Issue - items at meetings - Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Update

Report of Director of Public Health (copy attached)

36.1         The Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health which explained that from April 2013, local authorities and clinical commissioning groups would have equal and explicit obligations to prepare a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA).  This duty would be discharged by the Health and Wellbeing Board.  The Board were asked to approve the production of the JSNA summary for 2013. 

36.2         Alistair Hill, Consultant in Public Health reported that the planned programme of in depth needs assessments for 2013/14 would be brought to the May Board for approval.  The JSNA would then be submitted to the September Board meeting.  Six month updates to the Board were recommended.

36.3    Heather Tomlinson supported Option 2.  With regard to the census information, she asked what level of information was obtained from the 2011 Census regarding the analysis of need.  Was the data numerical only or was there an analysis of what those numbers meant with regard to community needs?  Alistair Hill, Consultant in Public Health explained that the census data was being released over a period of time.  There would be more detailed information in the future. This data could be translated into intelligence.  He wanted to take the numbers and link them to knowledge of local people and use them as a base for action.

36.4    Tom Scanlon supported Option 2.  He stressed that it was important to focus on priorities when considering the rolling programme of strategic needs assessments.  The Consultant in Public Health stated that priorities had not been decided.  Dementia had been identified as an area which could be prioritised for a needs assessment. 

36.5    Robert Brown noted that the report referred to officers working with the Community and Voluntary Sector Forum.  He was worried that people in the community would not be consulted.  How would people feed their views into the JSNA?  Would the community be able to feed back through HealthWatch?  Mr Brown mentioned that Housing Areas Management Panels rarely talked about health issues.  He suggested that the Housing Panels could be consulted and their views fed back to HealthWatch and then on to the JSNA.   

36.6    The Chair stated that he would discuss the suggestion with the Chair of the Housing Committee.   The Consultant in Public Health explained that there was housing representation on the City Needs Assessment Steering Group.  There was a great deal of joint working in place.

36.7    Councillor Shanks supported Option 2 and suggested that the Youth Council, and Older Peoples Council and community groups have some involvement in the JSNA. 

36.8    Councillor Meadows also considered that the Older Peoples Council and Youth Council should be consulted on the document.  Councillor Meadows agreed it made sense for the JSNA to be a live document with accurate information.  Councillor Meadows asked for clarification of paragraph 3.4 in relation to the City Needs Assessment Steering Group. 

36.9    Councillor Norman supported Option 2.  He suggested that the last sentence in bold in paragraph 3.4 be re-worded.  This was agreed by the Board.  The sentence should now read “With the establishment of the Health & Wellbeing Board, the City Needs Assessment Steering Group will report to the Health and Wellbeing Board in relation to JSNA from April 2013.

36.10  RESOLVED – (1) That Option 2 be agreed for the 2013 JSNA summary, as set out in paragraph 3.6.2 of the report.

(2)       That suggested plan and timetable for the 2013 JSNA summary be approved.