Decision

RESOLVED

Subject to Full Council approval of the associated budgets:

i)               That an extension of the West Sussex Wellbeing Partnership Agreement for the period 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2029 (‘the extension’) and to accept all associated funding from West Sussex County Council be agreed;

ii)              That authority be delegated to the Director of Communities, in consultation with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to finalise the terms and conditions of, and to approve the entering into of, the necessary documentation to give effect to the extension;

iii)             To agree to commit additional revenue funding of £221,427 over the term of the extension (£110,713 per annum) to enhance local health and wellbeing provision within Horsham District (‘the additional revenue funding’); and

iv)             That authority be delegated to the Head of Leisure and Culture to agree the detailed service delivery arrangements utilising (i) the funding associated with the extension and (ii) the additional revenue funding.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

i)               To approve into budget the sum of £373,721 (and such further sums as may be agreed) from West Sussex County Council for each of the 2027/28 and 2028/29 financial years; and

ii)              To approve the allocation of additional revenue funding of £221,427 from General Reserve to the health and Wellbeing budget for 2027/28 and 2028/29 financial years and to delegate authority to the Section 151 Officer to reprofile any unused budget from the 2027/28 financial year to the 2028/29 financial year.

REASONS

i)               The proposed extension will ensure continuity of an established and successful preventative health programme at a time of significant organisational change across local government in West Sussex.

ii)              The additional investment by Horsham District Council will strengthen local delivery, expand access to preventative health services, support residents to improve their health and wellbeing, reduce health inequalities and contribute to wider demand management across health and social care services.

iii)             Full Council is responsible for setting the Council’s budget.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED BUT REJECTED AS IDENTIFIED IN THE REPORT

Not accept the extension or funding

Allowing the current agreement to expire would result in the loss of an established preventative health programme and reduce support available to Horsham residents. This option is not recommended as it removes a service that is delivering measurable and positive improvements to people’s quality of life.

Extend the agreement without additional Horsham District Council investment

Whilst the core county-funded wellbeing service would continue, the Health and Wellbeing Hub and enhanced local provision would not be deliverable. This would significantly reduce the Council's ability to develop an integrated Active Wellbeing model, limit opportunities to provide targeted preventative interventions, and reduce accessibility to services for residents. The scale, reach and impact of the service would therefore be substantially smaller than the current offer, resulting in fewer residents benefiting from health improvement and prevention programmes. In addition, staffing capacity would need to be reduced to reflect the lower level of available funding. This option is not recommended as it would limit the Council's ability to maximise health and wellbeing outcomes and address local health inequalities.

Develop a standalone Horsham Wellbeing Service

This would duplicate existing countywide provision, require significant additional resources and reduce opportunities to benefit from the recognised West Sussex Wellbeing brand and partnership arrangements. This option has been rejected on value for money grounds.