Issue - meetings

20 minutes

Board to agree the refresh of the JHWS Implementation Plan.

Sarah Heathcote, Health Inequalities Manager, B&NES

Sarah Heathcote, Health Inequalities Manager, B&NES, introduced the report and drew attention to the following:

1.  The Health and Wellbeing Board requested a ‘light touch’ review and refresh.

2.  Priority theme reporting leads were briefed to update actions ensuring alignment with System and Place plans. Priority theme sponsors signed off changes.

3.  A key principle was to have ambition, ensuring that all actions remain in line with existing resources (working to a two-year time frame).

4.  As part of the refresh the HWB requested an explicit focus on disadvantaged groups and specific action on inequalities where possible.

5.  The review highlighted the progress made on actions in the current plan. The established process for monitoring implementation of the strategy has also highlighted progress and the exception reporting log provides evidence of this.

6.  The four priority theme areas of the JHWS and the strategy objectives within them remain current and did not require substantive change.

7.  The LGA review of the HWB in February 2025 included a recommendation to categorise actions within the JHWS Implementation Plan according to a ‘drive, ‘sponsor’, ‘observe’ framework and the Board was asked to consider whether to take this forward as a separate piece of work.

The Board raised the following comments:

1.  In relation to priority 2, there was a lot of work going on in the Future Ambition Board (FAB) and young people not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) were a particular priority.  There may be a better a way of building on the work of the FAB to ensure there was no duplication with the JHWS. (action: Kate Morton/Sophie Broadfield)

2.  The suggestion of the LGA to apply the drive/sponsor/observe framework would be helpful in moving forward.  It was agreed that the reporting leads would look at this issue and this would be the subject of a future development session.

The Board RESOLVED to:

1.  Note the engagement undertaken with priority theme sponsors and reporting leads in the review and refresh process.

2.  Approve the refreshed Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy Implementation Plan and agree a timeframe for a future review.

3.  Consider the LGA recommendation to apply the Drive Sponsor Observe framework to categorise and prioritise actions in the Implementation Plan at a future development session.