Agenda item

Public Health Annual Report 2018, Wirral

Minutes:

Councillor-Chris_Jones LATEST - To be used in Cabinet reports

Councillor Christine Jones, Cabinet Member – Adult Care and Health, said:

 

Gambling is a growing problem in this country, with people particularly living in economically deprived areas feeling this more than most.  It is vital for the long term wellbeing of all of our residents that we tackle it, and do all we can to support people to not damage their lives and the lives of loved ones through problem gambling.

 

This year’s Public Health Annual Report shines a light on problem gambling, it investigates how it has developed and it proposes a series of actions to take which will allow us to help people.  It is incredibly important work and something we should all get behind”.

 

Councillor Chris Jones introduced the Public Health Annual Report entitled ‘Harmful Gambling The Other Side of the Coin’.  It was the professional statement of the Director about the health of the local population.

 

The Cabinet noted that the purpose of the Public Health Annual Report was to draw attention to local issues of importance which had an impact on population health. Since the Council took back responsibility for Public Health in 2013 it had published five reports on the topics of social isolation, healthy schools and children, domestic violence and the roles of the Council and the NHS in promoting health and wellbeing.  These reports had led to action in the reduction of the number of people smoking in the borough, to levels below the national average; increased support for people who were feeling socially isolated plus significant activity across a range of partners to highlight and reduce the damage caused to our communities from alcohol abuse e.g.: Drink Less Enjoy More Campaign. 

 

Members were informed that the 2018 annual report reflected on the public’s concern about the impact of gambling on local people.  It supported the delivery of the Wirral 2020 Plan and the Pledge ‘Wirral Residents Live Healthier Lives’.

 

The Annual Report aimed to describe what harmful gambling was and illustrate the impact it had on local residents, their families and friends.

 

The matter affected all Wards within the Borough; it was not a key decision and no other options were being considered.

 

The report detailed a number of recommendations that had been developed in conjunction with local partners and key Council departments e.g. licensing and planning.  The recommendations were set out on page 27 of the Annual Report.

 

Councillor Jones informed that some heart breaking situations were described in the report and local and national help lines were detailed at the back of it.

 

Councillor Phil Davies informed that he was pleased that the problems associated with gambling were being highlighted because for too long they had been hidden.  Gambling had devastating effects on individuals and their families.

 

Councillor Paul Stuart informed that there were 450,000 gambling addicts in Great Britain.  He was aware that gambling destroyed lives.

 

Councillor Phil Davies informed that he was shocked by the number of gambling adverts on television during the time the World Cup was televised.  Parliament should consider tightening up regulations with regard to adverts. This should be taken up with the four Wirral MPs. He welcomed the establishment of a Working Group and the scrutiny gambling had received.  It was all about education and carrying out work in schools was essential.  It was necessary to attack gambling issues on all fronts.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)  the recommendations outlined in the Public Health Annual Report   and detailed below be supported:

 

·  Raising the Profile of Harmful Gambling

·  Develop a communications campaign to highlight the impact of  harmful gambling behaviour. This includes the risks of becoming a harmful gambler, spotting the signs of any individual or of a loved one who may  be struggling with gambling addiction and help with quitting gambling.

·  We know people begin gambling from a young age in Wirral. We must build knowledge in school aged children about harmful gambling by developing a school education package to be delivered locally.

·  Train staff working in licensed gambling premises about how harmful gambling affects people locally and how to identify individuals that might benefit from support by signposting them to relevant services

 

·  Supporting People at Risk of Harmful Gambling

·  Explore opportunities to ensure that a specialised support service is available for those affected by harmful gambling in Wirral including friends and families who are also adversely affected as highlighted in this report.

·  Information on both national and local services to support people affected by harmful gambling should be displayed in all local betting shops.

·  All front line staff must be upskilled regarding how to ask questions relating to harmful gambling in order to identify those at risk. There is an existing validated set of screening questions which can assist with this opportunistic consultation and can lead to appropriate referrals and social prescribing into specialist support services.

 

·  Understanding and Measuring Harmful Gambling in Wirral

·  Local gambling premises should provide information to Wirral Council about their local market demonstrating an understanding and awareness of their customers and the effect on the environment.

·  Wirral Council will develop local area profiles to provide a more in depth examination of areas of vulnerability to gambling-related harm. These profiles will then inform future licensing decisions as well as acting as evidence to inform the council’s planning policies regarding the clustering of retail which causes harm to local health.

 

·  Regional Approach

·  It is clear that local authorities attempting to lobby for change on an individual basis is not an efficient approach. Wirral Council will feed into a wider discussion with colleagues across the Liverpool City Region and the Gambling Commission to ensure existing powers to minimise harm from gambling are enacted.

 

(2)  A working Group be established with the Gambling Commission to see how the Council can make best use of its existing powers to minimise harm from gambling; and

 

(3)  the Environment Scrutiny Committee be invited to consider reviewing the impact of gambling in our communities.

Supporting documents: