The Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health that outlined  Wirral Health and Wellbeing Boards participation in a Peer Challenge process during 26-29 January, 2015.  The Peer Challenge was the Local Government Association’s health and wellbeing system improvement programme, co-created with a number of national organisations (e.g. Department of Health, NHS Confederation, Public Health England).

During the four days of the visit the Peer Challenge team had run 42 sessions and met with 84 people to support their understanding of five headline questions.  The membership of the Peer Challenge team, and the key questions were provided in Appendix 1 of the report. While feedback had been given through a presentation shortly after the visit, Wirral Health and Wellbeing Board had received the letter from the Peer Challenge team included in Appendix 1 of the report, which detailed the main findings from the review and the key recommendations.  The Board was now required to receive this letter and consider its next steps in response to the recommendations made.

The report noted that the Wirral Health and Wellbeing Board had identified the need for a clear vision, with a narrative for Wirral, together with effective programme management and communication with wider stakeholders as crucially important.  The Peer Challengers had recommended that the partnership structure on Wirral be reviewed and the place of the Wirral Health and Wellbeing Board be clarified along with other partnerships and working groups that existed.

The report also noted a significant component of the peer review feedback focussed on the need for a clear narrative and strategic direction for the Board. It was reported that a piece of work had recently been undertaken to identify the key themes within the vision statements of key partner organisations. From this work, a number of draft strategic aims were listed in the report which could accompany the overarching vision statement.

Fiona Johnstone, Director of Public Health, commented that the Board was being asked to reflect on the Peer Review feedback. There was a general view that Board members were concerned that the Board did not have measurable outcomes. Councillor Phil Davies suggested that a smaller group could look at the broad strategic aims for the Board and report back to a Health and Wellbeing Board Development Session.  Fiona Johnstone stated that this would be welcomed and asked for the nomination of a representative from each partnership for this group to be set up.  It was agreed that this group could take another look at Wirral’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, how the Board could carry out effective communication and engagement and give consideration to examples from other Health and Wellbeing Boards for reference. Its recommendations would be brought back to the Health and Wellbeing Board Development Session.

Resolved – That;

1.  The feedback letter from the Peer Challenge Team dated 7 February, 2015 be noted.

2.  The Director of Public Health be requested to set up a smaller group with the purpose of looking at a single vision, strategic aims and associated objectives for the Health and Wellbeing Board and report back to the HWBB Development session and that the partnerships forward nominations of a representative to the Director for this purpose.