Agenda item

To consider the draft annual report from the Director of Public Health for 2016-17. A report with regard to the Mental Wellbeing Campaign is also attached for discussion.

6.1       Mike Robinson (Director of Public Health) presented this item and advised that the draft report was near completion. The theme of the report was mental wellbeing and consideration was being given as to whether there were any gaps in services and also to the future direction of accountable partnerships in the longer term. Mike Robinson advised that the title of the report was to be “The Roads to Wellbeing.” He informed Members that the report would have links to a website of the same title which provided a directory of services available geographically that he hoped would benefit the community as a whole. Mike Robinson then referred to the recommendations in the draft annual report and welcomed Members’ comments and suggestions.

6.2       During Members’ discussions, Members welcomed the draft annual report and its focus on mental health and wellbeing and it was acknowledged that this was a very important issue to address. However, it was suggested that the people most likely to benefit from the initiatives were least likely to be involved and so the role of professionals in using resources was vital. Members also indicated their support for the 5 Ways to Wellbeing framework. In respect of the Roads to Wellbeing website, Members also welcomed this, however it was acknowledged that the challenge was to incorporate additional resources to ensure its effectiveness. It was commented that it was important to ensure that the website was up to date and this would require dedicated support. Patients also needed to be encouraged more to use online resources as often they were reluctant to do so. It was suggested that friends and family of patients could also use the website if the patients themselves did not. The importance of changing people’s behaviour was emphasised, and an example of reluctance to use online services included Westminster Community Network receiving over 200 referrals asking for help to use the Disclosure and Barring Service, even though this was a straightforward service to use. Members suggested that ways of ensuring the website was effective also included ensuring that all the information was in one place and a targeted approach should be taken.

6.3       Members felt that the draft annual report highlighted the main challenges and it was acknowledged that the website was not the sole solution to everything. Consideration also needed to be given on the challenges to parents posed by the focus on young people and children, as well as the role that schools can play in improving resilience and the importance of early intervention was acknowledged. Members commented that the annual report had a role in provoking debate and it was important that it was placed in the public domain.

6.4       The Chairman advised that the next Stakeholders’ Group Meeting to consider the Mental Wellbeing Campaign was taking place on 21 September and Members were welcome to attend. Louise Proctor (Managing Director, NHS West London Clinical Commissioning Group) stated that there was an opportunity to connect the draft annual report and the Mental Health Strategy and the Like Minded Strategy and she suggested that Jane Wheeler could attend the Stakeholders Group meeting on 21 September. Members also suggested that links could be made to the Council’s objectives concerning community resilience and the importance of having engagement at neighbourhood level to build on this resilience was highlighted. It was also suggested that there could be a half day session with colleagues from partner organisations from health and the community and community sectors and the Council to consider how mental wellbeing could be enhanced. The Board agreed that a recommendation on this be added to the draft annual report. Michael Robinson added that Members could make any further suggestions concerning the annual report, including its recommendations, prior to the next Board meeting.