Decision

The Adults, Health and Housing Scrutiny Committee considered the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) update and RESOLVED to endorse the current approach to the development of the JSNA and its use in informing the Committee's future work programme and scrutiny priorities.

The Committee welcomed the significant progress made in expanding the JSNA, recognised the value of the evidence base in supporting commissioning decisions and policy development, and encouraged wider use of the resource by Members, officers, partners and community organisations.

The Committee requested that consideration be given to strengthening links between the JSNA and existing Somerset intelligence resources, ensuring that relevant datasets remain accessible and that opportunities for integration are explored where appropriate.

The Committee also requested that future development of the JSNA include greater emphasis on identifying areas where Somerset performs less favourably than regional or national comparators, to assist the Committee in identifying priority areas for future scrutiny and investigation.