The Bexley Health and Wellbeing Board was scheduled to discuss the Better Care Fund Quarter 3 Return for 2025/26, the Bexley Wellbeing Partnership's Five Year Strategic Commissioning Plan, and an Adult Substance Misuse Health Needs Assessment. The meeting's agenda also included an overview and progress report on the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, with a specific focus on Mental Health and Children and Young People.

Better Care Fund Quarter 3 Return 2025/26

The Board was asked to sign off Bexley's Better Care Fund (BCF) Return for Quarter 3 of the 2025/26 financial year. The report detailed progress against key BCF metrics, including emergency admissions for those aged 65 and over, discharge delays, and admissions to care homes for older people. It also provided updates on system pressures, winter resilience measures, and transfer of care hub developments. The report noted that expenditure for 2025/26 was on track, with 75% of the total planned budget spent by the end of Quarter 3. Recommendations included signing off the Q3 return, noting the update on BCF metrics, and agreeing to amend the Q3 return based on updated data. The Board was also informed of the requirement to submit the 2026-27 BCF assurance return by 19 May 2026.

Bexley Wellbeing Partnership: Five Year Strategic Commissioning Plan

This report presented Bexley's Five-Year Neighbourhood Delivery Plan, developed collaboratively to align with the NHS South East London Integrated Care Board's (ICB) strategic direction and Bexley's population health ambitions. The plan aims to shift care from hospital to community, from treatment to prevention, and from analogue to digital, strengthening neighbourhood delivery through Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs). It is structured into a Population Health Improvement Plan and a Neighbourhood Delivery Plan, translating population health priorities into a five-year programme of action. The plan aligns with national neighbourhood priorities and Bexley's Joint Local Health & Wellbeing Strategy priorities for Children and Young People, Mental Health, Healthy Weight, and Ageing Well/Frailty. The Board was recommended to endorse this plan.

Adult Substance Misuse Health Needs Assessment

The Board was presented with an Adult Substance Misuse Health Needs Assessment for Bexley, which aimed to provide an integrated picture of adult drug and alcohol use. The assessment combined epidemiological data, service access and outcomes, and insights from stakeholders and service users to identify areas of strength and gaps in the system. It highlighted national policy directions emphasizing whole-system reform and integrated multi-agency working. Locally, the assessment indicated that while opiate and/or crack use prevalence is lower than national averages, alcohol dependency is comparable. However, treatment numbers have fallen in recent years, particularly for alcohol, despite rising alcohol-related harm. The report detailed findings on drug and alcohol harms, healthcare utilisation, mortality patterns, and social harms related to crime. It also examined identification, access, and criminal justice pathways, as well as the treatment and recovery system. The assessment concluded with recommendations to deepen understanding of unmet need, widen early identification, strengthen recovery outcomes, and consolidate multi-agency working and data sharing.

Health and Wellbeing Strategy: An Overview and Progress Report - Mental Health and Children and Young People

This report provided an update on progress made against two key priorities within the Bexley Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy: Mental Health (including suicide prevention) and Children and Young People. For Mental Health, progress included investment in prevention programmes focused on physical activity, the installation of listening benches in partnership with the Samaritans, and communications campaigns to tackle loneliness. Suicide prevention efforts involved a programme delivered in secondary schools and the establishment of a Suicide Safer Schools Network. For Children and Young People, progress included the launch of the Erith Family Hub, the establishment of an Integrated Child Health Team, and the restructuring of the Bexley Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team around the iTHRIVE model. The report also highlighted the appointment of a SEND Children and Young Peoples Engagement and Participation Officer and the ongoing SHEU survey to inform programming. Looking ahead, the report indicated a focus on prevention, collaboration, and addressing gaps in provision, such as for secondary school-aged children with healthy weight needs. A midway review of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy was planned for 2026.

Public Questions

The Board was scheduled to allocate 10 to 15 minutes for public questions from registered Bexley electors. Questions were required to be submitted in writing by 5pm on Friday 6 March 2026 and be relevant to the Board's work.

Items for Information and Any Other Business

Under this item, the Board was invited to consider its draft workplan for 2026/27. The provisional dates for future meetings were also noted: 16 June 2026, 8 September 2026, 1 December 2026, and 11 March 2027. The report acknowledged that the workplan might be subject to change due to potential shifts in the role of Health and Wellbeing Boards.

The meeting was scheduled to be chaired by Councillor David Leaf, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources & Transformation. Other attendees included Councillor Melvin Seymour, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Adults' Services and Health, and Dr Nicole Klynman, Director of Public Health for Bexley. The contact officer for the meeting was Sandra Baxter.