Consultations: HealthNet Response to the Sustainable Community Strategy Consultation

A Healthier Future for the Bradford District

A Consultation for the Voluntary Sector on the Sustainable Community Strategy

30^th October 2007, 12.45pm-3.30pm

The Impressions Gallery, Bradford

Aims of the session
Consult Voluntary and Community health groups and organisations on the draft Sustainable Community Strategy, with particular emphasis on the Healthier Communities Theme.

HealthNet is the network of Voluntary and Community Sector health organisations in the Bradford District. Participants are members of HealthNet; they are attending on behalf of their members and service users.

Organisations Represented

Alzheimers Society

BAMHAG

Bradford & District Strategic Disability Partnership

Bradford CVS

Bradford Rape Crisis

Bradford Talking Media

BradNet

CALEB

Carers Resource

Cathedral Centre

CNet

ISIS

Kirkgate Studios and Workshops

Lifeline

New Horizons

Off the Record

Staying Put

Step 2 Young Peoples Health Project

The Peacemakers

Thorpe Edge Community Project

What are your three priorities from the ten themes of the draft Sustainable Community Strategy?

Healthier Communities

Safer and Stronger Communities

Economic Development

The group felt that whilst they recognized that the consultation process was to identify three priorities that it is impossible to prioritise issues that are all important and interlinked. Safer Communities, Stronger Communities and Economic Development were felt to be the most overarching themes that each of the other seven themes were dependant on.

What are your three priorities from the five Healthier Communities ‘Big Issues’?

Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Obesity and Malnutrition

The Healthier Communities theme was the emphasis of the session and of key importance to all the organisations attending. However, it was felt that the key issues within this theme are not reflective of the concerns of the Voluntary and Community Sector and do not reflect the services currently provided by the sector locally, for example, infant mortality and sexual health. If issues Communities of Interest such as Disabled People and Carers are not in the strategy services that support those communities will not be allocated resources.

If you could add a sixth ‘Big Issue’ to the Healthier Communities Theme what would it be, and why?

Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse
This ‘Big Issue’ is a ‘cross cutting’ theme across all other themes as it requires a multi-agency coordinated response. It is already identified in the Safer/Stronger theme of the strategy. Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse would be more appropriately placed in the Healthier Communities Theme a more than two in three women in Bradford refuges have never reported abuse to the police and are more likely to report it to a health professional.

Health and Wellbeing of Disabled People and there Carers
Carers are not included in the Sustainable Community Strategy. Disability is considered an over-arching theme which indicates that less time and resources will be allocated and that there will be less accountability. A section for over-arching themes should be included within the strategy to ensure that the issues are addressed. The strategy focuses on areas of preventable ill health. What happens where ill health cannot be prevented? This must be recognized.

Address Health Inequalities experienced by disabled people. General recommendations of Equal Treatment: Closing the Gap include:

· target these high risk groups in national health inequalities programmes and track progress over time, so that it is known whether poor health and preventable early death are being tackled effectively

· expect every local health service to analyse the needs of the whole population – including these groups – and make sure that any contracts for health services meet their needs.

· Address the inequalities resulting from the lack of accessible information in the languages people understand.

· Support the active participation of disabled people in service planning

· Health professionals and other support staff to work together to support disabled people.

· Mainstream funding for the 3^rd sector to enable services to be delivered (capacity building)

· Make places ‘accessible’

For further information please contact Razwanah Alam or Rachel Cooper @ HealthNet Bradford and District, Bradford CVS, Bradford BD1 2AY, t: 01274 722772, e: health@bradfordcvs.org.uk).