Agenda and minutes

These were received from Councillors Newby and Morris, Julian Tagg, Virginia Pearson and Kealey Sherwood.

Subject to the inclusion of Councillor Newby in the list of attendees and with Tim Golby referred to as a Devon County Council representative, the minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2015 were taken as read and signed by the Chair as correct.

Robert Norley reported that the City Council had established a Task and Finish Group to examine homelessness and rough sleeping which included Members, Officers and representatives of outside agencies. In addition, the SHOT contract was to be re-tendered.

Simon Bowkett reported the creation of a health and well being hub at Watt Tyler House utilising a £440,000 grant from Public Health England to be completed by October. It would accommodate the Clocktower surgery, Community Rehabilitation Scheme, Devon Partnership Trust Mental Health Outreach Team, SHOT, the Edison Trust (HIV and Sexual Health) and the Community Housing Association.

Responding to Councillor Edwards, he confirmed that the hub would also act as a point of discharge for offenders released from Exeter prison, the hub providing release funds as well as housing and benefit assessment and health and well being advice.

RESOLVED that a presentation on the Wat Tyler House Hub project be made to the September Board meeting.

Matt Evans advised that he and Julian Tagg were to meet with Mark Parkinson of Exeter City Council (in place of Sarah Ward) to progress the Leisure Facilities Strategy and Playing Pitch Strategy and an overarching strategy document.

RESOLVED that Matt Evans report on progress at the September Board meeting.

Councillor Owen advised that Councillor Morris had replaced Councillor Hannaford as the Portfolio Holder for Customer Access (Councillor Hannaford was now the Portfolio Holder for the Housing Revenue Account) and would be attending future Board meetings as one of the City Council representatives as her remit covered housing advice, benefits, homelessness, supported housing etc.

The Public Health Specialist presented a breakdown of the Devon Public Health Outcomes report for Exeter referring to recent Public Health England and Public Health Devon publication and to the following future locality outcome publications:-

·         Exeter Locality Public Health Plan - data section in Sept/Oct 2015;and

·         Exeter Locality Public Health Outcomes Report - Sept/Oct 2015

Areas of note from Devon were:-

·         areas that outcomes in Devon that are worse than the LA comparator group centre around :mental health, health checks, excess weight in children, alcohol admissions and fuel poverty; and

·         in addition to these of note for Exeter in the locality break-downs were domestic violence, teenage conception rates and injuries due to falls.

The following issues were raised:-

·         high percentage of domestic violence correlated with high levels of alcohol use and the figures also showed that there was a high incidence of repeat offending;

·         it was not thought that the higher figures for alcohol related admissions reflected the University’s presence;

·         whilst the teenage conception rate remains higher for Exeter than the Devon average, it showed a downward trend over time and the gap between the most deprived wards and least deprived wards was narrowing;

·         the national childhood measurement programme collects data on both overweight and underweight children; and

·         there were higher rates for hospital admissions for self-harm in Exeter and some towns in East Devon.

RESOLVED that the Board:-

1)    note the report;

2)    a report be made to the Board meeting on overweight and malnourished children and the work of the Community Food Network;

3)    a report on self harm be made to the September Board meeting;

4)    the presentation be circulated to Board Members; and

5)    the Exeter Public Health Locality Plan 2015 be further considered at the November Board meeting.

(a)  Update on the ICE project progress and governance arrangements with Exeter Health and Wellbeing Board; and

(b)  Outline of work-streams approved by ICE Board on 12 June 2015 and potential links with other projects.

Jo Yelland spoke on the delivery of the Integrated Care Exeter Programme. Her presentation covered the ICE Programme Development and Programme Governance, strategic aims and objectives and delivery programmes and critical milestones.

The Programme aimed to look at collaborative ways of working with a view to formulating an integrated care vision for Exeter. It would provide a range of integrated activity for services in partnership to improve a wide range of health, care and community outcomes. Crucial to its success was to achieve operational and cultural change at agency level and to design new ways of working.

The ICE project aimed to give residents a better experience of care and health and social care outcomes and deliver care in the most cost effective way.  The voluntary sector would play a key role and be developed to facilitate a more integrated response to those at most risk. The focus would be on early intervention and upstream preventative measures through increasing personal responsibility, self care and community resilience and improving co-ordination, timeliness and delivery of care.

Reference was made to accountability through the Devon County Council Scrutiny framework, this Board and the Devon Health and Wellbeing Board.

RESOLVED that:-

1)    the report be noted;

2)    Jo Yelland be appointed to the Board; and

3)    strategic oversight through this Board (together with the Devon Health and Wellbeing Board) confirmed.

(a)  Sport England Bid - Sport Activation Fund;

(b)  Alcoa Project - progress report; and

(c)  Ping Exeter 2015.

James Bogue, Chair of the Active Exeter Group, updated the Board on the following:-

Sport England Bid

The result of the bid would be known shortly. The total funds for this three year project were £135,000, year one to commence in January 2016 with employers and community organisations targeted. Twelve different large employers, including EDF and South West Water, had agreed to participate as well as smaller businesses such as those involved in the St. Thomas Business Association, together with six primary schools, two secondary schools and two Children centres. Led by the City Council and managed by Active Exeter, it would be supported by the Exeter Football in the Community, Legacy Leisure and Exeter Chiefs with media coverage led by the Express and Echo as the lead. Over the three year period, it was hoped to engage 2,000 inactive people. Although a strong bid, it was facing strong competition. Utilising data from Transport Devon, it would be appropriate to incorporate everyday cycling and walking into the project.

Alcoa

With a budget of 42,000 provided by Alcoa, Cowick Barton had been chosen a programme of outdoor facilities. Laura Robinson, one of the City’s three community organisers and who was based in this area and now employed by Active Devon, was supporting the community engagement process in developing the initiatives which included:-

·         an Outdoor Fitness Trail;

·         interactive events such as pop up family activities, orienteering course and cycling and walking, leaders for the latter having come forward;

·         wild-zone;

·         parents of Bowhill Primary School children had formed a runners group and signed up to a 5k event;

·         concrete table tennis table.

Ping

The second year of ping had recently been launched in Princesshay, funded by Sport England, with the 35 tables used last year increased to 50 with new locations including the Cathedral and Central Station. Cafes, pubs etc. would be encouraged to take the tables inside during the winter months. Table tennis had once functioned widely across the City and it was hoped to re-invigorate interest through encouraging work based and after school clubs in secondary schools. 

Dawn Rivers enlarged on the work and impact of the community organisers, much success having been achieved in Wonford, where an entry had been made into the Britain in Bloom competition. She also referred to Laura Robinson’s outreach work in St Thomas including helping to network St. Thomas and Foxhayes Primary Schools and GP’s and community initiatives taking place in the local area.

This work was informed by the Behaviour Change scoping review.

RESOLVED that the Board note the report.

Nicola Glassbrook updated the Board on progress with the MEAM national pilot in Devon which was seeking to secure transformational change in people with complex needs;, poor physical or  mental health, substance misuse, criminal/, anti-social behaviour. A principle aim was to secure organisational change across agencies to ensure a joined up approach. It complemented the work of ICE. She introduced Tess Sadatian, recently engaged as the local co-ordinator.

Her work to date has involved liaison with all Devon agencies, volunteer organisations and GP’s to map their involvement with people with complex needs across Exeter, Mid and East Devon and Teignbridge. Torbay had recently appointed its own co-ordinator. To date, seven clients have  been identified with a target of 40 by March 2016.  Individuals with at least three of the above characteristics were assessed through a person centred/appreciative inquiry process to determine eligibility in order to simplify the referral process and improve well-being.

The first operational group had been held in the previous week to discuss clients and address barriers with reports on clients being considered by the strategic group. She would also evaluate project costs.

Simon Bowkett emphasised the scale of the culture change required in organisations to meet the model especially in view of recent deaths.

RESOLVED that Tess Sadatian speak on this project to the Community Safety Partnership.

Robert Norley reported that, following on from the presentation to the previous Board meetings by Tracey Wilson, the eye clinic liaison officer, Members and officers of Devon County Council and Exeter City Council had participated in a visually impaired walkabout from the Civic Centre to the top of Fore Street.

The participants had been able to experience the barriers that existed to blind and partially sighted people navigating on foot around pedestrian thoroughfares. The six common obstacles experienced were A Boards, waste receptacles, street furniture, parking on pavements, poor differentiation between highway use (road and pavement) and poorly designated/provisional crossing points. The reports showed how dialogue with blind or partially sited people could improve the understanding of the impact of these obstacles and set out an action plan including potential mitigation measures.

Councillor Owen referred to specific problems identified in respect of the pedestrian crossing on Paris Street outside the Civic Centre because of malfunctioning knobs and the absence of equipment on the island in the middle of the road.

RESOLVED that the Board support:-

(1)        the development of a “clear streets policy or charter” in partnership with blind and partially sighted people, and principle stakeholders (e.g. Exeter City Council, Devon County Council, Police and businesses) in order to inform decision making and provide clear and consistent guidance on reducing obstacles to blind and partially sighted people getting about in the City; and

(2)        the formulation of a plan of action to mitigate the obstacles as set out in the report, with a report on progress of these issues to be brought back to the Board in six months time.

·         Mental Health;

·         Cold homes and fuel poverty;

·         Air Quality; and

·         Physical Activity.

The following updates were provided:-

Devon wide funding received over the last two years had been disaggregated between the Districts. There had since been a reduction in the overall funding pot for this year, and so the Devon Districts were to pool the current funding and agree four work streams applicable to all Districts.

Mental Health Awareness Training

This work stream involved training of trainers to instruct front line staff in mental health issues. This would extend to training for all public bodies, including the Police and may also encompass dementia which was a growing problem as well as self harm.

Dawn Rivers also reported that the City Council was signed up to the Exeter Dementia Allowance.

Cold Homes

Funding would be used to match-fund a bid for greater funding to help address cold homes and fuel poverty in Devon.

Air quality

Poor air quality was responsible for 43 deaths per annum in Exeter. The work stream consists of widening the existing project in Exeter around personal pollution exposure and by introducing a national accreditation scheme for haulage contractors to buy into.

Physical Activity for Mums

This work stream would build upon the successful scheme run in Teignbridge, focusing on getting Mum’s active through cycling. Matt Evans and James Bogue advised that Active Devon and Active Exeter would be very interested in supporting this work stream.

All four steams correlated with the Public Health priorities.

RESOLVED that Alex Bullied report to the next Board meeting on the personal air quality project.

In view of the Board having operated for nearly two years and recent health developments in the City such as ICE, a review of the terms of reference of the Board was proposed.

RESOLVED that Robert Norley report to the September Board meeting with draft revised terms of reference.

RESOLVED that the following dates for future meetings be noted:-

Wednesday 2 September 2015          Tuesday 17 November 2015

Tuesday 2 February 2016                  Tuesday 12 April 2016

Tuesday 5 July 2016                          Tuesday 13 September 2016