Issue - meetings

Matthew Cole, Director of Public Health, presented the report which highlighted the key strategic recommendations arising from the refresh of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for 2014 and indicated that the recent policy and legislative requirements meant that the JSNA needs to be restructured and the nine priorities needed to change,  The JSNA also needed to take on board the Borough’s potential as London’s Growth Opportunity and expected demographic changes.

Matthew pointed out that it was not feasible to take mental health and safeguarding out of health and there were also a large number of people in the Borough who had more than one long-term condition and dementia was a growth area, principally linked to younger people with chronic conditions which develop dementia.

In response to a question from Councillor Carpenter about the cost of CAMHS, which was three times the London rate, Matthew Cole and Sharon Morrow advised that they would be reviewing the service as the indication was that needs were not being met measured against the level of input.

In response to a question from the Chair as to what has changed in the JSNA and how it fits in with other strategies, Matthew Cole advised that the main changes are the 9 key priorities and how we can use commission to affect those.  Anne Bristow advised that the next report would show where the changes were and specific topics would be brought to the fore for discussion.

In response to a question from Councillor Turner, Matthew Cole said that he felt that the recruitment of the additional 56 Health Visitors for the Borough was on track and achievable.  Jacqui Can Rossum confirmed that the number of students in training had been increased to improve trajectories and so ensure staff were in post next year.  Helen Jenner reminded the Board that the funding does not provide for managing the service or for specialist Health Visitors and there was still a gap in the funding being proposed.

Conor Burke commented on the value of the JSNA in formulating needs and priorities and planning for commissioning, bearing in mind what could be realistically achieved within funding constraints that were anticipated in future years. 

The Board thanked Matthew Cole for the comprehensive piece of work that he had provided.

The Board:

(i)   Agreed the recommendations of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), as set out in the report.

(ii)   Noted the implications for strategic and commissioning decisions.

(iii)   Noted that work was underway to assess the impact of the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014, which was intended to provide the evidence and policy base for future commissioning and strategic decisions relating to those changes in statutory responsibilities.