Agenda and minutes

Suzanne Bresnihan (Community Action Partnership)

Kayley Galway (Manager Turning Point)

Helen Loydall (Chair Senior Citizens Forum)

Dr Ursula Montgomery (Chair ELR CCG)

Debbie Preston (First Contact Plus)

The minutes of the meeting of the HWBB held on 23 January 2019 to be taken as read, confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Dr Vivek Varakantam, GP Board Member, NHS East Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Group & Chair of Oadby and Wigston Locality

Vivienne Robins (Consultation in Public Health), provided an update and background information in relation to health inequalities.

In October 2018 Public Health data published referenced a significant difference in health inequalities and life expectancies between Oadby and the Wigston/South Wigston areas. Oadby’s health is improving whilst Wigston and South Wigston is decreasing.

These statistics have not been seen in other districts across Leicestershire, as a result the matter was raised at the East Leicestershire & Rutland Clinical Commissioning Group (ELR CCG) with input by Oadby and Wigston Borough Council and the GP locality group. There was a positive response across the various organisations about the importance of these inequalities being addressed.

A Health Summit was held at Oadby and Wigston Borough Council in February 2019 with key health professionals, local partners, GP and commissioners. A range of questions were put to the attendees at the Health Summit which were analysed and a report produced.

Dr Emily Maile (HEEM Leadership and Management Fellow)

Dr Emily Maile (HEEM Leadership and Management Fellow), presented the findings from the Health Summit. In addition to the findings from the Health Summit further work was undertaken by Dr Maile. This included semi-structured interviews and focus groups with key local individuals, healthcare professionals, organisations and local residents in order to develop a more detailed understanding of the wider issues and potential solutions.

The thematic analysis identified nine main themes, many of which were further divided into subthemes; three communities, services, collaborative working, education and employment, engagement, individual beliefs and behaviours, local environment, population demographics and mental health.

The report makes eight recommendations for consideration for future action by the Oadby and Wigston Health & Wellbeing Board and East Leicestershire & Rutland CCG Primary Care Commissioning Committee.

          Recommendation 1 - Developing further understanding:

Further explore whether it is possible to evaluate the population data in different ways e.g. by GP practice in order to develop a better understanding of Oadby, Wigston and South Wigston as separate communities.

Recommendation 2 - Oadby & Wigston BC Health and Wellbeing Board:

Consider reviewing the Oadby & Wigston Borough Council Health and Wellbeing Board Terms of Reference, including attendance list, action plan governance, the use of task and finish groups and wider partner communication (including minutes dissemination and possible bulletin to wider partners).

Recommendation 3 - Connecting the Three Communities:

Explore the possibility of improved transport link between South Wigston, Wigston and Oadby. i.e. public transport and volunteer transport for specific events/activities (e.g. activities at Parklands Leisure Centre).

Consider creating a leaflet containing information for health professionals and residents regarding all transport options, including public transport and voluntary transport.

Recommendation 4 - Community Engagement:

Consider developing a programme of engagement events in the local communities such as health and wellbeing fairs and community health checks in accessible places such as supermarkets and community spaces. Link to Health and Wellbeing Board action plan, to increase communication, collaboration and co-ordination across organisations.

Recommendation 5 - Education:

Raise awareness of the health inequalities in the local education settings across the district by sharing the attached review and ensuring a representative on the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Review local schools and nurseries progress on the "Leicestershire Healthy Schools" and "Leicestershire Healthy Tots" programmes. Potential ambition could be for all schools to have enhanced Healthy Schools status and nurseries to have Healthy Tots accreditation.

Recommendation 6 - Social Prescribing:

Ensure Primary Care Network (PCNs) potential social prescribing funding is fully maximised by considering how it links to the current Leicestershire social prescribing system, including First Contact Plus, Local Area Coordinators and care coordinators.  

Embed Making Every Contact Count (MECC) Plus across partner agencies to support social prescribing and for staff to embed prevention conversations and appropriate referrals to prevention services as a core part of their role.

Recommendation 6a - Improving Communication across Organisations and with Local Residents:

Explore the possibility of creating one single resource, such as an online directory, which contains detailed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

Housing: A comment was raised during the meeting that the report did not reference Housing. It was suggested that more recommendations will come out of this piece of work, however these are the findings identified within the allocated timeframe.

Funding bid: The Consultation in Public Health confirmed that the team at Leicester University are preparing a bid entitled the South Wigston Community research project.  She also stated that we should be mindful that whilst Oadby has the most affluent areas, there are pockets of deprivation within Oadby, it is not just Wigston and South Wigston.

Primary Care Networks: Dr Varakantam provided information about the new Primary Care Networks (PCN) being introduced, to tackle health inequalities (population health), which will need time to bed-in.

Transport: A Member confirmed that the Council has tried to negotiate with Arriva for many years; however there is little demand for the service by users in South Wigston, and hence not commercially viable. ‘Arriva Click’ was also mentioned, particularly how this service was being delivered in Leicestershire. The head of Community & Wellbeing confirmed that this service was connected to the new Lubbesthorpe housing development, in lieu of there being no public transport available in the area. It was confirmed that there is a community transport scheme run by the Oadby and Wigston Community Action Partnership, with moderate charges. However a number of attendees stated, that rather than providing transport from South Wigston to the Oadby area, increasing access to services in South Wigston was important, not encouraging them out of the area. Access to facilities for individuals (community centres, halls and schools) in the area is key to ascertain how they can assist with engagement, and regenerating the community from grass roots upwards by brining public and volunteer sector together to bring about change is also key.

The locality manager of the Children and Family Wellbeing Services, confirmed that Leicestershire County Council closed the Children’s Centre at the Bobbin Factory in South Wigston, as part of their cost cutting exercise. It is also worth noting that individuals in South Wigston are not interested in crossing the bridge from to Wigston, therefore the provision of services in South Wigston is important.

Tribe App: The Consultation in Public Health mentioned the Tribe App, which is a volunteering app which could be used as a community catalyst, where volunteers can link up people to drive forward community capacity. The Local Area Coordinator (LAC) for South Wigston is involved in this initiative. The LAC for Wigston confirmed that Rutland set up a Good Neighbourhood scheme in relation to transport, and helping individuals travel to places where they volunteer to do jobs, such as grass cutting.

Communication: Those in Wigston and South Wigston should know about the statistics, particularly young people and how they can change what they are doing. Updating and informing the South Wigston Ward Councillors was key, in order that they can help aid this behavioural change amongst residents.

Education: There is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

Dr Varakantam suggested the Terms of Reference should focus on the need to reduce Health Inequalities, and include the requirement to form appropriate Task and Finish groups, with the responsibility of representatives from these groups reporting back to the HWBB. The continuation of the annual Health Summit was also felt to be an important element.

It was recommended that Dr Richard Palin (Chair of the East Leicestershire & Rutland CCG) be included as a member of the HWBB moving forwards.  A representative from the new PCN’s was also recommended.

Finally, it was recommended that the Chair of the HWBB, the Head of the Council’s Community & Wellbeing Services along with Dr Varakantam, Sharon Rose, Dr Palin and Vivienne Robins meet in early August to discuss the next steps, action plan, the proposed HWBB Membership, Task and Finish Groups and the Terms of Reference.

None raised.

·         Tuesday 1 October 2019

·         Tuesday 14 January 2020

·         Tuesday 7 April 2020

The next meetings are as follows:

·         Tuesday 1 October 2019

·         Tuesday 14 January 2019

·         Tuesday 7 April 2020

Meetings to be held at the Oadby and Wigston Borough Council Offices in Wigston starting at 1:30 pm.