The Health and Wellbeing Board meeting scheduled for 30 September 2026 was set to cover a range of important topics, including the development of a new Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, a Community Transport Action Plan, and the impact of recent heatwaves and wildfires. The Board was also scheduled to discuss future ways of working to enhance its strategic leadership.

Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the progress of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) 2.0. This assessment aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current and future health and social care needs of the North Somerset population. The report highlighted that the JSNA is being refreshed to be more usable, timely, and insightful, incorporating more granular data, information on inequalities, and qualitative insights. The proposed framework for JSNA 2.0 is structured around a life course and determinants-based approach, with different chapters focusing on population, health inequalities, starting and growing up well, living well, ageing well, dying well, wider determinants of health, and ward/area profiles. The development process includes stakeholder workshops, a steering group, and user testing. Challenges such as limited capacity and data granularity were noted, with plans for recruitment and further data exploration to mitigate these. The timeline for the JSNA's completion was outlined, with the final publication anticipated in March 2027.

Community Transport Action Plan

The Board was scheduled to consider the formation of a new multi-agency Transport subgroup to address the strategic recommendations of the 2025 VANS Community Transport Mapping Report. This subgroup would aim to progress the North Somerset Community Transport Action Plan and develop a long-term, strategic approach to supporting the community transport sector. The report emphasised the critical role of community transport in enabling residents, particularly older people, to access health services, maintain social connections, and remain independent. It highlighted that many community transport schemes are volunteer-led and face sustainability risks. The proposed subgroup would involve senior leaders from adult social care, public health, neighbourhood health, and healthcare providers.

Avon Fire & Rescue: Impact of Heat and Wildfires

A report from the Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) was scheduled to discuss the impact of recent exceptionally high temperatures and wildfires on the service and its communities. The report noted that extreme weather and climate change are recognised as emerging strategic risks. It detailed the increased operational demand, pressure on firefighter health and welfare, and potential impact on appliance and resource availability due to wildfires. The report also highlighted the community impacts, including risks to life and property, effects on vulnerable residents, environmental damage, and the importance of community behaviour in preventing fires. The AF&RS proposed recommendations including maintaining and developing a Heat-Ready trigger plan, increasing seasonal wildfire prevention campaigns, strengthening firefighter welfare, reviewing wildfire equipment, improving intelligence and risk mapping, and enhancing partnership working with landowners and vulnerable communities.

Future Ways of Working

The Board was also set to discuss its future role and ways of working through an informal workshop session following the formal meeting. This discussion was intended to explore how the Board could evolve to provide more effective strategic leadership for health and wellbeing and the reduction of inequalities, in response to new guidance and expectations around health and care reform. The proposed future role for the Board is to provide clearer leadership for neighbourhood health in North Somerset, focusing on agreeing shared outcomes, setting priorities based on population data and community insight, connecting neighbourhood health to wider determinants, influencing Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, and aligning partner activity. The suggested model involves keeping the formal Board focused on strategic choices and assurance, while developing an operational group for delivery coordination and time-limited task-and-finish groups for specific priorities.

Terms of Reference and Work Plan

The Board was also scheduled to review its Terms of Reference and Work Plan. The draft Terms of Reference, revised in September 2026, outline the Board's statutory role in commissioning and endorsing the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy, reviewing commissioning plans, and providing input to the Integrated Care Board (ICB). The membership structure, decision-making processes, and quorum requirements were detailed. The Work Plan, as of September 2026, included standing items such as the JSNA, Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Better Care Fund, and Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, as well as suggested future agenda items like tackling inequalities and exploring connections between health, planning, and placemaking.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The Board was also scheduled to approve the minutes from its previous meeting held on 27 May 2026. The minutes from that meeting indicated discussions on the Better Care Fund, including intermediate care pathways, future prevention work, and de-hoarding pilots. The Board had retrospectively approved the Better Care Fund (BCF) plan and reporting template for 2026/27 and agreed to form a working group to review the 2027-2028 draft plan.