Agenda item

To receive a presentation from:

Jo Scammell – Head of Commissioning and Wellbeing at Virgin Care

Claire Thorogood - Head of Contracting & Performance Adult Social Care, at B&NES Council

Closing remarks and Cabinet update from Cllr Dine Romero, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture.

(15 minutes)

Jo Scammell, Head of Commissioning and Wellbeing at Virgin Care, and Claire Thorogood, Head of Contracting and Performance at B&NES Council gave a presentation regarding the Community Wellbeing Hub.  This covered the following points:

·  How the wellbeing hub can provide help and support

·  How and why the hub was set up

·  The partner organisations involved

·  Services provided

·  Current response pods

·  Activity and impact

·  Case study illustrating how the hub can assist individuals

·  Positive feedback received from members of the local community

·  Looking to the future

The hub was set up at the end of March and has received over 13,000 calls.  It provides assistance with many different activities and services, such as emergency food parcels, collecting prescriptions, gas and electric top-up, befriending calls, support for people who are shielding and mental health concerns.  People only have to tell their story once and do not get passed around between different organisations.  The partner organisations are located in one building and also hold regular multi-disciplinary meetings.  There is input from both social care and the safeguarding service if necessary.  There is no wish to return to a silo working arrangement and so the co-working hub model will be developed going forward.

Cllr Dine Romero, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture thanked Jo and Claire for their presentation.  She also thanked all those people who have been involved with the community hub for all they have done to help and support residents during this difficult time.  The hub provides a unique service involving the Council, private sector, and volunteers.  Cllr Romero stated that she supports this model for future working and stressed the importance of the triage element of the service as this often identifies underlying issues that have not been addressed.

Cllr Romero then gave an update on her portfolio which covered the following issues:

·  The pandemic has impacted upon children and young people in schools and colleges due to closures and the need for bubbles to self-isolate.  She thanked the Public Health Team who have worked very hard with schools to address these issues.

·  Free school meals will be provided over the summer holidays via vouchers and some funding has been provided by the Government for this.

·  A range of activities will take place over the school holidays, including a food programme to encourage healthy eating and an activity challenge.

·  The programme to improve tennis court provision in the area is well underway and a number of tennis courts have now been refurbished.

·  As infection rates rise in B&NES, residents, businesses, and visitors are encouraged to remain cautious and look after each other following the Government’s planned lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.  From Monday 19 July, most legal restrictions will be lifted, and new government guidance will be introduced.

·  Just because the restrictions are being lifted does not mean that Covid has gone away.  Case numbers are rising, frontline health and social care staff are still under consideration pressure, as are businesses and organisations.

·  The good news is that the vaccine reduces the risk of getting very ill and people are urged to get their first and second jabs and to follow the new guidance.  A vaccination bus will be used in the area (details will be advertised on the Council website) and there will also be drop-in vaccination sessions at the Pavilion, Bath over the next few days.

A copy of the presentation slides is attached as Appendix 1 to these minutes.