Friday, 20 July 2007

Partnership Exchange (11th July) Feedback for Health

Sustainable Community Strategy & Local area agreement 2008

Partnership Exchange

Workshop Feedback

Theme: Healthier Communities

Critical issues discussion

Transport/Health:

· Exercise-physical activity

· Reducing road injuries

· Promoting access to goods and services

· Reducing pollution

· Promoting social networks and community activity/reducing severance in local communities

· Providing a healthy environment

· Reducing health inequalities

· Transport – physical environment – important for better access to disabled

· Road Injuries – trauma to friends and families as well, prevention issues

Economic Strategic Partnership – critical to everything

Carers/Disability not mentioned

· VCS should have been involved earlier on

· Disability was considered as part of Health

· Higher proportion of disabled children – some families with multiple disabilities

Mental Health – holistic view needed

· Older people need mental stimulation

· Mental Health – Drugs and alcohol – catch 22 situation – young men singled out (evidence to back it up)

Life events

· Bereavement can change everything, income etc.

Local delivery – locality planning more effective in joined up working

· clear infrastructure in place to make it happen

· Need better targeting and how to do it

· More joint thinking

· Energy & Trust – what transport issues are, different partnerships have energy to tackle particular issues

· looking for opportunities – new ways of connecting services

Children’s Health/Families

· Roles & Responsibilities of Parents

· Needs to be linked into education

Deprivation and inequality

· Income is crucial to choices/options

· People have limited resources so what are priorities for them?

· New Migrant communities and getting information to them

· Individual responsibility

· gap is increasing between healthy & unhealthy

· Income/jobs/economy – offering opportunities to move into economic groups, vocational services etc. – closing the gap

· Opportunities to use sporting facilities

Partnership Development – more effort needs to be made via LSP and within partners at different levels

· References need to be made through all issues, e.g. transport, health etc. – linkages

· Best Value for resources

· identify resources from partnerships

Sexual Health – this also makes reference to teenage pregnancies

· alcohol and drugs also linked to unwanted pregnancies and can be from all age groups, not just teenagers

Restrictions on promotions of unhealthy lifestyles – needs discussion with central government

Prevention of illness through work

Genetic Counselling/Choice/how to break through barriers

Quality & targeting information – more availability and access

Deprivation & Obesity – Economic/Planning – no more cheap takeaway outlets

Heart Disease – will be tackled by all methods etc. e.g. reduction in smoking

Housing/Warmth Strategy – impact would be enormous – choosing intervention and investment

Health is related to all areas – how is it connecting to all others at different levels – health impact/info sharing

Barriers

· Can District commit to join up at local level/constituencies/Area Panels – local planning, how does it happen?

· How to get clarity on what is happening and who is doing what

· Challenge and accountability

· Access to services – joint working

· Hospitals – Transport – no direct bus routes to hospitals

· Housing – sharing info, data protection issues

· Publishing info – Consultancy – can cover info sharing, how are we tackling sharing info

· Inequalities – addressing them, target those effected by individual groups

· Narrow the gap – how? – different ways of working

· Personal choice – how society put message across

For a copy of the workshop feedback from all the themes please email health@bradfordcvs.org.uk

Wednesday, 18 July 2007

SCS docs available now

Sustainable Community Strategy Documents available now at
www.bradfordcvs.org.uk/healthnet.htm

In Introduction to Sustainable Community Strategy and the Healthier Communities Theme Profile
Summary of Critical Issues

Theme profile cross reference

Monday, 16 July 2007

Update: Sustainable Community Strategy

Notes from the SCS (Sustainable Communities Strategy) consultation meeting of all the profile’s – ‘11th July meeting’ by Jane Howie on behalf of HealthNet

Tony Reeves, Chief Executive of Bradford Council opened the event. He stated that class is a biggest barrier to cohesion than race. Bradford could be set to have as big as a 22% growth in employment. 67 languages are spoken in the district and there is huge potential for Bradford. Stan Kidd, Interim Director – Policy and Performance, Bradford Council, spoke next. He mentioned the Local Government White paper? He said Bradford can be not only ‘A great place in which to live, learn, work and play – with motherhood, apple pie, milk and honey freely available’. Stan went on to mention the ‘intractable diseases of dysfunctional lifestyles’, social immobility and empowering citizens to co-create public values.

Roz Hall, Head of Service Local Area Agreement had the last few words about the SCS before we split into workshops. She posed some questions that we could think about at the workshops:

Are the critical issues the right ones?
What are the long-term aspirations?
What actions do ‘we’ – the partners across the district – need to take to work towards the aspirations?
What are the restraining forces? – and how can they be removed?

Healthier Communities Workshop – lead by Amanda Fletcher and Roz Hall Amanda went through the critical issues for the healthier communities’ profile, and Roz took questions afterwards.

On behalf of HealthNet I asked why Carers are not mentioned in either the healthier communities or the older people’s profile and why disability is not covered in the 60-page Healthier Communities profile? I said surely these were critical issues that need to be taken into account. I was told (by Roz) that we need to think about disability as a barrier that cuts across all themes. I said that if issues like disability don’t have a home and we divide people across services, they will be in small pockets and then be in such small numbers, they will decrease in priority. I told them that HealthNet and the VCS would have liked to have been consulted earlier on, as they feel they have something to give. I handed over a copy of the comments from the HealthNet/VCS SCS training day last week to Roz and Amanda.

At the feedback session after the workshop when all workshop leaders said a little something – Roz said that the workshop had found that the gap between ill health and bad health has not narrowed. That there needs to be more work in localities, with multiple partners. Health assessments on the impact of all the other themes could help to identify areas where different partnerships could work together.

(after this workshop I was approached by Jenny Scott from the Patient and Public Involvement Forum who offered to come and speak to HealthNet if we want her to – jennyscott@blueyonder.uk)

Older People’s Profile Workshop lead by Wendy Hall, Neville Roland and Andrew Jones (? I think)

The critical issues for the Older People’s Partnership were clearly stated and the proposals that went with them. Everyone was given a chance to have their say about these. On behalf of HealthNet I asked if the cross cutting theme of disability had any critical issues? Neville said that the Strategy and Disability Partnership is trying to link issues to the ten themes. I said that HealthNet feel it is a bit late in the day to bolt on disability to the ten themes. I was told that today is the ‘first cut’ of overlapping themes before bringing in the rest of the complexity.

Jo Miller, the Deputy Chief Executive of the council closed the afternoon session when we all got back together again. She said this was the ‘first cross partnership take’ on what the partnerships are saying. A significant rewrite is to follow linking themes. She reminded us that the SCS is not the council’s plan it is a plan for the people of Bradford, which will narrow the gap for people and place.




Update - Sustainable Community Strategy

Posted on behalf of Anthony Clipsom

The event went ahead at Midland as planned (July the 11th). It was
refreshingly old fashioned (no post its) and focussed. Levels of
engagement were pretty good.

Several ISO (Infrastructure Organisations) members attended with various hats on. VCS reps from partnerships well represented (Health, BCP, Culture, C&YP, Housing,
Economic, Elderly,Environment reps there - don't know about Safer or
Transport).

The two sessions I attended (Safer and Older People) showed a lot of
potential for VCS engagement - I'm sure other sessions did too.
Specific health issues that were raised - I found it difficult to
raise anything in the Safer session because it was very crowded.
There was some discussion of safety in the non-crime related sense -
accidents in the home and workplace and on the roads. There was
concern this wasn't being picked up. Lots of concerns in this group
about mapping services and joining it up at neighbourhood level.

In the Older people group, Jane (HealthNet Rep) and I were both there, as was Phil
from Healthnet steering group. Jane raised the issue of disability
not being adequately prioritised. I raised the need to join things
up around carers. Both points were well received.

Currently work is going on to collate the feedback on each session.
Hopefully, we will soon have the collated stuff on health.

The wider consultation was mentioned on several occassions but there
are no firm dates at the moment, AFAIK.

Wednesday, 11 July 2007

Sustainable Community Strategy - Healthier Communities

Background information available below (About the Sustainable...)

Feedback from Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Health Groups

Information and Feedback Session, 26th June @ CNet
VCS health groups and organizations identified some key issues on the draft proposals of the Healthier Communities theme of the Sustainable Community Strategy. Key areas for concern centred on the absence of some communities of interest, in particular, Disabilities, Carers and Lesbian Gay and Bisexual (LGB). In cases such as disability communities are identified as being cross cutting and should be acknowledged by all themes within the strategy. This is an accurate reflection and important recognition that communities face multiple issues that impact on their health, however, there is concern that if they are divided across themes they will decrease in priority.

HealthNet and our team of Reps will be taking forward the key issues from the event to relevant forums and keeping you informed about what is happening. Look out for information and notification of events in future issues of Briefing Bradford and on our Blog www.healthnetbradforddistrict.blogspot.com

About the Sustainable Community Strategy
In 2000 Bradford Vision set out a twenty year plan, to make the District a place 'where people are justifiably proud of the city where they live, learn, work and play.' The Community Strategy describes the work of communities, organisations and partnerships that will make the 2020 Vision a reality and maps out five years of the journey towards the achievement of the 2020 Vision. The current strategy ends in 2007.

The Community Strategy is exists to:

- Involve people and communities in delivering the 2020 Vision

- Influence the plans and priorities of organisations

- Identify opportunities for improvement by organisations and partners in the District

- Provide a basis for negotiation with Central Government

The process of developing a new strategy for 2008 is currently underway and provides an opportunity for voluntary and community sector organisations and groups to be involved. This strategy affects our voluntary and community sector groups and the communities that we represent by means of resources targeted to identified priorities or as they are know in the strategy ‘critical issues’.

Sustainable Community Strategy – Healthier Communities

The Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) is currently entering its second phase of the third phase development. HealthNet (The network of Voluntary and Community Health Sector Groups in the Bradford District) will be running events to coincide with each of the three phases. The first event happened on the 26th of June and gave Voluntary and Community (VCS) health groups and organizations the opportunity to learn more about the SCS and input into its development. Further events are planned for phases two (June-September) and three (September to January).

The strategy is separated into ten themes, including a Healthier Communities theme, each of which has identified six priorities or critical issues as they are known in the strategy. The proposed critical issues for the healthier communities theme are;

The Healthier Communities

Critical Issue 1 Obesity and Malnutrition

Reduce obesity by increasing levels of physical activity and healthy eating, and reduce malnourishment particularly in children and older people

Critical Issue 2 Sexual Health and Teenage Pregnancy

Improve sexual health and reduce unwanted teenage pregnancies and the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases

Critical Issue 3 The Use of Alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs

Reduce the harm caused by the use and misuse of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs

Critical Issue 4 Mental Health and Well Being

To improve the mental health and well being of people in the district

Critical Issue 5 Infant mortality

Reduce infant mortality by implementing the 10 priority areas for action outlined in the infant mortality commission summary report

Critical Issue 5 Children’s Health

All themes came together at a meeting on the 11th of July to present and discuss their proposals. More information on the critical issues for all of the themes are available from Bradford CVS (t: 01274 722772 or e: health@bradfordcvs.org.uk)

Further Information, Comments and HealthNet Membership

Please contact: Rachel Cooper @ Bradford CVS (e: health@bradfordcvs.org.uk or t: 01274 722772)

Monday, 9 July 2007

Strategic Health Improvement Forum Finance & Monitoring Sub Group meeting Feedback

The SHIP FM is currently reviewing all of the projects that are funded through the Healthy Communities Fund (The old HCFT). Two sub groups have been set up to look at:


1) Mental Health, Physical and Learning Disabilities Projects.

2) Infrastructure Support, Cancer and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Projects.

Both sub groups will meet in July and will feed their discussions into the next SHIP meeting. I will be attending the sub group looking at the HCF funded Mental Health and Disability Schemes. Tuesday 17th July.

Key points for all projects funded through SHIP (old HCFT)

Projects will have to be able to show that they fit the 6 criteria identified in the Draft Sustainable Communities Strategy, which are:

1)Obesity and Malnutrition

2) Smoking and substance misuse.

3) Sexual Health and Teenage Pregnancy

4) Mental Health

5) Children’s Health

6) Infant Mortality

Rather than automatic continuation of funding, each project will be directed to re-apply for funding showing how the project will meet the new criteria above.

Wednesday, 4 July 2007

Feedback: Health Improvement Forum (HIF) meeting (27th June 2007)

Feedback on the last Health Improvement Forum (HIF) meeting (27th June 2007)
From Jane Howie, HealthNet Rep.

A HealthNet rep one of the three covering the SHIP/HIF/SHIP FM are to be invited to the upcoming July 11th meeting looking at all ten Sustainable Community Strategy themes, I am willing to attend this.

Stan Kidd said that the idea that there is a Core Value Group is a bit of a misnomer (?) but that the core principles exist implicitly through the themes and that these need to be flagged up. I did mention that HealthNet had thought it was a bit late in the day to bolt on core themes.

Stan was concerned that the consultation that is being undertaken on the SCS does not come across has having preconceived priorities. (which is a bit strange because as far as I can see they have all been decided on!) However, hopefully there will be some scope for comments and suggestions to be added.

At the next meeting of HIF it was decided to look at an issue that crossed several of the themes and worklessness (and healthy places of work) was chosen. This stems across the economic, health and Older peoples themes.

A new standard agenda setting process was agreed that will allow members of HIF the opportunity to determine the agenda (items to be submitted at least 10 days before HIF meetings).

Terms of Reference for HIF were circulated and accepted.

The SHIP chair is to rotate between Nicky Hoyle and Peter Kay.

As well as updates on the 6 Health Priority themes there will be space at future HIF meetings to look at other critical issues.

HIF would really like to see some impact stories –giving an opportunity to show how the money they give out is being spent.

Contact Rachel Cooper @ Bradford CVS (t: 01274 722772 or e:health@bradfordcvs.org.uk)