Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received as follows:

• Councillor Sangani, substituted by Councillor Long remotely
• Councillor Colwill
• Co-opted member Mr Alloysius Frederick

Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, the nature and existence of any relevant disclosable pecuniary or personal interests in the items on this agenda and to specify the item(s) to which they relate.

Personal interests were declared as follows:

• Councillor Sheth – Lead Governor of Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
• Councillor Ethapemi – spouse employed by the NHS
• Councillor Shahzad – spouse employed by the NHS

To hear any deputations received from members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 67.

There were no deputations received.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record.

RESOLVED:-

that the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 29 April 2021, be approved as an accurate record of the meeting.

There were no matters arising.

This report outlines the emerging interim priorities of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS), including the delivery vehicles of the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) and the Brent Health and Wellbeing Board (BHWB) governance structures. The report seeks to engage the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee input into the ongoing development of the JHWS.

*An updated version of this report was published on 1 July 2021.

The Chair invited Councillor Nerva (Lead Member for Public Health, Culture and Leisure, Brent Council) to introduce the item for discussion. In introducing the report, Councillor Nerva advised that the report presented the Brent Health and Wellbeing Strategy and provided an update on the key changes to the NHS locally and nationally, with the Government White Paper published the week of the meeting. In relation to the report, he advised that Covid-19 had shone a light on health inequalities but many who lived and worked in Brent would know those issues had existed for many years. What was new was that the response to the pandemic had brought unity to the NHS, local authority, and community and voluntary organisations in a way that had not been seen before. He hoped the learning from Covid-19 could be carried forward into the presentation, strategy and delivery of the Brent Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The Committee were advised that that the crucial question was what could Brent do differently to achieve a healthy and well Borough. Councillor Nerva added that the Council had already made some major changes, such as the introduction of school streets and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) to enable people to exercise more, reduce traffic and improve the quality of air in Brent. Addressing people with long term conditions was also key.

Melanie Smith (Director for Public Health, Brent Council) provided a presentation to the Committee. Through the presentation the Committee heard that the current Health and Wellbeing Strategy that was being reviewed was very focused on health and care services, but Covid-19 had shone a light on the social determinants of health and the structural inequalities within those determinants, which the Health and Wellbeing Board had agreed the new strategy should address. The understanding of those inequalities had deepened due to Covid-19. A slide was presented which showed the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 according to deprivation, the variation of death rate by deprivation, the increased risk of dying for those of Black and South Asian heritage, and the marked increase for those with learning disabilities. She advised that as well as the strategy the more forward looking work clearly needed to take immediate and urgent action to address the disproportion of Covid-19 and the 2 things that underpinned the response were; the broad and inclusive grouping committed to working in partnership with the NHS, voluntary sector, communities and individuals to co-produce solutions; and proportionate universalism, an example of which could be shown through the vaccination programme. She reminded the Committee that the programme was a significant universal offer but did not work for all Brent communities where some needed more tailored solutions such as an offer in places they were familiar with and messages from people they trusted, therefore, alongside the mass vaccination centre, the Council, alongside the NHS, had also run NHS vaccination clinics with faith organisations and third sector organisations in community venues and held the vaccination bus.

In continuing the presentation on the Strategy, Angela D’urso  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The report updates Members on the Committee’s Work Programme for 2021/22 and captures scrutiny activity which has taken place outside of its formal meetings.

RESOLVED that the contents of the Update on the Committee’s Work Programme be noted.

Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Head of Executive and Member Services or his representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 60.

None.