The Integrated Meeting of Waltham Forest Health & Wellbeing and Health & Care Partnership Boards was scheduled to discuss a range of important health and social care initiatives. Key topics included the progress of the Better Care Fund, updates on promoting wellbeing across the borough, and the development of a new Neighbourhood Health Delivery Model. The meeting also planned to review the SEND Improvement Plan and discuss the cost of obesity as a driver of multimorbidity.

Better Care Fund Update

The meeting was scheduled to receive an update on the Better Care Fund (BCF) for 2025/26, including the formal sign-off of the Quarter 2 report and delegation of authority for the Quarter 3 submission. Discussions were also planned regarding the development of a new Section 75 agreement for the BCF, which underpins the pooling of budgets and joint working arrangements between the North East London (NEL) Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Waltham Forest Council. This new agreement is intended to be open-ended with termination clauses, aiming to streamline governance and reduce costs associated with regular renewals. The report highlighted that the BCF allocation for 2026/27 had been published, with a 4.4% uplift on the NHS minimum contribution. Plans were also in place to develop strategic priorities for the 2026/27 BCF through workshops and board discussions, aligning with national, NEL, and place-based objectives.

Promoting Wellbeing Update

An update on the Promoting Wellbeing workstream was scheduled, focusing on advancing a preventative approach and reducing health inequalities. This workstream brings together partners from the local authority, NHS, and the voluntary and community sector. The report was expected to include status updates on five priority areas: strengthening partnerships with the voluntary and community sector and faith groups, the Borough of Sanctuary initiative, employment and health programmes, housing and health initiatives, and mental health promotion. Specific updates were anticipated on the Health Equity Alliance Projects, which support Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in delivering locally tailored health equity initiatives, and the rollout of the Joy App, a digital platform designed to enhance social prescribing and preventative healthcare.

Neighbourhood Health Delivery Model: Integrator Role

The meeting was scheduled to discuss the development of the Neighbourhood Health Delivery Model and the role of the Integrator in Waltham Forest. This agenda item was to summarise outcomes from a previous workshop, including defining the integrator function, outlining partners' hopes and concerns, and proposing a model for implementation. Key recommendations included establishing a formal Neighbourhood Health Alliance with an alliance agreement, approving NELFT as the host for the integrated delivery function, and embedding Primary Care Network (PCN) Directors into the Alliance and executive management.

SEND Improvement Plan / Update

An update on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Improvement Plan was scheduled. The report was expected to detail key achievements, such as the completion of the EHCP backlog and significant investment in support services. Challenges identified included inconsistencies in partnership working, delays in EHCP timeliness due to a shortage of educational psychologists, and underdeveloped strategic data use. Future priorities were to include sustaining investment in therapies, embedding SEND core standards in schools, improving co-production with families, and addressing cultural and operational challenges.

Long-Term Conditions - Obesity

A series of reports were scheduled to address obesity prevention and management in Waltham Forest. This included an update on the Healthy Weight Strategy, highlighting achievements in place-based actions such as policies on hot food takeaways and promotion of active travel, as well as people-focused actions like staff training and community health champion recruitment. The second report was to examine the cost of obesity as a driver of multimorbidity, detailing its impact on long-term conditions and associated financial costs to health and social care systems. The third report was to focus on Specialist Weight Management Services and weight loss medication access in North East London, discussing current service provision, challenges, and strategic considerations.

Other Agenda Items

The meeting was also scheduled to review the Forward Plan, which outlines upcoming items for discussion. Additionally, there was a verbal update on Population Health Management.