The Oxfordshire Health & Wellbeing Board was scheduled to discuss updates on several key initiatives, including homelessness prevention, health strategy, and community insight profiles. The board was also expected to review annual reports from safeguarding boards and receive updates from partnership boards.

Health and Wellbeing Strategy - Healthy Homes

The board was expected to consider a report on the Healthy Homes priority within Oxfordshire's Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The report set out a framework for monitoring and delivering the Healthy Homes priority, which is underpinned by four ambitions:

• More healthy, safe, and secure homes
• More affordable homes
• More suitable homes for specific groups
• Reducing homelessness

The report recommended metrics for each of these ambitions, such as the percentage of properties with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C or higher, median rent as a percentage of gross annual pay, and the number of households owed a prevention or relief duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act¹. The report also proposed a programme of 'deep dives' into specific themes, such as housing conditions, affordable housing definitions, and housing for specific groups. The board was asked to approve the approach to monitoring and delivery, and to provide leadership and governance across the four ambitions.

Prevention of Homelessness

The board was scheduled to receive an update from the Prevention of Homelessness Directors Group (PHDG), which acts as a strategic leadership forum for housing, health, and social care partners working together to tackle homelessness. The PHDG has been focused on five key priorities aligned to the Countywide Strategy:

1. Agreeing the future of the Countywide Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.
2. Improving collaboration between statutory services.
3. Addressing affordable housing supply challenges.
4. Exploring further joined up commissioning of Mental Health and Adult Homeless Pathways.
5. The transformation of the Oxfordshire Homelessness Alliance.

The report noted that Oxfordshire continues to experience high and rising homelessness pressures, particularly among single adults with complex needs. It also highlighted the importance of a whole-system response that integrates housing, health, and social care.

Community Insight Profiles

The board was scheduled to discuss the fourteenth Community Insight Profile (CIP), focusing on Bicester West. The report marked the culmination of a programme designed to deepen understanding of local communities and inform place-based approaches to improving health and wellbeing. The board was asked to use the findings from the Bicester West profile to inform service delivery plans and to support the legacy of the programme, including the work of the Community Health Development Officers. The report noted that the programme has evolved over time, strengthened local partnerships, and supported more targeted and responsive service planning.

Oxfordshire Neighbourhood Health and Care

The board was asked to note and agree how Oxfordshire is organising itself to progress Neighbourhood Health and Care, and ongoing work to develop a Neighbourhood Health and Care plan. The report stated that the national and local priority in health and care over the next 5-10 years is to bring support closer to where people live, work, and connect. It noted that this approach will be community-focused and holistic, enabled by strengthened relationships between communities, the statutory sector and the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector.

Annual Reports

The board was scheduled to note the findings of the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board (OSAB) Annual Report 2024-25, and the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children's Board (OSCB) Annual Report 2024-25. The OSAB report highlighted the work of the strategic partnership group during 2024-25, focusing on improving frontline practice, preventing abuse, strengthening quality assurance, and learning from experience. The OSCB report set out the safeguarding challenges in Oxfordshire, highlighting the need to improve practice with respect to neglect, child exploitation, and keeping children safe in education.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire

The board was scheduled to receive and note the Healthwatch Oxfordshire Report on patient views and experiences of Oxfordshire health and care services. The report included summaries of recent research reports on trans and non-binary people's experiences of GPs, and digital care and the NHS App.

Partnership Board Updates

The board was scheduled to receive and note updates from Partnership Boards, including the Oxfordshire Place-Based Partnership, the Health Improvement Board, and the Children's Trust.

Forward Work Programme

The board was asked to note the forward work programme, with the addition of the sign-off of neighbourhood health plans to the meeting on 4 December.