Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Lynne Caffrey, Councillor Bernadette Oliphant, Helena Barron, Lisa Goodwin and Steve Thomas.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 2^nd December 2022 are attached for approval, together with the Action List.

RESOLVED:

(i)               That the minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2022 be approved.

(ii)              That the action list update be noted.

Members of the Board to declare an interest in any particular agenda item.

RESOLVED:

(i)               That there were no declarations of interest.

Karen Soady provided a verbal update on behalf of Tyne and Wear Fire & Rescue. The Board were advised that it had been a difficult year for fire services and that internal case reviews are currently underway regarding 9 potential fire-related deaths.

It was reported that one fire-related death had occurred in a North Tyneside care home and that the cause of fire was emollient stained materials being placed in a tumble dryer. Karen suggested that a task and finish group be established to increase awareness of the risks of emollients in Gateshead.

Board members agreed to provide feedback on this incident within their respective service areas; it was also suggested that this matter could be added to the agenda for the upcoming Gateshead Cares Board.

Councillor Gannon provided the Board with an update on devolution; Board members were reminded that the public consultation process is underway and that the results of the consultation are expected in March 2023.

RESOLVED:

(i)               That the Board note the updates provided.

The Board received the presentation ‘Mind the Gap: Woman and health inequalities’ from Alice Wiseman.

From the presentation, the Board noted that gender inequalities have a significant impact on health outcomes and life expectancy. It was also reported that gender inequalities have a disproportionately negative impact on the health and wellbeing of women; it was highlighted that women are more likely than men to experience mental health problems.

The Board were provided with a summary of sectors that have the biggest gender pay gaps; this list included education, finance and healthcare. It was also stated that in Gateshead, women are paid 8% less than men across all sectors. The Board acknowledged that the current cost of living crisis is also affecting women negatively as research shows that women are more likely to have lower paid jobs, are more likely to be in debt and are more likely to have caring responsibilities.

It was reported that there is a need to create and develop sustainable places and communities; it was also noted that in Gateshead cervical screening rates are higher than the national average. The Board discussed the impact of alcohol specific conditions in women; it was noted that alcoholic liver disease in declining nationally but remains steady in Gateshead.

A summary of recommendations was provided from the report/presentation, the headline recommendations were:

·        To give every child the best start in life

·        To enable children, girls and women to live their lives to the fullest

·        To empower women to have financial stability and independence

·        To ensure a health standard of living for all and create generational life changes

·        To develop safe, sustainable places and communities

·        To ensure women live health lives for longer

The Board questioned the figures described for domestic abuse against women from the report; it was acknowledged that the figures could be much higher as many incidents of domestic abuse can go unreported. It was stated that women will often be the victim of up to seven incidents of domestic abuse before reaching out for help.

The Board discussed further the impact of alcohol abuse on women specifically; the Board agreed that the availability of alcohol and the low prices make is too accessible. The Board also agreed that lobbying at a national level for the introduction of minimum unit pricing should continue to be a priority.

It was explained that despite female education attainment being higher than that of men nationally and locally, the pay gap across sectors is disproportionate. It was noted that there are many factors that have influenced the gender pay gap; this includes cultural expectations for women to be employed in low-paying roles such as domiciliary care as well as the underutilisation of shared parental leave for new parents.

RESOLVED:

(i)               That the Board noted the report.

(ii)              That the Board endorsed the recommendations of the report.

The Board received a presentation providing an update on the area SEND inspection and SEND strategy.

The Board were provided with a summary of area SEND inspections from 2016 – 2022; it was highlighted that inspection outcomes worsened over time. It was noted that in all, Ofsted & CQC inspectors identified over 440 individual areas of significant weakness in the local area SEND services they inspected between 2016 and 2022. The three most common areas of weakness were defective leadership & strategy, poor joint commissioning of education and health services, and flawed Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP) processes.

It was explained that a new area SEND inspection system is being implemented which will see inspections taking place across a cycle unlike previously. It was also noted that the purpose of inspections will change and will be broader in scope. The Board were also advised that inspections will not only focus on education and health aspects of SEND services but will also look at the social care side of SEND as well as aspects of alternative provision.

The Board noted that the most significant change to the process will see Ofsted and the CQC have a focus on the work being done by services to improve the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND.

It was reported that the new area SEND inspectors won’t use the standard Ofsted grading system, instead there will be three possible outcomes which were detailed in the presentation. The Board were also provided with information on the strategic priorities for SEND in Gateshead linking to the Thrive agenda.

The Board were advised that a public consultation would take place across February 2023 with the new strategy due to be published in March 2023.

The Board acknowledged the current work taking place to support children and young people with SEND.

RESOLVED:

(i)               That the Board noted the update.

The Board received a report to seek views on the implementation of the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme.

It was reported that the Family Hubs and Start for Life offer will have a direct impact on the six policy objectives of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy through the provision of (a) an integrated support offer to families with dependent children and (b) an all-age menu of help and advice for people of all ages, regardless of family composition. It was highlighted that the Government has allocated £301.75million over the next three financial years to enable 75 upper-tier local authorities in England to deliver a package of family support and Start for Life services.

An overview of proposals for the delivery model in Gateshead was provided, this included plans to repurpose existing Children’s Centres to deliver bespoke, nurturing spaces for confidential discussions and group activities.

The Board were advised that a delivery plan is to be developed to evidence the Level 3 assessment criteria set by DHSE/DFE. It was also noted that the Start for Life offer will be hosted by the main Gateshead Council website and published in March 2023 alongside designated social media platforms.

The Board noted the update and agreed that the inclusion of voluntary sector partners in the proposals was crucial in ensuring its success.

RESOLVED:

(i)               That the Board supported the proposals reported.

(ii)              The Board requested a further update on the plans at a future meeting.

The Board received a presentation providing an update from the Gateshead Cares System Board.

From the update, the Board received information relating to Mental Health Transformation in terms of locality working; it was highlighted that there will be an event on ‘Community Mental Health Transformation in Gateshead…The Story So Far’ to be held on 7^th February 2023. It was also reported that work is underway to develop the crisis pathway.

It was also noted that ‘Ageing Well: Transformation of Home Care and Care Homes’ was discussed at the Board. It was reported that the short-term nature of additional funding to provide supported discharge from hospital impacts on services. The Board were also advised that home care plays an important role in supporting ‘flow’ across the health and care system.

The Board received an update on the Gateshead Cares Alliance Agreement: Enablers of Integration 2022/23; it was noted that discussions had took place on:

·        Workforce: making Gateshead a great place to live and work

·        Digital Gateshead (incl. digital poverty/inclusion) and;

·        Data: Axym/Gateshead Outcomes Framework

The Board agreed that the next meeting should be stood down and replaced with a health and care system focussed session on 10 March to revisit ambitions and priorities.

RESOLVED:

(i)               That the Board noted the update.

The Board received a report providing an overview of the health protection system and outcomes for Gateshead as part of the Director of Public Health’s responsibility to provide assurance that the current arrangements for health protection are robust and equipped to meet the needs of the population.

It was highlighted in the report that an analysis of data and information regarding health protection outcomes for screening, immunisation and communicable diseases and air quality had highlighted that there are areas that require improvement. It was noted that these improvements would form the assurance priorities for the next year 2022/23.

RESOLVED:

(i)               That the Board noted the arrangements reported.

RESOLVED:

(i)               That the Board noted this item for information only.

RESOLVED:

(i)               That the Board noted this item for information only.

There was no other business.