The Health and Wellbeing Board met on Wednesday 15 October 2025 to discuss a range of important public health matters. Key decisions included noting the significant work being undertaken to promote mental wellbeing and prevent mental illness across the borough, and recommending the publication of the 2025 Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment. The Board also agreed to convene a workshop in November to shape Croydon's strategic approach to anti-racism.

Overview of Mental Health Programme of Work from Wider Partners

The Board received an overview of the extensive work being undertaken to promote mental wellbeing and prevent mental illness across Croydon. This included the launch of Croydon's self-harm and suicide prevention strategy and action plan, which is a collaborative, multi-agency effort. Further initiatives highlighted were the ongoing development of mental health first aid and trauma-informed training, with the aim of making Croydon a trauma-informed borough. Culturally and trauma-informed counselling is also being delivered at a locality level, with this work stemming from previous discussions at the Health and Wellbeing Board.

A significant project, Building Brighter Futures, funded by the Maudsley Charity with nearly £1 million, is being delivered by a partnership of three major mental health charities (Mind in Croydon, Croydon Drop-In, and Off the Record) and three youth organisations (Palace for Life Foundation, Be Inspired, and Reaching Higher). This three-year project will provide rapid response support to young people aged 10-19, establishing one-to-one mentoring relationships within three days and offering up to 20 weeks of support. The aim is to prove this rapid response model as an effective way to support young people and to explore closer collaboration with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Creative Health initiatives are also supporting mental health and wellbeing for all ages. A grant scheme has awarded 40 grants to local community groups and individuals to address priority health needs, particularly for those at risk of health inequalities. Projects funded include creative writing groups for marginalised adults in New Addington, music production workshops for young people at risk of exclusion, and drama workshops for unemployed or isolated adults. The main health and wellbeing outcomes of these grants are reducing social isolation, improving feelings of connection and belonging, reducing symptoms of anxiety, low mood, or depression, and building confidence, self-esteem, and resilience. A Creative Health Network has also been established, offering training in areas such as business development, marketing, fundraising, and artistic practice, with a specific focus on mental health.

The South West London (SWL) all-age mental health strategy is now in its third year of delivery, with Croydon actively contributing to regional priorities while focusing on local needs. Key areas of focus for the ICB in 2025-26 include Community Mental Health Transformation, with a stocktake of local models and strengthening integration within neighbourhood teams. There is a continued focus on ethnicity and race equality to address disproportionality in outcomes. Improvements are also being driven in children and young people's mental health, with a review of the neurodevelopmental pathway and proposals to expand early support. Crisis and urgent care pathways are also being further developed to ensure seamless interfaces between community crisis provision, emergency departments, and acute mental health services.

Annette McPartland, Corporate Director for Adults, Health and Social Care, raised a point about the need to ensure adequate focus on older adults within the mental health programmes, noting that much of the current work appears to be targeted at younger people and working-age adults. She highlighted the isolation experienced by many elderly people and the stagnation in dementia support offers.

Yemisi Gibbons, Chair of Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, congratulated the projects and asked Steve Phaure about achieving seamless integration with statutory providers, including the Trust, to support the CYP mental health work. Steve Phaure explained that rapid responders would have a hybrid therapeutic, mentoring, and personal career development role, and that they would be working closely with Child Welfare Practitioners. The ambition is for year two to involve risk assessments and triaging in the same room.

The Board resolved to note the work being undertaken by Croydon Council's Public Health Team and Adult Social Care Team in relation to promoting mental wellbeing and preventing mental illness, and to note the work being undertaken within the community to support good mental health and wellbeing for all. It was recommended that the Health and Wellbeing Board consider opportunities to champion and promote the wider range of interventions and services available in the borough that support good mental health and wellbeing for all.

Anti-Racism Programme of Work

The Board received an overview of the activity in relation to Priority 1: Good Mental Health and Wellbeing for all, specifically concerning the Croydon Anti-Racism Work Programme. A task and finish group has been meeting regularly over the summer to develop an anti-racist framework and approach to the health system. The group has been working to identify how best to bring this to the Board for a workshop session to focus on strategic approaches to anti-racism, moving beyond rhetoric to make tangible changes that improve residents' lives.

The task and finish group has explored various existing frameworks, including the South West London framework, which was significantly informed by Croydon organisations and communities. The group concluded that frameworks are similar in approach and that the SWL framework, with its staged approach, is a good model to adapt. The workshop will focus on the Health and Wellbeing Board membership to allow for a rich and nuanced discussion, and to begin shaping wider community engagement. The ask of the Board was to approve the approach suggested by the task and finish group to hold an initial workshop in November, and to approve wider workshop sessions in the future engaging with a range of stakeholders, including communities, to inform the anti-racism work programme.

Councillor Janet Campbell, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, emphasised that this work cannot be rushed and that honest conversations are needed. Yemisi Gibbons raised the crucial point of ensuring measurable targets and outcomes, so that the work leads to tangible change rather than just a shiny new framework document. Jack Bedeman responded that the so what of the work, and what meaningful change looks like, is central to the conversations. Edwina Morris, Chair of Healthwatch Croydon, questioned the scope of the action plan and whether the right people would be in the room to take necessary action, highlighting the emotive nature of the topic and the need for hearts and minds to be changed. Councillor Humayun Kabir also sought clarification on the scope and membership of the initial workshop. Jack Bedeman clarified that the initial workshop would include members of the Health and Wellbeing Board and the task and finish group, with external facilitators. A future, wider community-facing workshop is also planned. Steve Phaure suggested leveraging Croydon's extensive community infrastructure to take the conversation into the streets and neighbourhoods.

The Board agreed to the recommendations to convene a workshop in November to strengthen and shape Croydon's strategic approach to anti-racism, and to approve the approach to hold wider workshop sessions in the future engaging and consulting with a range of stakeholders.

Better Care Fund 2025-26 Quarter 1 Submission

Paul Connelly, Head of Integrated Contracts and Performance for the One Croydon Alliance, presented the Better Care Fund (BCF) Quarter 1 submission for 2025-26. He reported that expenditure is on track, with a year-to-date underspend in the Better Disabilities Facilities Grant, which is expected to align by the end of the year. Overall, 24% of the BCF has been spent in the first quarter, which is as expected.

Metrics-wise, no significant changes were observed, and all goals are on track to be met, with the exception of residential admissions, where the team is not currently on track. However, Q1 is over the summer, and residential admissions typically change over winter, leaving nine months for ratification. A mitigation report has been completed, and mitigating actions will be taken. National conditions are met, bar one, which is the Section 75 agreement not being signed at the time of submission, though this was met by the required deadline.

Paul Connelly also provided an update on next year's Better Care Fund, anticipating changes that may affect funding and what can be funded. These are early stages, with no finance conversations yet held. Guidance changes are expected, and these will be worked through by a VCF group to ensure full understanding before feeding back to the Board.

The Board resolved to ratify the Better Care Fund Quarter 1 Submission for 2025-26.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment

Sally Hudd, Public Health Principal, presented the report on the process to produce and publish the 2025 Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA). She reminded the Board of their statutory responsibility to publish and keep up-to-date a statement of needs for pharmaceutical services within the borough, which is crucial for determining market entry for new pharmacies. This is the first time a South West London collaborative approach has been taken to produce the PNA, with Kingston being the only local authority not involved due to differing timeframes.

The PNA has been developed in accordance with the Department of Health and Social Care's Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Information Pack, including a public questionnaire and a 60-day consultation period. The final draft was brought to the Board for further discussion and comments were taken to the steering group for final amendments.

The recommendation was for the Board to recommend the publication of the 2025 PNA, noting that the last PNA was published in November 2022 and a new one must be published by 1 November 2025. The Board was also asked to review Section 8 of the documentation and consider the role of the Health and Wellbeing Board for future opportunities.

Questions were raised about the perception of residents feeling pharmacies are closing, despite the PNA concluding no gaps in provision. The Board discussed the importance of communicating the strategic direction of maximising public health outcomes with existing pharmacy capacity and the role of pharmacies in preventative health services. Concerns were also raised about financial viability for community pharmacies and the risk of declining numbers. The Board discussed the potential for using digital means to access communities that cannot physically get to pharmacies and the role of pharmacists in providing advice over the phone or via video calls.

The Board resolved to recommend the publication of the 2025 Croydon Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment and to review Section 8 of the documentation and consider the role of the Health and Wellbeing Board for future opportunities.

South West London Integrated Care Board Annual Report and Accounts, 2024-25

Hilary Williams presented the NHS South West London Integrated Care Board (ICB) Annual Report for 1 April 2024 to March 2025. The report covers performance, accountability, and annual accounts. There were no specific recommendations for the Board, other than to note the contents of the report. It was commented that there is significant synergy with the commitment to anti-racist practice, scrutiny around performance through an equity lens, and a strong focus on reducing health inequalities for groups at risk of being left behind.

The Board resolved to note the contents of the report.

Health and Wellbeing Board Forward Plan

Jack Bedeman presented the Health and Wellbeing Board Forward Plan, outlining the workplan for the board and identifying items for future meetings. The next board meeting on 28 January 2026 will focus on healthy, safe, well-connected neighbourhoods and communities. Suggested agenda items include a highlight report on the patient tier programme, creative health evaluation insights, and a feedback session on the anti-racism work programme.

Discussions also touched upon encouraging public questions and engagement, with suggestions to have a presence at Local Community Partnerships (LCPs) and for Board members to attend and highlight the Board's role. The importance of co-producing the next stage of the neighbourhood plan and moving from consultation to a co-produced approach was also discussed. The Board agreed to take these discussions offline to consider how to best engage with people and get out into the communities.

The meeting concluded with the Board agreeing to note the forward plan.

The meeting was confirmed as held, and decisions were made.