·           BCF and joint commissioning Board

·           Families Strategic Partnership Board

·           Physical Activity (SASSOT)

24.  The Board will consider creating a “Committee in Common” with Stoke on Trent City to provide democratic input to the STP.

25.  Additional subgroups may be formed and disbanded by decision of the Board.

Code of Conduct

26.  Members of the Board and their substitutes are required to abide by a Code of Conduct based on the 7 Nolan Principles of Public Life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership). 

27.  Board members must complete a register of interests (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests - DPIs). DPIs cover matters such as sponsorship, contracts tenancies and securities. 

28.  Where a Board member feels they have a DPI in relation to a decision being taken by the Board then they are required to declare this at the start of the meeting and the Chair will take a view on whether it is appropriate for them to speak or vote on the matter.

Other Relationships

29.  The Board will maintain strong working relationships with the following partnership bodies to develop a shared understanding of local issues and ensure consistency of decision making:

·           STP Health and Care Transformation Board

·           Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Local Enterprise Partnership

·           Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Safeguarding Adults Board

·           Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Safeguarding Children’s Board

Further Information

Background to the Board

Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2018 - 2023