The Chair welcomed everyone and read the webcast notice.

Apologies for absence were received from:

·  Councillor Janette Williamson, Wirral Council.

·  David Hughes, Head of Regeneration and Place, Wirral Council.

·  Janelle Holmes and Sir David Henshaw, Wirral University Teaching Hospital.

·  Julie Gray, Clatterbridge Cancer Centre

·  Karen Howell and Michael Brown, Wirral Community Health and Care.

·  Superintendent Matthew Moscrop, Merseyside Police.

·  Andy Lomas from Magenta Living.

PRESENT:

Councillor Jean Robinson Chair

Abel Adegoke  Primary Care

Simon Banks  Director of Place (Wirral), NHS Cheshire and Merseyside

Dave Bradburn  Director of Public Health Wirral Council

Phil Gilchrist  Wirral Councillor

Jeff Green   Wirral Councillor

Elizabeth Hartley  Children’s Services, Wirral     Council

Graham Hodkinson  Director of Adults and Care, Wirral Council

Mike McEvoy  Merseyside Police

David McGovern  Wirral University Teaching Hospital

Sue Powell-Wilde   Wirral Councillor

Kirsteen Sheppard  Healthwatch Wirral

Members of the Board are asked whether they have any personal or prejudicial interests in connection with any application on the agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

There were no declarations of interests.

To approve the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 21 September 2023.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board on 21 September 2023 be agreed as a correct record.

Question

One question had been received from the Community, Voluntary and Faith sector Reference Group (CVF RG)

Who developed and what was and is the process and criteria for developing and delivering £86k of “green grants” as part of a recently awarded contract of £413k through the United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and why hasn't the CVF-RG proposal been incorporated into the planning?

The Chair promised a written answer to the question.

Statement

Kevin Sutton presented a statement on behalf of Community, Voluntary and Faith sector Reference Group, in respect of agenda item 13, Community, Voluntary and Faith Sector Reference Group update. The statement sought to inform the Board of the need to improve how communication, engagement, working together and representation needed to be improved and developed further to address health inequalities. More specifically, it stated that partnership working could be greatly enhanced with the focus on community-led programmes. It noted that CVF RG had been established as a volunteer group with aims to build and support the development of local infrastructure and work in full partnership to bring forward opportunities and benefits for communities arising from legislation, ongoing strategies, policies, and programmes, taking into account, existing and emerging best practice. It stated that the Community, Voluntary, Faith and Social Enterprise representative organisation, namely Wirral CVS, had insufficient funding to build a team, and that CVF RG were not full involved inn working groups and funding bid opportunities, and that their experience was being overlooked. It stated that it was essential to engage proactively with communities and residents to ensure that we are doing things from a ‘bottom-up’ approach that involves people with lived experience.

The Chair thanked Kevin for the statement.

The Appendix may not be suitable to view for people with disabilities, users of assistive technology or mobile phone devices. Please contact janeharvey2@wirral.gov.uk if you would like this document in an accessible format.

The Director of Public Health introduced his report which set the Health & Wellbeing Strategy within the wider system context of related plans and strategies that were connected to the wellbeing of residents with a particular focus on employment. The report provided an overview of the implementation plan for the ‘game changers’ within each of the four priority areas and clarified the routes by which Board members would be kept informed of progress and involved in influencing the strategic direction. He employment topic included different elements including recruitment, worklessness, and training.

Members discussed specific aspects including how it related to care leavers, helping people with health conditions to stay in employment, jobs fairs and vacancies in the health sector.

Resolved: That

1. it be confirmed that this report represents an appropriate overview of the broader system context for the Health & Wellbeing Strategy.

2. the proposed implementation plans for the priority areas be acknowledged.

3. the proposals for future reporting, engagement, and involvement of the Board be agreed.

The Appendices to this report may not be suitable to view for people with disabilities, users of assistive technology or mobile phone devices. Please contact nesta.hawker@nhs.net if you would like this document in an accessible format.

The Associate Director Transformation and Partnerships at Cheshire and Merseyside NHS and the Chief Executive of Wirral Council for Voluntary Services presented this report which provided an update on the development and implementation of the Wirral Neighbourhood Model which was one of the guiding priorities within the Wirral Health and Care Plan for 2023/24. The Neighbourhood Model was about getting communities to improve health locally bringing together local organisations, primary care and health partners. There were nine neighbourhoods identified and the Model had been rolled out across two with the highest levels of deprivation.

Members queried who was in the Core Groups in each neighbourhood and particular issues such as obesity in children and social isolation.

Resolved:

That the update given on the progress to date of the development and implementation of the Wirral Neighbourhood Model be noted.

The Policy and Strategy Lead presented the report of the Director of Public Health which provided an update on cost-of-living work being taken forward by Wirral Council and partner organisations of the Health and Wellbeing Board. The report offered an overview of the challenges residents and businesses were facing because of cost-of-living pressures and the mitigating actions that were in place to support them and help alleviate some of these pressures, including the Small Grants Scheme.

Members questioned the report and the support being offered by other organisations, the underspending on some grants as well as suggesting methods of reaching people not online and centralising the support so there was a common point of contact.

Resolved: That

1. the latest updates and activity that have/are being carried out by partner organisations be noted.

2. appropriate joint arrangements and actions to help mitigate the impacts of the cost-of-living pressures on residents continue to be developed.

The Director of Public Health presented his report which provided a summary on Wirral’s use of the Contain Outbreak Management Fund as the time limited, one-off funding has concluded. The Fund was given to help the borough’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and was approximately £14 million. It had been used in many creative ways, mainly on local outbreak management such as testing, surveillance and support or vulnerable residents.

Resolved:

That the contents of the report be noted.

The PDF file below may not be suitable to view for people with disabilities, users of assistive technology or mobile phone devices.?Please contact julian.eyre@nhs.net if you would like this document in an accessible format.

The Place Director (Wirral), NHS Cheshire and Merseyside presented his report which presented the delivery dashboard for the programmes within the Wirral Place Health and Care Plan. The dashboard was reviewed by the Strategy and Transformation Group and the Wirral Place Based Partnership Board on a monthly basis and provided an oversight of the whole programme portfolio, a monthly narrative update, and Red Amber Green (RAG) rating of overall programme delivery, benefits, risks, and issues. The Wirral Health and Care Plan was the collective plan on Wirral for how the health and care organisations across Wirral will work together to progress with agreed priorities and areas of work. These priorities were cognisant of, and support, the delivery of a number of key national and Wirral Place level strategic aims, including the Wirral Plan 2021-26 and Wirral Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-27.

Possible specific future reports were noted, and the outcomes of some issues, such as the rates and consequences of remaining in hospital rather than being discharged with a suitable care package.

Resolved:

That the report which provides assurance on the delivery and oversight of the Health and Care Plan programmes to the WPBPB be noted.

The Appendix may not be suitable to view for people with disabilities, users of assistive technology or mobile phone devices.?Please contact beverleymurray@wirral.gov.uk if you would like this document in an accessible format. 

The Senior Manager for Strategy, Commissioning and support from the Wirral Intelligence Service presented the report of the Director of Public Health which informed the Board about some projected demographic changes for Wirral and highlighted some potential implications. It showed a significant increase in life expectancy and decrease in birth rate which increased the proportion of older people (33% increase in the next 20 years) and particularly a longer time per person in poor health. The variations between Wards was noted. Sufficient social care would depend upon national agreements on funding although changes such as the use of technology would aid the additional requirements.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

The Director of Care and Health introduced his report which summarises the mandatory Quarter 2 (Q2) report submitted to National Health Service England (NHSE). It provided data to demonstrate that there have been no changes to the capacity and demand assumptions as set out in Wirral’s 2023/25 Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan. It also demonstrated continued compliance with the requirements of the BCF fund and that the NHSE outcomes for 2023/25 were being met.

Resolved: That

1. the continued compliance with the requirements of the BCF fund and that (NHSE) outcomes for 2023/25 are being met be noted.

2. it be noted that there are no changes to the capacity and demand assumptions included in the 2023/25 Better Care Fund (BCF).

3. it be noted that the information provided will enable the Health and Wellbeing Board to influence the deployment of BCF services within the lifespan of this plan (2023/25) and future plans.

4. it be noted that the current position does not pose a risk to the Section 75 Agreement.

Representatives of the Community, Voluntary and Faith sector Reference Group presented the report of the Director of Law and Governance which provided the latest updates and proposals from the Group, including detail on the two Family Hubs which had been launched. They emphasised how empowering local communities can help projects develop.

Resolved:

That the content of the reports of the Community Voluntary and Faith Sector Reference Group as appended to this report be noted.

The Head of Legal Services presented the report of the Director of Law and Governance which gave the proposed work programme for the following Municipal Year.

Additional items were discussed including a report on the Wirral Plan showing the links to the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

It was noted that the membership of the group had been discussed to help the Board focus on commissioning reports from relevant bodies as work on the implementation of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy continues.

Resolved:

That, subject to an additional item on the Wirral Plan, the Health and Wellbeing Board work programme for the remainder of the 2023/24 municipal year be noted.