To provide the Health and Wellbeing Board an update on the progress of the Board’s strategic priority of ‘Best Start in Life’ (BSiL).

The Director of Public Health noted that the last draft for the implementation plans were brought in December for Mental Health and Best Start in Life. This is the first meeting in which an update on the progress of the implementation plan – Best Start in Life – will be presented. Updates on each implementation plan will alternate at each respective Health and Wellbeing Board meeting.

The Public Health Lead CYP and Sexual Health presented the update. The principal points included:

1. Since December, work has been ongoing with various partners to develop key targets against the actions. Lead professionals are responsible for responding to each of those targets. 
2. A performance monitoring framework has been developed which focuses how performance remains on track to deliver targets, how to monitor it, and the challenges that exist.
3. For the new 0-19 service, Wye Valley Trust are the contracted provider and will be rolling out an oral health and weaning check. This will be a universal check and promotes good oral health and weaning alongside healthy eating.
4. A healthy schools and healthy tots framework is being developed and will target all primary schools and all secondary schools. Pilot settings have been identified and from September, it will be offered out to the broader school community.
5. Work is ongoing with special schools to take up supervised tooth brushing with further opportunities to extend roll-out being explored.

The Director of Public Health commented on the outcomes dashboard and highlighted the attempt to bring together nationally published data that is available through the public health outcomes framework and local indicators and metrics that are available.

The Executive Director Strategy and Integration ICB asked what made the difference with roll-out.

The Public Health Lead CYP and Sexual Health responded that strong relationships between schools and early-years providers have helped to establish communications.

The Executive Director Strategy and Integration ICB added that the framework as a whole is clear and is good to see the direct alignment to the integrated care strategy, which was signed off last year.

The Chair praised the work being done and asked where the two new dental practices, opening in April 2024, are going to be located.

The Consultant in Public Health responded that he would let the Chair know about the locations of the two new dental practices following the meeting.

The Chair asked what work is being done on immunisations in relation to children in care.

The Corporate Director CYP responded that this is picked up by the Corporate Parenting Board and there is work ongoing around immunisations and dental health checks.

The Chair asked what plans are in place to vaccinate children in hard to reach groups.

The Director of Public Health answered that there are a number of programmes in place across the county including a national recall system where GP surgeries are told as to who they can contact.

The Executive Director Strategy and Integration ICB added that a lot of emphasis has been placed across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire on prevention outreach services and some services can be taken out into certain locations.

The Director of Public Health asked that an action be noted to bring back some work on prevention outreach services to the board at a future meeting.

The Vice-Chair asked whether childhood obesity had improved.

The Public Health Lead Mental Health answered that Herefordshire is following the national trend with childhood obesity having fallen slightly.

The Executive Director Strategy and Integration ICB mentioned that the correlation between deprivation and childhood obesity is almost directly linked. This is another targeted intervention group that would be useful to focus on.

The report recommendations were proposed, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Resolved

That:

a) That the Board considers the reports and notes progress to date;

b) That the Board considers how to ensure that all partnership organisations are clearly sighted on the implementation plan and reference it across their own strategies and plans.

Action:

1. To bring back work on prevention outreach services to the board at a future meeting.