Agenda item

The Board considered an oral report and PowerPoint Presentation on the Joint Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy which had been refreshed into a new 2022-2027 version.

As a result of reviewing the JSNA and a range of other discussions over past Board meetings, the new Strategy over the next five years had been pulled together. It was proposed that the Strategy be titled ‘Health as everyone’s business’.

The slides detailed key headlines and how the strategy is structured at a high-level along with a summary of health and wellbeing in Staffordshire. The Board were asked whether this is a true reflection of the JSNA and if the right areas had been captured.

The Strategy focused on promoting a collaborative approach to deliver healthy communities and healthy environments, drawing on existing strengths and assets. It sought to provide the conditions to support healthy choices and ensure high quality and equitable support to keep people independent and well, when needed. The ambition of the Strategy was to reduce health inequity and inequality and increase life expectancy for all.

Members of the Board requested that individuals own motivation be factored into the delivery of the strategy, focussing on their own choices and circumstances.

The Board requested that work be undertaken to look at communications around delivering the refreshed Strategy.

The slides further outlined the principles of the refreshed Strategy and the Board were asked to ensure that these are the right principles. The Board were supportive of the principles detailed below:

-      Prioritise prevention and early intervention

-      Engage with communities and co-produce solutions

-      Recognise and support the growing contribution and needs of voluntary organisations to improving health and wellbeing

-      Recognise diversity and respond to inequalities and inequities

-      Commission and deliver high quality services that provide excellent value for money for those who need them most, tailored to people’s needs

-      Communicate clearly making sure we are understood, and that information is accessible to everyone

-      Strengths-based, making the most of existing community assets and insight

-      Improving health outcomes through a good understanding of data, improving care coordination and designing proactive models of care

-      Seek to ensure local people have access to the information and support they need to remain independent and stay well

-      Develop the wider health and care workforce and embrace digital solutions.

The Strategy will focus on four areas of approach:

1.   the Wider Determinants of Health;

2.   our Health Behaviours and Lifestyles;

3.   the Places and Communities we live in and with; and

4.   an Integrated Health and Care System.

The Board supported the approach outlined, with the addition of a specific reference to mental health under point 3.

The priorities of the strategy had been determined by local insight and the current health and wellbeing need. Each priority area would include the outcomes to be achieved and the local community assets and partners that would be worked with.

-      Reducing infant mortality, which will look at understanding and tackling the causes as a system to improve survival in babies up to one year.

At this point, the Board were reminded of the Families Strategic Partnership Board arrangements, which is a sub-group of the HWBB, and was set up to deliver the priorities set by the HWBB, with reporting mechanisms in place to feed back to the HWBB as required. The responsibility also sits with the Early Years Advisory Board to look at infant mortality.

-      Good mental health will look at building good emotional health and wellbeing, happiness and resilience that also prevents mental illness.

Members of the Board discussed the aspect of social media and the effects this can have and requested this was included under the heading of good mental health. The Board also discussed the aspect of self-harm and safety within good mental health.

-      Healthy weight covers tackling excess weight in adults and children and creating conditions to enable healthy choices.

-      Healthy ageing will look at developing and maintaining functions and independence to enable wellbeing in older age.

The Board requested an addition to this, around growing the strength-based approach and evidence that this was being used to good effect. Members of the Board also requested that this was expanded to include preparation for old age, death at home and end of life care planning.

Members of the Board asked that against each bullet point identified in the slides, that an organisation, or multiple organisations was listed against each bullet point, in terms of delivery.

RESOLVED – That the update be noted, with comments from the Board included in the draft version for consideration and moved forward to consultation.