Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health, which presented the final version of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for Sheffield. The Board were asked to identify any corrections or amendments prior to the publication of the JSNA on the Council website. The JSNA provided an evidence base for the City’s Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

James Henderson, Director of Policy, Performance and Communications, gave a presentation concerning the JSNA and which summarised the main points in the document and the priorities which it identified.

Members of the Board discussed a number of issues relating to the JSNA.

·         The Board thanked the team who had worked on producing the JSNA, which was a straightforward and honest document that presented a picture of the main needs in the City and focussed on the problems.

·         It should be recognised that people were living longer and many older people were living healthy and independent lives, a fact which should be celebrated.

·         However, there were also areas of concern, including the effects of rising youth unemployment. A strategy concerning mental health and low level mental health problems was near completion. It was thought that people in employment were less likely to suffer from poor mental health.

·         Paragraph 2.13 of the JSNA indicated that Sheffield had a comparatively high number of people with learning disabilities and greater understanding was needed as to the explanation, whether it be more effective detection and recording of cases in the City or that the number of people with a learning disability is actually comparatively higher.

·         Infant mortality was a continuing problem, although there was a strategy in place and a stakeholder event was due to take place in July. The level of infant mortality in Asian groups was also highlighted and work would need to done with the communities affected. Reference was made to drawing parents’ attention to the issue of infant mortality and to the fact that things could be done to reduce it. A campaign in New Zealand, to use a specially designed cot, which could be placed in a parent’s bed, had been found to reduce the incidence of child deaths connected with parents sleeping with a young child. 

·         Whilst Sheffield had a low number of looked after children compared to other Core Cities, these were children with the most complex needs and challenging behaviours and there was a need to support them. The Government had decided that any young person who is on remand would become a looked after child in the care of the local authority. The number of looked after children was therefore likely to increase and there was also concern that young people in care may become stigmatised as a result of this change.

·         Whilst attainment in Sheffield had improved in two Key Stages, it was an issue which still needed attention and outcomes for every young person should be improved by raising both attainment and expectations through great schools and healthy and safe families.

·         There were many areas upon which Healthwatch Sheffield and the partners on the Board might work together, utilising Healthwatch to develop the JSNA document and influence outcomes and involving communities including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) and Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups. Healthwatch Sheffield could help with engagement and the communication of messages to the public and concerning decisions affecting them. Particular issues included mental health and wellbeing.

·         Investment had been made in speech and language therapy services and it was hoped that this would have a positive effect on children with speech, language and communication needs.

·         It was confirmed that the JSNA had previously been considered when the Board was meeting in shadow form and some of the issues contained within the JSNA were the already the subject of attention.

·         How the Board and other stakeholders responded to the JSNA was an important matter, with the relevant strategy and initiatives being linked to other evidence, including the State of Sheffield report. It was suggested that the JSNA was published in July, once it was signed-off by the Board.

·         In the NHS, the effects of demographic change and increasing demand, together with the efficiency challenge meant that it felt as though budgets were being reduced, despite the fact that the NHS budget had not been reduced. It was important not to lose sight of ambitions for the City.

·         Health, social care and community services should be as integrated as possible to make sure every available pound was spent and used so as to ensure real outcomes for people.

·         There was already a considerable amount of evidence relating to user experience, be it through GPs, providers or the third sector. There was an issue of how this evidence might be aggregated

·         It was suggested that the order of the executive summary of the JSNA be changed to reflect what were considered to be the more important points.

4.1

RESOLVED: that the Health and Wellbeing Board:

1.    agrees the final version of the JSNA for Sheffield (2013) subject to any final corrections or minor amendments being approved by the Co-chairs of the Board.

2.    requests an update on the JSNA forward work plan to be submitted to a future meeting of the Board.

4.2

REASONS FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS

The production, publication and maintenance of a JSNA complies with the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act (2012).