Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Democratic Services Officer will draw attention to the emergency evacuation procedure.

The Democratic Services Officer drew attention to the emergency evacuation procedure.

Apologies had been received from:

Sophie Broadfield – David Trethewey in attendance as substitute

Cara Charles Barks

Jayne Davis

Sara Gallagher

Julia Griffith

Scott Hill – Jon Nash in attendance as substitute

Mary Kearney Knowles

Alice Ludgate

At this point in the meeting declarations of interest are received from Members in any of the agenda items under consideration at the meeting.

(a) The agenda item number in which they have an interest to declare.

(b) The nature of their interest.

(c) Whether their interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an other interest (as defined in Part 4.4 Appendix B of the Code of Conduct and Rules for Registration of Interests).

Any Member who needs to clarify any matters relating to the declaration of interests is recommended to seek advice from the Council’s Monitoring Officer or a member of his staff before the meeting to expedite dealing with the item during the meeting.

Cllr Paul May reported that he was a non-executive Director of Sirona Health and Care which operated in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset and if a conflict of interest arose at any future meeting, he would declare and withdraw from discussions.

David Trethewey declared an interest in item 9 “Better Care Fund update”.

Please see agenda note 4 overleaf.

There were no items from the public.

To confirm the minutes of the above meeting as a correct record.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of 4 December 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

40 minutes

The Board to receive a presentation on the Healthwatch report on Parent/Carer Experience of Emotionally Based School Avoidance and respond to the recommendations set out in the report.  The full report can be found at the following link:

Guidance (healthwatchbathnes.co.uk)

Sue Poole (Healthwatch) and Rachel Hale and Helen Yates (Directors of Bath and North East Somerset Parent/Carer Forum)

Sue Poole (Healthwatch) and Rachel Hale/Helen Yates (Directors of Bath and North East Somerset Parent/Carer Forum) gave a presentation on their joint report on parent/carers’ experience of emotionally based school avoidance, a copy of which was circulated with the agenda pack.

Board Members raised the following comments:

1.  In response to concerns raised about accessing consistent support from GPs, there were alternatives to a clinical response, such as support from the Youth Forum and the Community Wellbeing Hub.  Although the Community Wellbeing Hub was aimed currently at ages 16+ it was looking to expand to support younger people. 

It was noted that GPs may not be the best point of contact and a needs led approach was preferable, but parent/carers were often directed to GPs by schools.

Representatives of the Parent/Carer Forum stated that although there was support available around the child, there was no support for parent/carers/siblings and extended family many of whom were struggling with mental health issues.

2.  In relation to joined up working, it was also noted that from an ICB perspective, there was BSW Children and Young People Programme Board and a Learning Disabilities and Autism Programme.  The Chair also suggested that this issue be brought to the attention of the B&NES Schools Standards Board.

3.  It was recognised that there was an increase in emotionally based school avoidance, and it was important that school nurses/public health nurses were trained on EBSA to enable them to support students.

Nicola Hazle, Kate Morton, Becky Reynolds and Val Scrase offered to support Healthwatch and the Parent/Carers Forum develop the recommendations set out in the report.  It was also suggested that Mary Kearney Knowles be involved as Director of Children’s Services and Education.

The Board RESOLVED to:

1.  Note and raise awareness of the report.

2.  Support Healthwatch/Parent/Carers Forum with developing the recommendations set out in the report.

5 minutes

To seek the Board’s approval for the Better Care Fund Quarter 3 return.

Laura Ambler, Director of Place Bath and North East Somerset and

BSW ICB

Laura Amber introduced the item which sought the Board’s approval for the Better Care Fund Quarter 3 return.

In response to questioning, she confirmed that the fund was on track to deliver its targets this year.

The Board RESOLVED to ratify the Quarter 3 return.

30 minutes

The Board to receive a presentation on primary dental services in Bath and North East Somerset.

Victoria Stanley, Programme Lead: Pharmacy, Optometry and Dentistry, ICB

Victoria Stanley (Programme Lead: Pharmacy, Optometry and Dentistry ICB) gave a presentation on primary dental services in Bath and North East Somerset including an update on the new Government National Dental Recovery Plan which had been published on 7 February and covered funding arrangements, encouraging dental clinicians to work for the NHS, providing additional resources for oral health improvement and setting out the steps to make accessing dental care easier and faster (updated presentation attached as an appendix to these minutes).

The following comments were raised by Board Members:

1.  It was noted that dentists were independent businesses and had no obligation to hold lists of patients. Patients were not registered with a dentist in the same way they were with a GP and dentists could meet contractual obligations by recalling patients more frequently than required.

2.  It was noted that recruitment and retention was a challenge and there was a need to consider working with the nearby workforce providers for B&NES.

3.  In relation to the priority of prevention, it was important to consider how to bring dental colleagues in to work alongside other health care providers.

4.  It was noted that the challenges facing dental provision was a national issue and the situation in B&NES was better than a lot of other areas including Swindon and Wiltshire.

The Board RESOLVED to note the presentation and note that further information would be available later in the year.

20 minutes

The Board to consider:

1.  Quarter 4 Exception Report

2.  Annual Priority Indicator Set Summary

Sarah Heathcote (Health Inequalities Manager) and Paul Scott (Associate Director and Consultant in Public Health)

The Board noted that:

1.  This was the first meeting to receive the biannual exception reporting by designated reporting leads.  The reports were signed off by sponsors who were HWB members.

2.  The exception reporting was one of the new ways of monitoring the implementation of the JHWS. 

3.  Reporting leads also reviewed and summarised the health and wellbeing priority indicator set annually, and the summaries were included at the end of the exception reports. 

The Board raised the following comments:

1.  The exception reports were welcomed as an assurance that the priorities of the JHWS were being implemented.

2.  The Development Sessions were also an opportunity to look at the implementation of priority themes in more detail.

3.  The Council had recently adopted an Economic Strategy and there would be opportunities for connectivity with the JHWS.  This would be discussed in detail at a future Development Session.

4.  In relation to Priority 1, it was noted that some of the actions were dependent on Government however, it was important not to lose sight of the impact on families/parents on not meeting objectives and also the higher demands for children’s services.

The Board RESOLVED to note the exception reports.

15 minutes

The Board to receive an update on the plan to meet the new serious violence duty in B&NES.

Joshua Khan (Public Health Registrar) and Paul Scott (Associate Director and Consultant in Public Health)

.

Joshua Khan (Public Health Registrar) introduced the report and drew attention to the four priorities:

1.  Prevention and early intervention

2.  Response and support

3.  Community engagement and ongoing assessment of need

4.  Alignment and collaboration within and across organisations

He confirmed that while there had been a national increase in serious violent incidents, these were relatively low in Bath and North East Somerset when compared with other areas, but there was a perception that there was a high level of incidents especially in relation to knife crime and anti-social behaviour.

Board Members raised the following comments:

1.  The community events were welcomed to help address residents’ concerns around serious violence incidents.

2.  As well as the work by B&NES Council, Parish and Town Councils were also picking up work around community safety.

3.  As one of the risk factors for serious violence was exclusion from school, it would be useful to link this work with the Schools Standards Board.

4.  It was noted that there was collaborative work between different local authorities and police authorities in relation to perpetrators coming in to B&NES from outside the area.

The Board RESOLVED to

(1)  Note the key priorities set out in the Plan to Prevent and Reduce Serious Violence in B&NES 2024-2025.

(2)  Note the governance structure of ongoing local serious violence work.

(3)  Support the development of an implementation plan that will set out how to operationalise the determined priorities.

KEY MESSAGES FROM THE MEETING

1.  There was broad support for the Parent Carer Forum EBSA report recommendations and commitment for these to be shared with the CYP team, Community Wellbeing Hub and public health, and health visitors to be taken forward.

2.  All Board members to raise awareness of/influence the EBSA report through existing networks and teams.

3.  The Better Care Fund is on track to deliver its targets this year. Particular progress has been made in B&NES with hospital discharges with far fewer patients being unable to leave our hospital compared with last year. Joint working has achieved a steady position of below 20 in the RUH for B&NES, (a reduction from average of 60 last Winter). The system position remains under pressure across BSW ICB overall.

4.  The Government’s recent announcement about changes to the dentistry regime in the UK is still being worked through, and while some B&NES statistics are better than Swindon and Wiltshire, there are clearly significant problems in B&NES in terms of workforce, capacity, access and residents getting check-ups – we expect to hear more on this later in the year.

5.  The first half-yearly update on the implementation plan was very well received, and consideration will be given on how it can be shared even more widely.

6.  Serious violence and knife crime is lower in B&NES than neighbouring areas, but the perception of violence is relatively high, in turn fuelling violent behaviour; the HWB strategy and implementation plan will address many of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.