The Deputy Director of Strategy for Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust introduced a report which provided an update on the development of the Wellbeing and Opportunity Centre project and the Education Engagement Network project, both of which were part of the Towns Fund.

The Board received an update on the Wellbeing and Opportunity Centre project branded as ‘Joy’ and outlined the vision for a home for public and community organisations in a welcoming environment, located at the Treasury Annex site in Birkenhead. The engagement process was outlined to the Board, with residents and service users helping to shape what was needed, which would then be followed by a design phase before going back out for consultation to ensure the design met the expectations of residents before the submission of the full business case by June 2022.

The Principal of Wirral Met College provided a further update on the Education to Employment project, which followed a ‘hub and spoke’ model in conjunction with various partner organisations such as Birkenhead Library, the Probation Service, Forum Housing and the Care Leavers’ Centre. The intention was that the model would assist in pathways to employment and create a space that allowed support to be designed to cater to an individual’s needs based on their varying circumstances. It was intended that the hub would be located next to the wellbeing building.

The Board recognised the genuine co-production that had taken place as part of the projects and welcomed the collaborative working that had been undertaken to progress them to their current stage.

On a motion by Councillor Yvonne Nolan, seconded by Simon Banks, it was –

Resolved – That

(1)   the development of the Wellbeing and Opportunity Centre project and the Education Engagement Network projects and their potential for positive impact on the health and wellbeing of Wirral residents and the quality of integrated service delivery be noted.

(2)  A further update on the projects be provided a meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board in Autumn 2022.