Agenda item

2.1.         Cllr Addenbrooke welcomed the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWBB) members and the wider audience to the formal part of the HWBB and restated the role of the HWBB to be more visible by holding meetings in our communities and providing the opportunity to talk about our challenges within the context of the places we live and work. 

2.2.         The focus of this section was to understand the work and structure of the Health and Wellbeing (HWB) strategy, provide members and attendees with a context to the policy development work and to seek members comments on three areas:

·       Are there areas of engagement that have been missed?

·       How the strategy will look

·       Understand the next phase of work to finalise the document for wider consultation with residents.

2.3.         Cllr Butler-Thalassis (co-chair) stated the strategy was developing well following the work of the board and wider attendees on 15th September where links were made with the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the draft ambitions.  Comments have been included and incorporated with more community insight through the summer inequalities programme; and pulling out key messages and themes from other strategies, plans and engagement activities that have been undertaken. 

2.4.         This is the next iterative stage of the strategy to be launched in 2023/24 and welcomed further input into the structure, content, direction and overall priorities and outcomes.  Cllr Butler-Thalassis welcomed the strong community voice in its design and delivery and wanted to see this as the new “way of doing business”.

2.5.         Cllr Addenbrooke introduced a short video on the Community Champions, which set the standard for how we engage, empower and enable our residents.

2.6.         Rachel Soni, Bi-Borough Director of Health Partnerships was introduced and asked to introduce the strategy. She sought insight and involvement, stressing the need for the whole HWBB to “own” and account for the strategy.

2.7.         Rachel Soni and Anna Raleigh, Bi-Borough Director of Public Health presented the item. They explained that engagement had been good and stated the importance to translate this feedback into an effective, inclusive and relevant strategy that became the key policy tool that holds us to account.  Rachel welcomed everyone to break into small discussion groups to reflect on the mock-up of the strategy.  An on-line interactive version of the strategy is planned to bring the document to life and support accessibility. The document would be autism friendly.  People were then invited to send comments directly to Rachel (rsoni@westmisnter.gov.uk).  These would be presented back to the HWBB on 26^th January and would be used to inform the development of the strategy.

A number of initial comments were fed back to the HWBB, including:

·        Where does power and accountability of the strategy sit?

·        The strategy must be resident led and be evidence based.

·        Better explanation of where the actions in the strategy have come from and what exactly do they mean for residents is needed.

·        An emphasis on inclusion, such as the Voluntary and Community sector (VCS) as well as more emphasis on Domestic Abuse and Violence, perhaps as a case study, is recommended.

·        The present cost of living crisis is having a significant impact on the lives of residents and many people are facing daily challenges.  The role of the VCS and wider community partners needs to be recognised and understood to support the ambitions in the strategy

·        Bringing the document to life with videos and QR codes would be helpful.

·        Ensure use of language is understood by all.

Rachel Soni thanked everyone for their valuable feedback and explained that she would be appreciative of further feedback via email or telephone or happy to attend in person wherever needed. She explained that she would work to make it clearer that Bi-Borough Place Based Partnership is where accountability would sit.