Agenda item

Caroline Tapster, Director of Health and Wellbeing System Improvement, gave an update of the improvement and support offer to health and wellbeing system leaders from the LGA’s Care and Health Improvement Programme (CHIP). She highlighted the bespoke support that CHIP undertake in local authorities and that much of this work had been around prevention. Caroline emphasised that what good looks like in a Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) was variable but that those that were most effective had a strong focus on place. In particular the ability to develop relationships between local leadership and organisations was crucial.

Alyson Morley, Senior Adviser, also outlined options for further improvement and policy activity to increase the power and influence of HWBs. It was emphasised that it was clear from the discussion regarding Community Wellbeing Board priorities at the September Board meeting that the Health and Wellbeing Board should have more power to make positive change in their area. Alyson raised that this view was reflected by local government colleagues nationally following the results of the summer survey.

Alyson brought Board Members attention to the three options detailed in paragraph 13 of the report. These were highlighted as a campaign to include in the NHS Mandate the requirement that Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships and Integrated Care Systems must include HWBs in the development of plans, the option to commission case studies to identify how HWBs can this would work and the final option to use the key learning points from the case study work to inform and develop the health and wellbeing systems improvement offer.

In the discussion that followed, the following points were raised;

·         Members emphasised the value of the course available and peer reviews in helping to increase the power and influence of HWBs.

·         Views were expressed that it was unlikely legislative change around the role of HWBs would happen in the near future.

·         The key to successful HWBs was the input of four key individuals from the health and local government side, but they were all very busy so supporting them to take the lead would be important. There was also a need to embed placed based approaches to wellbeing in all local government and NHS policies.

·         Cllr Nick Chard highlighted the value of integrating the fire sector into Health & Wellbeing Board’s and raised that the fire sector was represented at Kent and Medway’s Health & Wellbeing Board.

·         The sharing of good practice via case studies would be a useful way for HWBs to learn from each other.

·         A view was expressed that in some areas NHS colleagues would benefit from better embracing the role HWBs.

·         Members expressed a view that local authorities should be strongly encouraged to take up the CHIP offer to work on improving the role and profile of their HWBs.

Following a query from the Chairman it was confirmed that officers did have capacity to undertake all three of the options detailed in paragraph 13 of the report.

Decision

That the Community Wellbeing Board;

1.    Noted the update on the health and wellbeing system leadership support offer; and

2.    Discussed and agreed that the LGA go ahead with all proposed options for work to increase the power and influence of health and wellbeing boards.

Action

Officers to take forward all proposed options detailed in paragraph 13 of the report.