Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 3 - Civic Centre, St Peter's Square, Wolverhampton WV1 1SH

Contact: Shelley Humphries  Tel: 01902 554070 email: shelley.humphries@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Dr Alex Hopkins, Chief Superintendent Andy Beard, Sarah Smith, Tim Johnson, Councillor Paul Sweet, Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Councillor Sandra Samuels OBE, Dr Helen Hibbs, Lesley Writtle and Jeremy Vanes.

 

2.

Notification of substitute members

Minutes:

Jo Cadman attended on behalf of Lesley Writtle.

 

3.

Declarations of interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest made.

 

4.

Minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 123 KB

[To approve the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record]

5.

Matters arising

[To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting]

 

6.

Health and Wellbeing Together Forward Plan 2018 - 2019 pdf icon PDF 78 KB

[To consider the Forward Plan 2018 - 2019]

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved:

That the Forward Plan be noted.

 

7.

Working Together to End Rough Sleeping pdf icon PDF 155 KB

[To endorse the proposals for the next steps to tackle rough sleeping.]

 

Minutes:

Madeleine Freewood, Development Manager – City Health, presented the Working Together to End Rough Sleeping report. The report outlined that a multi-agency Task Team, chaired by the Leader, had been established to tackle the issue of individuals sleeping rough in the City and had operated from July 2017. Health and Wellbeing Together had been asked to commit to collaborating with the work undertaken by the Task Team and to have oversight of the Homelessness Prevention Strategy 2018 – 2022.

Anthony Walker, Homelessness Strategy and External Relationships Manager delivered a presentation which provided an update on the aims and achievements of the Task Team and included plans for the next steps and sustainability of the programme.

 

Focus was drawn to the ‘Day of Action’ event of 8 June 2018 which had involved volunteers and Task Team members providing immediate support to rough sleepers and offering advice to access other available support. This event included an exercise to record the number of individuals sleeping rough in the City.

 

Tanya Johnson, Service Co-ordinator P3 and Cheryl Rock, Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) Team Leader delivered a summary of the involvement and extensive work of the P3 Charity which included providing emergency accommodation and working with rough sleepers to support them in gaining access to services. Partners were invited to attend further Day of Action exercises and contribute to the work being undertaken.

 

Lucy Armstrong, Wolverhampton BID provided an introduction to the Alternative Giving Campaign, a charity which assisted in funding services such as P3, emergency accommodation and other support for rough sleepers. It was noted that local businesses had been encouraged to participate and donation boxes had been placed in 19 locations, including the Civic Centre and large stores such as Boots and Sainsbury’s.

 

It was highlighted that £14,858 had been raised to date and that ways to encourage more businesses to participate were being explored. It was reported that some of the businesses approached, including Jaguar Land Rover, Tarmac and the transport network had shown an interest already.

City Ambassadors had become involved in raising awareness of the Alternative Giving Campaign and its activity in the City Centre. It was noted that there had been instances of individuals bedded down in shop doorways becoming aggressive towards staff opening up in the early morning. It was noted that awareness of who to report to in this situation may help alleviate the problem. It was noted that there were already a number of trustees for the charity in place who were to meet in early February.

 

It was reported that a monthly count took place to allow for a better understanding of figures, however accuracy was an issue as the number of people identified as rough sleepers fluctuated throughout the day. This was also affected by the fact that there were a number of transient individuals as well as entrenched rough sleepers.

 

The ongoing work was commended as excellent and it was noted that, due to the complexity of the needs of these vulnerable individuals, there  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Healthwatch Deaf and Hard of Hearing Report pdf icon PDF 86 KB

[To receive the Healthwatch Deaf and Hard of Hearing Report]

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Tracy Cresswell, Wolverhampton Healthwatch presented the Healthwatch Deaf and Hard of Hearing report. The report outlined that a consultation had been conducted to ensure that the deaf and hard of hearing community could share their experiences of health and social care services and provide feedback on improving access.

 

It was outlined that the attached appendix, Access to Health and Social Care Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People in Wolverhampton, had been compiled in conjunction with the University of Wolverhampton and went into great detail about the experiences of British Sign Language users (BSL) both deaf and hard of hearing, from which a set of responses was published. Comprehensive case studies had been included to inform decisions for improvements.

 

The report had been shared with the deaf and hard of hearing community through the Deaf-led charity Zebra Access in September 2018 and had been met with a positive response. It was noted that the community had welcomed the fact that their feelings and suggestions had been taken into consideration.

Health and Wellbeing Together were asked to support the following:

 

·         To encourage the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), City of Wolverhampton Council (CWC) and Royal Wolverhampton Trust (RWT) to deliver deaf awareness training to their staff.

·         To continue to include deaf and hard of hearing users in commissioning BSL interpreters.

·         To only use one provider of BSL interpreters as the current use of three different providers had caused confusion.

David Watts, Director of Adult Services stated that the opportunity to be involved was welcomed, although it was suggested that earlier involvement of the Council may have been beneficial. This was not to diminish the content of the report, which was particularly good, however a joint strategic approach was usually favourable.

 

It was also noted that, following the consultation, communication cards had been introduced to offer to individuals accessing health and care services. The cards identified the service user as deaf or hard of hearing and included a list of preferred forms of communication to be used by healthcare professionals. The cards had been funded by the Authority and were reported as working well.

 

Resolved:

1.    That the responses to the consultation be supported by Health and Wellbeing Together.

2.    That the Clinical Commissioning Group, City of Wolverhampton Council and Royal Wolverhampton Trust be encouraged to have deaf awareness training delivered to their staff.

3.    That deaf and hard of hearing users would continue to be included in the commissioning of interpreters.

4.    That only one provider of interpreters be commissioned across CCG, CWC and RWT.

 

9.

Consultation Feedback and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2018-2023 pdf icon PDF 81 KB

[To approve the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2018 - 2023]

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

James Annakin, Principal Public Health Specialist delivered the presentation on the Consultation Feedback for the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The presentation covered the seven priorities as outlined in the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2018 – 2023, the outcomes under each priority identified in the consultation and the proposed ‘Future Focus’ commitments asked of Health and Wellbeing Together.

 

The results of the consultation had shown that the vast majority of participants had supported the approach presented in the strategy.

The survey conducted as part of the consultation had also asked participants what would help them lead happier, healthier lives. 1,230 people had taken part and their responses identified the key themes as:

 

1.    Feeling Safe

2.    Green Spaces, Clean Air and Good Housing

3.    Rewarding Work, Good Mental Health and Less Stress

4.    Eat Well, Exercise More and Social Life

5.    Easy Access to Health Services

The outcomes from the public consultation were weighed against the outcomes from the Health and Wellbeing Together self-assessment undertaken at the meeting of 17 October 2018 and provided insight into what other issues could be addressed. The Future Focus of Health and Wellbeing Together statements for each priority had been based on the issues raised in the public consultation responses.

 

Resolved:

1.    That the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2018 – 2023 be approved.

2.    That the findings of the public consultation be noted.

 

10.

Joint Public Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Wolverhampton pdf icon PDF 131 KB

[To approve the Joint Public Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy]  

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Lina Martino, Consultant in Public Health presented the Joint Public Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Wolverhampton. The report outlined the aims and scope of the Strategy which had been developed in close collaboration by City of Wolverhampton Council and Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) led by Sarah Fellows. The report stressed the importance of mental health as being equal to physical mental health and that each had a fundamental effect on the other.

 

It was noted that the Joint Public Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Wolverhampton had been approved by Cabinet on 12 December 2018 and had been brought to Health and Wellbeing Together for approval and for the Full Board to consider its role in the implementation of the Strategy.

It was added that the Strategy had been submitted to the Wolverhampton CCG governing body and fully endorsed.

 

The collaboration was commended by Councillor Hazel Malcolm as excellent and it was anticipated that the implementation of the Strategy would greatly improve quality of life.

Resolved:

That the Joint Public Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Wolverhampton be approved.

 

11.

Autism Strategy Progress Report pdf icon PDF 138 KB

[To approve proposals to the refresh of the Autism Strategy]

Minutes:

Robert Hart, Head of Inclusion Support presented the Autism Strategy Progress Report.  The Board was advised that the Autism Strategy was halfway through its life and had needed refreshing. The report outlined progress in all areas achieved during the delivery of the strategy to date. It proposed a new focus on three key themes; promoting awareness and understanding; developing service pathways; and promoting independence. It also included proposals for new governance arrangements for the oversight of the Autism Strategy.

 

It was noted that the strategy had been developed jointly with Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and City of Wolverhampton Council, involving input from people with autism, their families, carers and other stakeholders.

 

Three organisations had been highlighted to work with the National Autistic Society towards achieving Autism Friendly Organisation status:

 

·         City of Wolverhampton Council

·         Royal Wolverhampton Hospital Trust

·         University of Wolverhampton

 

This would include offering co-ordinated awareness training for employees and developing a network of ‘Autism Champions’ to promote awareness and understanding throughout the City. It was noted that renewed focus was on the City of Wolverhampton achieving Autism Friendly City status.

 

The review and improvement of post-diagnostic support was also highlighted as a priority and work was being undertaken to ensure that people with autism could be supported to live an independent life. This would include ensuring a smooth and effective transition to adulthood and support in seeking employment. 

 

It was explained that an Autism Partnership Board had been established which was to meet on a quarterly basis to provide oversight of the strategy. David Watts, Director of Adult Services had been identified as Chair. Three strategy implementation groups had been also been developed to focus on each of the three key themes, which were to feed back into the Autism Partnership Board.

 

Another key aim of the strategy was identified as providing effective support. It was to be explored how many people with autism were receiving support and how many more could be helped. A support group had been established for parents of autistic children and, as part of the Talent Match scheme, a young person had successfully secured funding to establish their own support programme in April 2019.

 

It was also noted that the strategy was due to be subject to a Scrutiny review in March 2019.

 

Resolved:

1.    That the proposals for the refresh of the Autism Strategy be approved.

2.    That the proposed governance arrangements for the Autism Strategy be approved.

 

12.

City of Wolverhampton Council Plan 2019 - 2024 Consultation pdf icon PDF 92 KB

[To consult on the City of Wolverhampton Council Plan 2019 – 2024]

Minutes:

Jennifer Brake, Service Director Strategy and Change delivered a presentation on the City of Wolverhampton Council Plan 2019 – 2024 Consultation. It was stated that the plan set out the priorities and framework for the next five years and was intended to supersede the existing Corporate Plan 2016 - 2019.

 

It was highlighted that the main focus was on delivering improved outcomes for the City whilst continuing to deliver the expected savings.

 

It was reported that engagement had taken place over the last six months including face to face sessions and online surveys, during which over 3000 people had provided their views. There had been organisational development with Council employees and the it was reported that Tim Johnson, Managing Director had participated in ward walks.

 

The six key priorities of the Plan were outlined as:

 

1.    Children and Young People Get the Best Possible Start in Life

2.    More good Jobs and Investment in Our City

3.    Well Skilled People Working in an Inclusive Economy

4.    Better Homes for All

5.    Strong, Resilient and Healthy Communities

6.    A Vibrant, Green City that We Can Be Proud Of

It was highlighted that it was important to recognise the City’s diverse culture and cohesion whilst improving the City’s reputation. It was noted that maintaining a realistic approach in light of the the financial position, managing expectations and honesty about what the Council aimed to do were also of key importance.

 

It was highlighted that collaboration was key and it was requested that the delivery of the outcomes be aligned with the work of the Board and that members support the aims of the Strategy. It was agreed that a copy of the draft City of Wolverhampton Council Plan was to be circulated to all members following the 25 January 2019 meeting and any feedback could be provided outside of the meeting.

 

The Council Plan 2019 – 2024 was to be reviewed at C3 Scrutiny Board on 6 February 2019, followed by approval by Cabinet in March 2019 and Council in April 2019.

 

Resolved:

 

1.    That the City of Wolverhampton Council Plan 2019 – 2024 Consultation be noted.

2.    That Health and Wellbeing Together members provide feedback on the draft City of Wolverhampton Council Plan.