Building Stafford’s Healthy Future

Posted on 12th July 2012

Consultation Event 19th July 2012

Background

In 2010 the Government published ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People’ which put local communities at the heart of public health, it also put a new importance of prevention work, and stated Public Health England would support local innovation. In April 2012 Public Health England sent copies of a draft Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) to district councils asking them to add any local data making it an enhanced JSNA (EJSNA). In the draft there are only two pages for Stafford, which are limited to lifestyle related conditions. Influences on health such as housing, mental health, employment, environment etc are not currently included, despite clear correlations.

Public Health England made a point that EJSNAs should: include assets, focus on partnership work, provide a ‘picture of place’, and involve local communities. They also stated that the EJSNA will influence commissioning plans; Clinical Commissioning Groups and partners must take EJSNA into account when preparing commissioning plans and consult Health and Wellbeing Boards, and as a result there will be increased integrated commissioning and pooled budgets. .

Event

In order to meet Public Health England’s objectives for the EJSNA the Council set up a health and wellbeing partnership; Building Stafford’s Healthy Future. The first stage is to run consultation work and gather all local data in hard, and soft forms. To ensure all delivery services are engaged with the partnership the Marmot Review Life Stage model has been adopted; Start Well, Develop Well, Live Well, Work Well, Age Well, Die Well.

A Delivery Team was set up to co-ordinate this engagement work which will launch at a public consultation event on Thursday 19th July 10:00am-4:00pm at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. The event will set out in two areas, the first being a walk through all the Life Stages, where visitors will be able to talk to professionals in each of the fields, and have the opportunity to leave their experiences, comments, and aspirations. The second is a ‘market place’ of stand holders where visitors can browse 24 stands receiving advice, guidance, and information about local services currently running at each of the Stages.

The event is an open day with no agenda, all visitors are welcome, the public will benefit from attending because they will have the opportunity to speak to health professionals, find out about local services, and have an input in creating the EJSNA and ultimately shaping services in their area. Professionals will benefit from attending because they will have the opportunity to network, they can raise gaps in services or celebrate success, and as part of the partnership have access to future funding opportunities.

Next Steps

Other consultation work is taking place through Staffordshire Police’s People Panel, the Clinical Commissioning Group’s Patient’s Panel, and general survey work. The Delivery Team and Stafford Borough Council’s Health and Wellbeing Officer group have been tasked with engaging public and partners. From all the information captured for the EJSNA we will be able to see all the areas, which need provision to improve health and wellbeing. A Stafford and Surrounds Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-15 will be developed through the partnership and commissioning, and action plans will be created to enable delivery.

Please look at the partnership website

For more details contact Kate Harrold Health and Wellbeing Strategy Officer