The Integrated Meeting of Waltham Forest Health & Wellbeing and Health & Care Partnership Boards convened on Monday 19 January 2026, addressing key areas including the Better Care Fund, mental health initiatives, long-term conditions, and promoting wellbeing. Decisions were made to delegate authority for signing off Better Care Fund reports, progress the development of Tier 3 weight management services, and approve the formation of a Neighbourhood Health Alliance.

Better Care Fund (BCF) Update

The Board formally noted the Q1 Better Care Fund (BCF) 2025/26 report and delegated authority to designated SRO officers to sign off the Q2 BCF 2025/26 submission. Plans to develop 2026/27 strategic priorities through workshops and a future Health and Wellbeing Board (HWBB) meeting were also approved. The Board agreed to delegate authority to designated SRO officers to vary the Section 75 Better Care Fund agreement for 2025/26 and to progress a new Section 75 agreement effective from 1 April 2026, which will be open-ended with a termination clause.

The BCF allocation for 2026/27 was noted, with an uplift on the NHS minimum contribution for adult social care. A NEL-wide review of the BCF found that while Waltham Forest had made progress in aligning its BCF with strategic priorities, it remained constrained by legacy funding structures. A working group has been established to lead preparations for planning the 2026/27 BCF, with workshops scheduled to review 2025/26 priorities, align new BCF priorities with national, place-based, and neighbourhood-level objectives, and reflect on findings from the NEL-wide BCF review. The HWBB is expected to sign off the 2026/27 BCF plan in March 2026.

Promoting Wellbeing Update

The Board received updates on the Promoting Wellbeing workstream, which aims to advance a preventative approach and reduce health inequalities. Key areas of progress included strengthening the partnership with the voluntary and community sector, with the Waltham Forest Health & Wellbeing Alliance moving into an implementation phase. The Borough of Sanctuary initiative has seen progress in broader support for migrant communities, though the Safe Surgeries initiative has stalled, with a significant majority of GP surgeries still requesting ID or proof of address despite national guidance.

Updates were also provided on Employment and Health, with the soft launch of the 'Connect to Work' programme. The Housing and Health priority area is focused on delivering improved health outcomes for those vulnerable to homelessness or living in temporary accommodation. Progress in Mental Health Promotion was highlighted, with the establishment of governance for the mental health of Black Boys and Black Young Men, and the commencement of the Kooth project. The development of Locality Hubs and Primary Care Spaces is progressing, with pilot areas identified and a commissioning strategy developed. The Health Equity Alliance has launched a grant-funded program supporting all seven Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to deliver locally tailored health equity projects. The rollout of the Joy App, a digital platform designed to enhance social prescribing, is also underway.

Update on the Mental Health of Black Boys and Young Men

The Board received an update on the mental health of Black Boys and Young Men, noting the deliberate focus on power-sharing, trust-building, and accountability. The programme aims to address professional behaviour, unconscious bias, and system thresholds alongside service development. Sustainability and legacy planning were identified as priority concerns, requiring early planning for long-term funding, community ownership, and system embedding. The Board discussed the importance of prevention, parenting, education, and early life experiences, acknowledging that outcomes might only be visible over decades.

Long Term Conditions Strategy and NEL Outcomes Framework

The Board discussed the scale of multi-morbidity and its impact on system demand, noting that residents with multiple long-term conditions, many under 65, account for a disproportionate share of system spend. The strategy's delivery amid major system change, including shifts toward integrated neighbourhood teams, was queried, with officers acknowledging current capacity and clarity challenges. The integration of mental health into the strategy, particularly for people with severe mental illness and complex needs, was identified as an area needing strengthening. The Board discussed the risks of inaction, noting that failure to shift toward prevention would significantly increase future demand across health and social care. Actions were agreed to engage partner organisations to identify named leads for the strategy and to define and incorporate patient and lived-experience measures.

New Section 75 Partnership Agreement for Health and Social Care – Better Care Fund

The Board approved the formation of a formal Neighbourhood Health Alliance and approved North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) as the host of the integrator delivery function under the Alliance's strategic direction. The central role of primary care, embedding PCN directors into the Neighbourhood Health Alliance and executive management, was endorsed. The proposed next steps for the formal Neighbourhood Health Alliance, including governance, resource planning, and ensuring resident involvement, were considered and agreed.

BCF Annual Plan 2026/27

The Board queried why equality impact assessments were not explicitly included in the BCF submission, with officers confirming they were embedded within commissioning and quality governance processes. The Board asked whether inequalities and lived experience could be made more visible within the submission, and whether the level of investment should prompt deeper evaluation of outcomes. Officers responded that most funding was sustaining well-established services, though more structured evaluation was needed. Changes to reablement models, integrated discharge pathways, and end-of-life care were highlighted as the most meaningful areas of transformation for 2026/27. An action was agreed to incorporate lived experience measures, aligned to the Good Care Framework, into the success measures for the Better Care Fund where possible.