The meeting approved the Telford and Wrekin Healthy Weight Strategy 2024-2029 and received updates on the Telford & Wrekin Alcohol and Drugs Strategy 2024-2029, the Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy Quarterly Progress Report, the Starting Well Update Report 2024 and the Better Care Fund. The board also endorsed the recommendations in the Annual Public Health Report 2024 on improving the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people in the borough.

The Emotional Health & Wellbeing of Children and Young People Matters

The meeting received the Annual Public Health Report 2024, which focussed on the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people. The report featured insights from focus groups held with a range of youth forums and an online survey of over 400 local young people aged 11-17.

One of the key findings from the report was an increase in demand for young people's mental health services. The report states:

It is well acknowledged, locally and nationwide, that the demand for young people’s mental health services has increased dramatically.

The report also highlighted that the borough has higher rates of children experiencing mental health problems compared to the national average.

The report makes a series of recommendations aimed at improving support for children and young people's mental health and wellbeing:

1. The Council should continue to work with partners through the new Youth Partnership Board to evolve the borough's Youth Offer, ensuring that a range of accessible, inclusive activities, groups and opportunities for children & young people to socialise are widely promoted and publicised.
2. The Council should launch a grant-giving process to enhance the local Youth Offer – using the contents of this young person’s survey and with a focus on improving emotional wellbeing.
3. The Integrated Care Board (ICB) should, as part of the re-commissioning of child and adolescent mental health services (currently the BeeU service), ensure that future investment in the service adequately reflects the rising local need and demand for CYP mental health services.
4. The ICB with Telford & Wrekin Primary Care Networks, should expand and enhance the provision of youth social prescribing.[^2] [^2]: Social prescribing is a means of enabling GPs, nurses and other primary care professionals to refer people to a range of local, non-clinical services.
5. Building on the Young Person's Year of Wellbeing campaign, a toolkit of information, advice and guidance should be co-produced with children and young people and widely shared and promoted, this should include support for feelings of loneliness, inequality and self-efficacy and promote the safe use of social media and gaming platforms.
6. Schools and education settings are encouraged to strengthen their approach to supporting young people improve their emotional wellbeing and resilience, for example through adopting the Future in Mind trauma informed toolkit to support those with adverse childhood experiences, by developing Youth Health Champion Programmes, or enhancing peer-led student support groups etc.
7. The Corporate Parenting Strategic Group should continue to review the care experiences of our looked after children, offering appropriate education, awareness or safeguarding activities to address challenges.
8. The availability and accessibility of life skills training which prepares young people for adulthood, focussing on practical things such as money management, cooking, paying bills and opening bank accounts should be reviewed.

Telford and Wrekin Healthy Weight Strategy 2024-2029

The board approved the Telford and Wrekin Healthy Weight Strategy 2024-2029. The strategy takes a whole systems approach to tackling obesity, with a focus on four key priorities:

• Supporting our children to grow into a healthy weight: This priority will focus on supporting parents and families to make healthy choices for their children, as well as working with schools to promote healthy eating and physical activity.
• Promoting a healthier food environment including healthy settings: This priority will focus on making healthy food more readily available and affordable, as well as reducing the exposure to unhealthy food.
• Creating opportunities for all: This priority will focus on ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to be physically active and eat a healthy diet, regardless of their background or circumstances.
• Empowering system partners: This priority will focus on ensuring that all system partners are working together to promote healthy weight and reduce conflicting messages.

The meeting heard that the strategy was developed through a needs assessment and engagement with the public and professionals.

The Healthy Weight Needs Assessment identified a number of priority groups and wards in Telford and Wrekin. Some of these key findings were:

• Reception-aged children living in the most deprived areas of Telford and Wrekin are 7% more likely to be living with obesity than those in the least deprived areas.
• The prevalence of obesity in adults in Telford and Wrekin is 71.4%, compared to 63.8% nationally.
• The rate of hospital admissions directly attributable to obesity in Telford and Wrekin is 43 per 100,000, compared to 20 per 100,000 nationally.
• Fast food accessibility is worse in some areas of Telford and Wrekin than others. Madeley and Sutton Hill ward has the highest density of fast food outlets, with residents able to easily access unhealthy foods.

The strategy document includes a series of 31 commitments across the four priorities. A detailed action plan and a set of key performance indicators are being developed to monitor the implementation and progress of the strategy over the next five years.

Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy Quarterly Progress Report

The Board received the Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy Quarterly Progress Report, which provides an overview of the progress that has been made on the six priorities outlined in the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Healthy Weight

The report highlighted the progress that has been made on the development of the Healthy Weight Strategy, which was approved by the Board at the meeting.

The meeting also heard about a number of schemes that have been implemented to support healthy weight, including:

• Weigh n Go pilots have been launched in two workplaces, targeting general practice staff and school staff.
• The Healthy Families programme has supported 51 families to achieve healthier lifestyles since September 2023.
• The Healthy Lifestyles Service has supported 1,153 adults to lose weight since April 2023.
• Targeted work has started with Adult Social Care and the care sector to increase weight management referrals along with piloting new approaches to provide weight management support for adults with a learning disability.

Alcohol, Drugs & Domestic Abuse

The meeting heard about a number of schemes that have been implemented to tackle alcohol and drug misuse, and to support victims of domestic abuse. These include:

• Telford Drive Panel is operational, identifying high risk perpetrators for the behavioural change programme.
• Four units of move on safe accommodation have been identified by a local provider and details of a management agreement are being finalised with Cranstoun.
• A focus group was held with local survivors to agree key messages for the domestic abuse communications plan.

Mental Health & Wellbeing

The report highlighted the continuing work to support mental health and wellbeing in the borough. The meeting heard that the Young Person’s Year of Wellbeing campaign is continuing to grow, with 433 sign ups to date.

The meeting also received an update on the BeeU child and adolescent mental health services. The Board heard that:

• An interim contract has been agreed between Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) and the ICB.
• Service specifications for core mental health and neurodiversity are being developed.
• A pilot post is being developed between BeeU and the Children in Care team to explore more effective ways to work together and improve outcomes.

The report highlighted the challenges facing the BeeU service, including:

• Demand and waiting times remain a pressure, particularly for Autism and ADHD assessments.
• Integrated Care System (ICS) Children and Young People mental health governance arrangements are still not in place.

The report also included updates on a number of initiatives aimed at supporting adults with mental health problems, including:

• Telford Mind has applied for £300,000 from the Inclusive Communities Fund.
• A project steering group has been established to develop a weekly Community Health Hub in Madeley.
• An all age Mental Health Strategy is being drafted.

Protect, Prevent & Detect

The meeting heard about the progress that is being made on the Protect, Prevent & Detect priority. Key areas of focus include:

• NHS Health Checks: There has been an increase in the number of NHS Health Checks being delivered. A total of 764 blood checks have been delivered since July 2023, with 52 people being referred to their GP.
• Cancer Champion Core Connectors: Over 73 volunteers have now been trained in Telford as Cancer Champions. Lingen Davies has made a commitment to continue funding the scheme following the end of NHS funding in March 2024. Lingen Davies has developed a range of multi-lingual videos to support the scheme.
• Smoking Cessation: Work is continuing to implement NHS Tobacco Dependency Teams and treatment offers to all acute, maternity and mental health inpatients.

Integrated Health & Care

The report included updates on a number of initiatives that are being delivered to improve integrated health and care services in the borough. These include:

• Start for Life Family Hubs: Phase two of implementation is continuing, with Hadley Children Centre based at HLC, and Dawley Children Centre based at Dawley Town Hall becoming our 4th and 5th Hubs. Phase 3 transformation will focus on hubs in Wellington, Donnington and Newport.
• Local Care Transformation Programme: Discussions are ongoing about the programme, with a focus on building on existing integrated approaches. A number of key milestones have been agreed, including:
  • Agreement of neighbourhood boundaries by April 2024.
  • Joint Strategic Needs Assessments of neighbourhoods from April 2024.
  • Neighbourhood networks for all neighbourhoods will be developed and shared from April 2024.
  • Neighbourhood Network/Stakeholder events to support integrated working from June 2024.
  • Further development of multi-disciplinary teams, Proactive Care and other population health management approaches within the agreed neighbourhoods from June 2024.
• Primary Care: Work is continuing to implement the STW ICB System-level Primary Care Access Improvement Plan. The plan has four national pillars:
  • Empowering Patients: Increase patient self-referral activity by 50%, and report on the initial data from the Pharmacy First scheme.
  • Implementing Modern General Practice: Roll out NHS App functionality to 90% of GPs by the end of March 2024. The final six practices will have digital telephony by mid-April 2024.
  • Building Capacity: Increase the Healthcare Professional workforce across STW, improve GP retention, and work with practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to level up the number of practice nurses.
  • Cutting Bureaucracy: Improve onward referral of patients, ensure complete care for patients being seen in primary care, and ensure all practices have clear points of contact for patients.

Green & Sustainable Borough

The meeting heard about the progress that is being made on the Green & Sustainable Borough priority. The Building Safer, Stronger & Healthier Communities Through Better Air Quality Strategy was approved by Cabinet in February 2024.

The strategy sets out ambitions across the following aims:

• Maintain and improve air quality in the context of area wide growth.
• Tackle air quality inequalities by prioritising action to benefit vulnerable groups and communities.
• Link air quality to the climate agenda with a focus on emission reductions, for carbon as well as air pollutants, through a Low Emission Strategy.

Economic Opportunity

The meeting heard about the progress that is being made on the Economic Opportunity priority. As part of the Council’s Cost of Living Strategy:

• The Household Support Fund scheme will continue until the end of March 2024.
• Further additional funding has been granted to local food banks.

Housing & Homelessness

The meeting heard about the progress that is being made on the Housing & Homelessness priority, including:

• A new refuge for people presenting as homeless due to domestic abuse has opened, offering eight beds for women and their children.
• A new five-bed unit of temporary accommodation for singles and adults who are owed a housing duty has opened.
• A dedicated Housing Solutions Officer is now working alongside clients with a criminal history to help them find accommodation.
• The supply of temporary accommodation has been increased to reduce the use of bed and breakfasts, which are not suitable for families.
• A landlord and tenant support programme is being delivered.
• Work is continuing with Housing Associations to increase successful nominations into social housing.

Starting Well Update Report 2024

The meeting received the Starting Well Update Report 2024, which provides updates on a number of initiatives aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Family Hubs

The Board heard that the transformation of Family Hubs is progressing well, with five hubs now open in:

• Oakengates
• Sutton Hill
• Woodside
• Hadley
• Dawley

A further three hubs are planned for Wellington, Donnington and Newport.

The report outlines the key elements of the Family Hubs offer, which include:

• Parenting
• Perinatal Mental Health
• Parent Infant Relationships
• Home Learning Environment
• Infant Feeding
• Parent Carer Panel

The Board also heard that a data collection process is being developed to monitor the impact of the Family Hub offer.

Early Help Strategy

The Board heard that work is underway to develop a new Early Help Strategy for the borough. The strategy is being co-produced with families, professionals and partners.

An engagement workshop will be held on 14 March 2024 to map the borough's current Early Help offer and identify any gaps in provision.

Healthy Child Programme

The Board received an update on the Healthy Child Programme. The programme is a statutory public health service commissioned by the council and delivered by Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust.

The Board heard that the programme is performing well, with:

• Over 92% of newborn visits being delivered within 10-14 days.
• 88% of infants receiving their 6-8 weeks checks on time.
• 87.5% of 1 year olds receiving their 12 months development reviews on time.
• 91% of 2 year olds receiving their 2-year-old reviews on time.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (BeeU)

The Board received an update on the BeeU child and adolescent mental health service.

The Board heard that:

• MPFT has entered a contract extension for 2024/25.
• Additional funding has been received from the Mental Health Investment Standard for 2024/25. This funding will be used to increase staffing levels and reduce waiting lists.
• Bee U is meeting the CYP crisis metric of 4 hours and 72 hours and meeting the 1 week urgent and 4 weeks non-urgent to treatment for CYP with eating disorders.

However, the Board also heard that there are still long waits for some services, including ADHD and ASD assessments.

Child Mortality

The Board heard that the ICB published figures on child deaths in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin in September 2023. The figures highlighted that death rates in the area are higher than average.

A working party has been established to develop a coordinated approach to reducing preventable child deaths.

Better Care Fund

The meeting received an update on the Better Care Fund, which pools together funding from the NHS and local government for adult social care.

The Board heard that:

• The fund is meeting the national conditions.
• Projections show that the fund is likely to meet the five national indicators.
• Activity is on track for planned expenditure.

The Board approved the quarterly returns for the fund.