The Hertfordshire & West Essex Integrated Care Partnership meeting on Wednesday 12 June 2024 focused on the future direction of the partnership, housing needs for older people and children, and updates on the integrated care strategy. Key decisions included exploring a new partnership model and addressing housing challenges.

Future Direction of the Partnership

Sarah Perman, Director of Public Health at Hertfordshire County Council, presented a verbal report on the recent activities of the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP). Following a workshop held on 5 March, which included a presentation from the Town and Country Planning Association, the partnership is exploring actions to deliver the new health and safe places mission of the Hertfordshire Growth Board.

An informal development session in February 2024 led to discussions about transforming the ICP into a movement for change with a focus on childhood obesity. Wendy Wills, Pro Vice Chancellor at the University of Hertfordshire, agreed to provide links to evaluations of whole system obesity approaches to assist in this proposal. A meeting will be convened in late April/early May to discuss the next steps.

Housing Needs for Older People and Children

Christine Oker, Programme Manager at Hertfordshire County Council, and Sarah Perman presented two agenda items related to housing. The first focused on the projected housing need for older people, particularly those with dementia, and the second on housing conditions for children and young people.

Challenges for Older People’s Housing

• The time required to build suitable accommodation is not keeping up with demand.
• Elderly people are often reluctant to move from their family homes for various reasons.
• Affordable accommodation for carers is limited.
• Poor mental health is linked to unsuitable accommodation.
• There is a gap between developments in the pipeline and actual need.

Challenges for Children and Young People’s Housing

• Poor accommodation should be treated as a safeguarding issue.
• Care leavers should be prioritised for safe and appropriate accommodation.
• Accommodation for children with respiratory conditions should be checked.
• Strategies for retrofitting homes to improve standards were discussed, with a recent report from Citizens Advice on damp and mould highlighted.

The ICP agreed to consider developing an older people’s housing strategy and to prioritise appropriate accommodation for care leavers. They also committed to raising awareness about the risks of damp and mould and to developing a system-wide toolkit for housing-related health issues.

Integrated Care Strategy Delivery Plan

Christine Oker presented a report on the progress of the integrated care strategy delivery plan. Neil Tester, Chairman of Healthwatch Hertfordshire, highlighted the risks associated with reduced funding for the voluntary sector. The ICP agreed to bring this issue to a future meeting and to provide an annual update on selected indicators for the integrated care strategy.

Update from the Hertfordshire & West Essex Integrated Care Board

Michael Watson, Chief of Staff at the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board, provided an update on the board's work since the last meeting.

For more details, you can refer to the minutes of the meeting.