Agenda and minutes

These were received from Councillor Bialyk, Matt Evans, Tim Golby, Caroline Lee, Superintendent De Reya and Jo Yelland

The minutes of the meeting held on 5 July 2016 were taken as read and signed by the Chair as correct.

Robert Norley report that the Statement of Intent had been submitted to Sport England confirming the Board’s commitment to the principles of “Towards and Active Nation: Sport England Strategy 2017-21”.

Robert Norley updated the Board on progress with the Get Active Exeter Project as follows:-

• 280 participants to date in 24 out of 31 projects, as part of the three year project utilising the £190,000 grant from Sport England, Public Health and other partners;
• City Fit Club 3 to be launched on 26 September for City Council Members and staff which would be the core Exeter City Council scheme around which other activities would be built;
• Six Week Peak Performance Gym Challenge to start in October and targeting staff in workplaces linked with Children in Need; and
• a GP Physical Activity Clinical Champions training on 29 September aimed at developing awareness of physical activity and the positive role GP practices could play in influencing patients.

Julian Tagg referred to the projects being delivered as part of the Exeter City FC Football in the Community and of the importance to ensure it dovetailed with the Get Active Exeter initiative and the overall Health and Wellbeing Agenda. There would be a co-ordinating meeting to plan events at 11am on Monday 10 October. Dawn Rivers identified both the ICE project and the Exeter Community Forum as further areas for joint working that would have an important part to play.

RESOLVED that Dawn Rivers and Julian Tagg liaise to ensure coordination of projects.

Kirsty Hill presented the Public Health England 2016 Exeter District Health Profile which gave an overview of the health and wellbeing of the Exeter district population via 31 different indicators, giving a comparison to England via a RAG (Red, Amber, Green) rating. A discussion around the indicators that linked to the Exeter Health and Wellbeing Board priority areas took place including increasing levels of physical activity, reducing harm from alcohol, reducing falls and cold homes and improving the health of the most disadvantaged.

Some indicators were significantly better than the England average (with a green circle) although it was noted that, in some cases, the England average was not a good aspiration as it was also high. Indicators for both physical activity and food and diet were amber. Excess winter deaths, which could be used as a proxy indicator to support the cold homes priority, were above the national average and it was noted that sadly the UK was worse than some colder European countries, including Scandinavia. Additional publicity around risks of cold homes and the opportunities for financial assistance through Cosy Devon via publications like the City Council’s Citizen could only help take-up of house insulation and better heating systems. The life expectancy gap between the most and least deprived was greater for men than women and was showing an increasing trend in men, but a decreasing trend in females.

Alcohol specific hospital stays in under 18’s and hospital stays for alcohol harm in all ages were both significantly above the national average and understandably were both areas of concern. It was noted that the City also showed high rates of hospital stays for self-harm. It was suggested that there was a potential linkage across issues of mental health, alcohol, self-harm and suicide that warranted further analysis. There were likely to be other potential contributory underlying influences and comparisons between Exeter and the comparator cities (Norwich, etc.) may yield more valuable information to identify and explain potential trends; in turn this would aid identification of potential interventions. The correlation between ARID data and existing public health data, was also worth pursuing – e.g. to establish whether under-age alcohol admissions were linked to off-licence or on-licence sales of alcohol The discussion included the role that social media played in influencing behaviour in young adults

Simon Bowkett referred to a South West Science Network bid to the Lottery for funding for research into young peoples’ use of drugs and alcohol which could potentially reveal useful insights. Dawn Rivers reported that, following cut backs to the youth service, a working group of Exeter Board was developing a Youth Strategy for the City in terms of their needs - again, the feedback of information from this consultation could be rich.

Recent media coverage of alcohol related hospital admissions had occurred that morning on BBC Spotlight and Radio Devon had made enquiries on the indicators in this profile from their preview of the agenda of this meeting.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)        Tim Todd of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 100.

(a)  Update on work of Exeter Food Network

(b)  Case Study – Sugar Smart City

Ruby King spoke to her presentation on a Sugar Smart City and on the work undertaken by the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership in conjunction with the Brighton and Hove City Council, Brighton and Hove Public Health and Jamie Oliver’s Team. The Board praised the scope and detail of the project and agreed that a similar scheme would be of great value in Exeter and give an identifiable aspirational target that could be progressed in association with the Exeter Food Network.

Reference was made to the direct roles both the County and City Council’s could potentially play through procurement, for example - the former through its staff canteen and its relationship with Devon Norse who also supplied school meals and the latter through its leisure contract, particularly the new Leisure Centre. All organisations could think about sugar as an issue and make small changes such as healthier options for vending machines in its offices. The various roles of councils (e.g. leadership, regulation, partnership) could greatly assist in bringing business and other organisations on board.

Presentation, including Jamie Oliver video, attached.

RESOLVED that the Board support:-

(1)        the Sugar Smart City approach as the “improving diet” priority and invite the Exeter Food Network form a working group to progress this initiative;

(2)        use of public consultation to select the best areas to focus on - Dawn Rivers and Robert Norley to progress with the support of the Exeter Food Network working group;

(3)        signing up as a supporter to the Children’s Food Campaign as organisations and a Board and issuing a press release;

(4)        Board Members being requested to respond either collectively or individually to the sugary drinks consultation below. The response from the Children’s Food Campaign could be used to inform this response:-

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/soft-drinks-industry-levy

Dawn Rivers advised that the next Exeter Board on 22 September would focus on dementia with presentations from the following presenters followed by discussion on how Exeter should respond to the challenges of dementia over the next 10 years:-

(a)  Background - Dementia Friendly Communities Partnership - Padouk Fielding

(b)  Exeter Dementia Action Alliance – Gina Awad

(c)  Topsham Day Care – The Mede – Sallie Rutledge

(d)  Age UK Exeter – Martyn Rogers

(e)  RAMM – Ruth Gidley.

(f)   Estuary League of Friends – Rachel Gilpin

Should the Exeter Board support the concept of Exeter becoming a Dementia Friendly City, it was anticipated that this Health and Wellbeing Board would be asked to assist in progressing the initiative.

Gillian Champion informed the Board of a new, free App on paediatric care available for downloading. The Handi App had been developed by Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust with assistance from paediatricians from the RD&E, and was primarily aimed at assisting parents with children who were ill. Board Members could assist in raising awareness of the Handi App amongst staff in its organisations through the link below.

http://www.tsft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/innovation-projects/handi-paediatric-specialist-advice-when-and-where-you-need-it/

RESOLVED that the November meeting of the Board focus on progress with the ICE project, the Assistant Director Customer Access, who is an ICE Executive Board Member to be invited to present alongside Jo Yelland.

Future meetings, commencing at 2.00pm, were scheduled for:-

Tuesday 15 November 2016;

Tuesday 31 January 2017;

Tuesday 11 April 2017; and

Tuesday 11 July 2017.