The Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board met to discuss the annual report from Healthwatch, the progress of the Building a Brighter Future Programme, and a spotlight review of adult safeguarding. The board reviewed and updated their action tracker. They also received an update on healthy ageing in Torbay from Amanda Moss, the Interim Director of Public Health.

Healthwatch Annual Report

The board received the Healthwatch Annual Report 2025, which highlighted the work of Healthwatch[^2] in representing the views of people using health and social care services in Torbay.

The report covered several key areas, including:

• Engaging with the community: Healthwatch had undertaken various outreach activities to gather feedback from diverse groups, including those with lived experience of mental health services, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
• Influencing service improvements: Healthwatch had used the feedback it gathered to influence changes and improvements to local services.
• Providing information and advice: Healthwatch had provided information and advice to help people make informed choices about their care.

Councillor Cat Johns, Scrutiny Lead for Adults, Community Services, Public Health and Inequalities, asked about the challenges Healthwatch faced in reaching certain communities.

Building a Brighter Future Programme Update

The Sub-Board received an update on the Building a Brighter Future Programme, a transformation programme aimed at improving outcomes for adults and children in Torbay.

The update covered progress in several key areas, including:

• Integrated Care: Plans to better integrate health and social care services, to provide more joined-up care for people with complex needs.
• Early Help: Expansion of early help services to prevent problems from escalating.
• Prevention: Initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent ill-health.

Councillor Hayley Tranter, Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services, Public Health and Inequalities, highlighted the importance of the programme in delivering sustainable improvements to services.

Spotlight Review of Adult Safeguarding

The Sub-Board considered the Spotlight Review of Adult Safeguarding. The review examined the effectiveness of the council's adult safeguarding arrangements, including policies, procedures, and training.

The review made a number of recommendations for improvement, including:

• Strengthening partnership working: Improving communication and collaboration between different agencies involved in safeguarding.
• Improving data collection and analysis: To better understand the nature and extent of abuse and neglect in Torbay.
• Enhancing training and awareness: To ensure that all staff and volunteers are equipped to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns.

Councillor Margaret Douglas-Dunbar, Shadow Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services, Public Health and Inequalities, asked about the steps being taken to implement the recommendations.

Annual Public Health Report 2025: Healthy Ageing

Amanda Moss, the Interim Director of Public Health, presented the Annual Public Health Report 2025: Healthy Ageing. The report focused on the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population in Torbay, and set out a series of recommendations for promoting healthy ageing.

The recommendations included:

• Promoting active lifestyles: Encouraging older people to stay physically and mentally active.
• Preventing social isolation: Tackling loneliness and isolation among older people.
• Improving access to healthcare: Ensuring that older people have access to the healthcare services they need.
• Creating age-friendly communities: Making Torbay a place where older people can live independently and participate fully in community life.

Councillor Steve Bryant asked about the resources that would be needed to implement the recommendations.

Action Tracker

The Sub-Board reviewed and updated the ASC Sub-Board Action Tracker for meeting. The action tracker monitors progress against actions agreed at previous meetings.