Agenda and minutes

          The Minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2024 having been circulated were signed as a correct record.

          The Director of Public Health presented a report which provided the Board with an update on activities by the Council which had contributed towards the Live Well theme from the Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy theme, which focused on working age adults. 

          The report outlined the findings from the pilot scheme undertaken in 2022, which tackled the inequitable uptake of Health Checks in Halton.  Thereafter, the following improvements were introduced:

·       A new online booking system was launched to enable patients to book appointments in the community;

·       An increase to the availability and accessibility of appointments.  The Community model was expanded to include settings such as the workplace and community clinics;

·       The NHS Health check contract was updated to improve patient care; and

·       New IT software was implemented to help improve inequalities in uptake and monitoring of outcomes following health checks.

Following on from these changes, it was reported that there had been an increase of uptake of health checks overall, including those that lived in the most deprived areas and ethnic minority groups.

          The next steps would be to promote the service through social media and community presence and a Communications and Marketing Plan would be developed for the service.

The Board discussed the report presented to them and the following additional information was noted:

·       Health Checks are offered via GP’s or available via the Health Improvement Team;

·       GP’s would invite people for Health Checks via text or letter;

·       Warrington and Halton Hospitals invited a further conversation, outside of the meeting, to discuss what existing services could do to help support health checks; and 

·       Future reporting would give a better understanding about the demand for health services and what was needed as a result of the health checks.

RESOLVED:  That the Board note the report. 

          The Board received a report from the Director of Public Health which provided an overview of the work taking place to reduce male suicides in Halton. 

          According to local data, over the last 3 years, 66% of suicides in Halton had been by men and although this was slightly lower than the national average, more action needed to be taken.  Halton had recruited a dedicated Health Improvement Specialist to lead on this work and develop an action plan to reduce the number of male suicides. 

          “Calm Your Mind” was a campaign with a local website that was designed by local men, for local men, and was aimed to improve men’s mental health and reduce suicides.  The campaign shared information to raise awareness of support available.  Since it was launched in June 2023, the website had received approximately 400 visitors per month and although it was too early to evaluate its impact, male suicides had reduced by just over half over the past 12 months. 

          An “exhibition in a box” had also been created as a resource to help raise awareness of the campaign.  It included promotional material and details of local support, including men’s groups.  This resource would be available to local organisations, free of charge, with effect from 1 April 2024.

          It was also reported that training was being developed for front line professionals and members of the public on men’s mental health issues, and this would be piloted on 1 April 2024.

The Health Improvement Specialist worked collaboratively with Family Hubs to ensure that the work they did with dads, complimented the Calm Your Mind campaign.  The Specialist was keen to work with local partners and community groups to raise the profile of the campaign.  Discussions were also underway with Widnes Vikings, to explore how they could help raise awareness of the campaign during Men’s Mental Health Week in June 2024.

Mersey Care NHS Trust offered assistance with training delivery.    

RESOLVED:  That the Board note the report and consider any further action which could support the existing work.

          The Board received a report from the Director of Public Health which outlined Halton’s commitment to the HIV Fast Track Cities initiative.

            The Fast-Track Cities initiative on HIV was a global partnership between cities around the world. The Paris declaration was developed and led by the International Association of Providers of Aids Care (APAC).  This contained 7 objectives which were outlined in appendix 1 of the report.  The Seville declaration was also designed and this was added as a supplement.

          In 2018, Liverpool signed up to the initiative and this helped them to drive local plans to improve testing, support, identification and treatment related to HIV, and has bolstered prevention approaches.  Liverpool also reported other benefits by being associated with the initiative, for example, the ability to attract funding for research and pilots to reach the target of zero new HIV transmissions by 2030. 

          The initiative had 3 targets for people living with HIV which was to know their status; have access to treatment; and that their treatment was working.

Halton’s endorsement of the initiative would form part of a joint Liverpool City Region (LCR) approach and work as a collective to formulate a series of strategic actions to help the LCR be one of the first regions to achieve elimination by 2030.

RESOLVED:  The Board:

1)    endorsed the Fast Track Cities Initiative; and

2)    identified the Director of Public Health as the nominated Key Opinion Lead for Halton Place.

          The Board received a report from the Executive Director – Adults, which provided an update on the strengths-based training that was being rolled out to Adult Social Care (ASC) staff.

          Helen Sanderson Associates had been commissioned to deliver strengths based training to ASC staff to help them feel more confident and competent in delivering a strengths-based approach.  The report described the customer journey and the support sequence which was a seven step process. 

          Training would be delivered online via Zoom over two cohorts with a total of 250 staff. 

          The Board discussed the report and following questions raised, the additional information below was noted:

·       It was suggested that it would be helpful to have a discussion about the training at a future One Halton Partnership Board;

·       The Occupational Health Team would be able to provide advice for employees with complex needs, and welfare benefits could be accessed from Access to Work; and

·       Links had been made with Warrington Disability Partnership.

          RESOLVED:  That the Board:

1)    note the report; and

2)     agree proposals for future development.

          The Board received a report from the Head of Primary Care, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside which provided an update on dental services in Halton, the Local Dental Improvement Plan and the publication of the National Dental Recovery Plan.

The NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Dental Improvement Plan 2023/24 was approved in June 2023 and this had been developed to facilitate an increase in access which led to a number of providers offering urgent care.  A pathway was also created for looked after children and vulnerable patients, such as those receiving cancer treatment. 

          The report provided an update on the current position and the Board was familiar with the difficulties dental services had faced post Covid.  Nationally, dentists had problems recruiting NHS contracts and as a result had only achieved a 83.2% delivery of a 100% target, although it was noted there had been a slight improvement from the previous year.

          In January 2024, NHS England North West Dental Public Health Team undertook an evaluation of the urgent dental care clinical activity across Cheshire and Merseyside.  There was only one Urgent Care Dental Centre (UDC) in Halton and a total of 25 dental practices commissioned to deliver Urgent Dental Care activity across Cheshire and Merseyside. 

          Urgent Dental Care Plus was an initiative to enable patients who had attended the UDC for urgent treatment to return for a full course of NHS treatment.  There were 2 Urgent Care Plus practices in Halton that allowed for 3 extra sessions per week and there was an expectation that 4-6 patients would be seen per session, per week. 

          An evaluation of the UDC Plus Scheme was evaluated from September 2023 – December 2023 and the recommendations from the evaluation was outlined in the report. 

          Information which related to the provision of primary care dental provision in Halton was summarised in the report.  Children seen had increased by 16%, adults (under 65) seen had increased by 6% and adults (65 and over) had increased by 4%. 

          The report also set out the five key pathways of the Cheshire and Merseyside Dental Improvement Plan. 

The Board discussed the information presented to them and the following comments were noted:

·       Halton had the lowest number of children accessing a dentist across Cheshire and Merseyside and Public Health requested further work with the ICB and Family Hubs to improve this;

·       The Board acknowledged the improvements but would have liked to have seen quicker progress;

·       The Improvement Plan was welcomed to help the recover activity to pre Covid levels;

·       The lack of increased funding since 2006 gave cause for concern; and

·       Dental Practices were being encouraged to sign up to Urgent Care and Urgent Care Plus. 

RESOLVED:  That the Board note the report.

The Board received a report from the Executive Director – Adult Services, which provided an update on the Quarter 2 and Quarter 3 Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan 2023-24, following its submission to the National Better Care Fund Team in June 2023. 

The update provided the Board with information on the four national conditions, the five national metrics, capacity and demand and spend and activity information.

          RESOLVED:  The Board note the report and associated appendices. 

The Board considered a report from the Executive Director, Adults regarding the Halton Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2022/23.

          Under the Care Act 2014, all Safeguarding Adults Boards were required to produce an annual report which summarised all of the key achievements and priorities the Board had been working towards over the past 12 months.  The report set out the national and local developments on safeguarding adults at risk.  This included work undertaken to support asylum seekers and refugees; supporting National Safeguarding Week and hosting a strategic planning event for Board members to agree key priorities for the Safeguarding Board going forward.

          The Annual Report would be published widely and shared with key partners.

          RESOLVED:  That the Report be noted.

The Board received the Adult Social Care (ASC) Annual Report 2022/23, also referred to as the Local Account. 

          The Local Account took stock and reflected on how services had developed and been delivered over the past 12 months.  It also assessed how ASC had made a difference to people through the services delivered, through their workforce and innovative thinking. 

          The report also contained high level data on service usage, spend, customer care and safeguarding.   

          RESOLVED:  That the Board note the contents of the report.

          On behalf of the Board, the Chair expressed thanks and best wishes to Councillor Joan Lowe who was stepping down from the Board.  Councillor Lowe had been a Board Member for many years and her input and support had been invaluable.