The North Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Board met to discuss a range of issues, including an overview of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, an update on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Priority Plan, the Better Care Fund End of Year Performance Report, a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, a Dental Commissioning Plan, the Family Drug and Alcohol Court, and North Northants Healthwatch.

Health and Wellbeing Strategy Overview

Leigh Bell, Consultant in Public Health at North Northamptonshire Council, was scheduled to provide an overview of the Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy. The North Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2024–2029 aims to reduce health inequalities and enhance the overall health of its residents through collaborative efforts.

The strategy focuses on five key priorities:

• Smoking and Vaping
• Keeping Active
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Children and Young People
• Financial Resilience

The report pack included the North Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy 2024-2029, which states that the Health and Wellbeing Board is responsible for day-to-day oversight of the Strategy, including:

• Leadership
• Stakeholder focus
• Coordination
• Reviews

SEND Priority Plan Update

Helen Baines, Programme Manager, Children's Services at North Northamptonshire Council, was scheduled to present an update on the North Northamptonshire SEND Priority Action Plan. The report pack included the SEND Priority Plan Update and the Appendix - NN SEND PAP Tracker Update.

The Priority Action Plan (PAP) was co-produced and agreed in May 2024, and outlines the actions being taken to improve SEND provision, strengthen joint working, and ensure better outcomes for children and young people with SEND across North Northamptonshire.

The four core priority action areas identified where improvement was urgently required are:

• Partnership Working
• Joint Strategic Commissioning
• Governance and Leadership
• Accurate Assessment of Needs

The report pack stated that the Department for Education and NHS England monitor progress through a programme of formal and informal review, including attendance at SEND Partnership Accountability and Improvement Boards, Deep Dive sessions, and Formal Stocktakes.

Better Care Fund End of Year Performance Report

Samantha Fitzgerald, Assistant Director Adult Social Care Operations, was scheduled to present the Better Care Fund End of Year Performance Report. The report pack included the Better Care Fund End of Year Performance Report, the North Northants End of Year 2425, the CD Actual Activity North Northants End of Year 2425, Expenditure Guidance North Northants End of Year, and Expenditure North Northants End of Year 2425.

The report provided the Health and Wellbeing Board with the 2024/25 Better Care Fund End of year performance Report, showing performance against the metrics in the Better Care Fund plan for 2024 to 2025.

The Better Care Fund (BCF) is one of the government's national vehicles for driving health and social care integration, requiring Integrated Care Systems and local government to agree a joint plan, owned by the Health and Wellbeing Board.

The Better Care Fund plan for 2024 to 2025 sets out the ambitions on how the spending will improve performance against the following metrics:

• Avoidable admissions to hospital
• People discharged to their usual place of residence
• Admissions to residential and care homes
• Falls

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025-2028

Amy Pownall, Public Health Practitioner, was scheduled to present the North Northamptonshire Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025-2028. The report pack included the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment and the PNA Appendices 2025-2028.

The PNA is a critical document that evaluates how pharmaceutical services can address the health needs of the population within the North Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Board's area over the next three years. It focuses on the specific role of pharmaceutical services commissioned by NHS England and closely aligns to documents in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) which identifies broader health priorities.

The PNA should identify whether there are any gaps in current or future pharmaceutical services provision, including assessing whether additional premises or services are required, or if improvements to existing services can enhance access.

Dental Commissioning Plan

Julie Lemmy was scheduled to present the Dental Commissioning Plan. The report pack included the Dental Commissioning Plan.

The report pack stated that the Integrated Care Board has prioritised investments in areas of greatest need, reducing health and access inequalities, and improving access within available resources.

The aims of the Dental Commissioning Plan are to:

• Reduce inequalities in access to dental care
• Reduce inequalities in health (prevention)
• Longer term planning

Family Drug and Alcohol Court

Rachael Sanders was scheduled to present on the Family Drug and Alcohol Court. The report pack included the Family Drug and Alcohol Court presentation.

The presentation described the aims of the Family Drug and Alcohol Court as:

• To reduce the number of children in care
• To improve outcomes for children
• To support parental recovery
• To reduce delay in proceedings

North Northants Healthwatch

Pratima Datani was scheduled to present the North Northants Healthwatch report. The report pack included the North Northants Healthwatch report.

The report stated that Healthwatch is the independent consumer champion for health and social care in North Northamptonshire, with a primary mission to promote better outcomes for local people in health and social care.

The report highlighted that since April 2025, Healthwatch NN has been developing its infrastructure, including developing a website and telephone number, appointing key staff, and planning to set up an Advisory Board and recruit volunteers.

The report also stated that Healthwatch NN 'soft launched' on 14 June 2025 at a community event and asked people to vote on priorities. The votes were:

• Access to a GP (78 votes)
• Hospital Services (48 votes)
• Information about Health and social care (40 votes)
• Care at Home (20 votes)