Agenda item

Report of the Vice Chair of Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Vice Chair, Councillor Edgeller spoke to the Committee and highlighted that more needed to be done between District and Borough Councils and the County Council to encompass the health of all residents throughout Staffordshire. She went on to invite Members to consider the evidence within the report to draw conclusions about what the Committee can influence.

The Committee noted the following comments and responses to questions:

·       Within the report, the Recommendation to review what is already happening within District and Boroughs to support health and well-being referred to engaging with officers in areas such as planning, licensing and Leisure should also include housing.

·       District champions are vital to continue this work and had been discussed with the Chief Executives to assign a senior officer in each district.

·       Importance of District/Borough Scrutiny Committees to drive this work.

·       The role of Parish Councils. Parish Councils have influence to spread the messages locally. A one size fits all approach may not be suitable.

·       Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council were currently looking to embed Health in all Policies. Examples and best practice will be shared with other District/ Boroughs.

·       The Francis report underpinned working with District and Boroughs.

·       The Code of Joint Working was currently being refreshed.

·       District and Boroughs should engage with this work, in response, the Committee were advised that Public Health needed to demonstrate how this links to the corporate objectives in the District and Boroughs, there should be links to health in all policies within Local Plans when they are refreshed.

·       The Committee discussed that the aim was to embed health in all policies in the District and Boroughs and in Parish Councils. Each District and Borough should receive this report.

·       The Committee discussed the recommendation in the report to identify a named district lead to act as the conduit between the county and other districts and to be the health champion or advocate for this work. The Committee agreed that the district lead should be a senior officer and a councillor.

Resolved – That (a) - the Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee receive and note the Developing Healthier Communities Workshop report.

(b) the Cabinet Member for Health and Care and Cabinet Support Member for Public Health and Integrated Care consider and provide an executive response to the comments and recommendations in the report submitted:

1)  Review what is already happening within organisations / locality to support health and well-being, the wider determinants of health and tackle health inequalities. This could be partially achieved by engaging with officers in areas such as planning, licensing, and leisure.

2)  Review what is being done to undertake health impact assessments (HIAs) and support the ‘Health in all policies’ agenda.

3)  Identify a named district lead to act as the conduit between the county and other districts, and to be the health ‘champion’ or advocate for this work.

4)  Create a health profile for your district/borough. This will enable the determining and delineation of local need (and assets). Public health colleagues can support this process.

5)  Embed HIA into the overview and scrutiny process.

6)  ‘Think big’: identify three high impact actions/changes which you want to commit to as an organisation. The following examples might be considered:

a.   If due for a refresh, include a Health and Wellbeing Policy Framework within the local plan

b.   Embed health and wellbeing within licensing policy

c.   Conduct HIAs on major strategies/policies (and/or adopt as an approach throughout)

d.   Dedicate time/resources to help grow the Supportive Communities programme (for example, via mapping community assets or identifying locations for community help points).

7)  It is recommended that each district/borough develop a plan to achieve these recommendations by March 2023. Note: SCC’s public health team can support with expertise/guidance/tools for HIA and other activities.

(c)the Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee refer the report to District and Borough Scrutiny Committees for Members to consider the content and recommendations in the report to consider imbedding 'Health in all we do’, and ways of working with Staffordshire Public Health Team and with District and Borough Councils to tackle health inequalities and improve health outcomes for their local populations.

(d)               Members of the Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee relay information relating to health and well being to Parish Councils.