Agenda item - Formal Public Involvement

4(a) petitions

4.1       The baby box petitioners were not in attendance at the meeting to present their petition. The Chair noted that the subject of premature mortality was a very important one, and that there would be a focus on reducing rates of infant mortality in general, and inequalities in terms of mortality rates specifically, as part of the review of the city Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy Starting Well commitments.

4.2       RESOLVED – that the petition be noted.

4(b)     Public Questions

4.3     The Chair asked Daniel Harris to put his question. Mr Harris asked:

The museum of homelessness an organisation who monitor nationwide homeless deaths finally after a struggle to get an FOI response on homeless deaths in which Cllrs and myself had to intervene, have told me the following: 

“the council has told us of 31 deaths in 2021, all of which took place in supported or emergency accommodation. This is not dissimilar to the number they provided us in 2020, which was 30.”

This is very high.  Would the council consider commissioning a report into these by BH Healthwatch in order to fully understand how this happened?

4.4       The Chair responded by noting that it was unfortunately the case that the mean age of death for homeless people is in their mid-forties, compared with around 80 for the general population, with a particularly high prevalence of deaths associated with drug poisoning, alcohol-specific causes or suicide. Brighton & Hove is developing a new Drug Strategy and is refreshing the Suicide Prevention Strategy. The needs of homeless people will be addressed in both.

4.5       In response, Mr Harris noted the complexity of the support needs of many homeless people, where there may be multiple vulnerabilities in play, and asked again if the Board would consider commissioning Healthwatch to obtain more information about this very vulnerable group. The Chair responded that she would consult with housing colleagues and with the Chair of Housing Committee about this (Cllr Hugh-Jones, Chair of Housing Committee, was in attendance at the Board in any case).