The Health and Wellbeing Board was scheduled to discuss a range of critical public health issues, including a comprehensive assessment of children and young people's mental health needs, annual reports on safeguarding children and adults, and strategies for suicide prevention and tobacco control. The board was also set to review patient experiences within sickle cell services and receive an update on the City and Hackney Tobacco Control Alliance's progress.

CYP Mental Health Needs Assessment 2025 Report

The board was scheduled to review the findings of the City and Hackney Children and Young People's (CYP) Mental Health Needs Assessment 2025 report. This assessment provides an overview of mental health and wellbeing needs across the City of London and Hackney, with a particular focus on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report highlights a growing and unequal burden of mental health needs, with increased prevalence of risk factors for poor mental health compared to London and England averages. It also identifies disparities in how mental health needs are identified and met across different demographic and geographic groups. The board was asked to review the key findings and recommendations, and discuss how these will inform the new Emotional Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Action Plan. The report noted that the assessment had been presented to various partnerships, including the Emotional Health and Wellbeing (EHWB) Strategic Partnership and the City and Hackney Place Based Partnership (PbP) Delivery Group. Recommendations included reducing inequalities, improving communication, developing flexible needs-based approaches, strengthening the role of schools, and further investigation into data sharing and barriers to engagement. The report also detailed limitations in the data, such as inconsistencies in service-level data collection and reporting, and potential biases in qualitative findings. The full report and summary slides were provided as appendices¹.

Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2024-25

The board was scheduled to receive the annual report from the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership (CHSCP) for 2024-25. This report details the partnership's activities, achievements, and ongoing challenges. Key achievements highlighted included improvements in how the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police handle child-related cases, robust multi-agency governance, and a commitment to learning from reviews. However, the report also noted ongoing challenges such as financial pressures on agencies, increasing complexity of cases involving emotional distress and mental health issues among young people, and persistent barriers in data accuracy and information sharing between agencies. Future priorities for the partnership include focusing on the health and stability of the safeguarding workforce, tackling racism through the Active Anti-Racist Charter, and maintaining a focus on the lived experiences of children. The report was also to be presented to other relevant committees, including the CYP Scrutiny Commission, Community Safety Partnership, and Safeguarding Adults Board².

Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2024/25

The board was scheduled to receive the annual report from the City and Hackney Safeguarding Adults Board (CHSAB) for 2024/25. This report outlines the board's achievements, areas for development, and priorities for the upcoming year. The CHSAB is a statutory board with three core duties: developing and publishing a strategic plan, publishing an annual report, and commissioning Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs). Key achievements for 2024/25 included commissioning safeguarding training for frontline staff, organising events for Safeguarding Adults Week, conducting a multi-agency self-assessment, and hosting a Patient Panel on Safeguarding. The report also detailed data on safeguarding concerns and enquiries in Hackney, with self-neglect being the most common form of abuse reported. The board's strategic priorities for 2025/26 include developing a community engagement strategy, establishing a multi-agency dashboard, improving learning from SARs, implementing updated policies, and focusing on specific risks such as homelessness, financial abuse, and self-neglect. Case studies illustrating multi-agency work in safeguarding were also included³.

Annual Suicide Prevention Report 2025

The board was scheduled to receive an update on suicide prevention efforts in Hackney. The report indicated that an average of 20 deaths by suicide are registered in Hackney per year, with the rate over the last three years being 9.1 per 100,000 population, which is below the national rate but above the London rate. Similar to the national trend, approximately 75% of suspected suicide deaths are by men. Suicide risk in Hackney increases with age, differing from the national trend. The report highlighted local services providing specialist support, including ELFT, James' Place, Safe Connections (Mind CHWF), and Body and Soul. The Hackney Suicide Prevention Stakeholder Group coordinates prevention efforts, with proposed priorities for the coming year including improving awareness, suicide prevention in educational settings, responding to suicides outside the home, support for those who have previously attempted suicide, and focusing on suicide risk for autistic people, those with substance misuse issues, and older adults⁴.

Progress Update on the City and Hackney Tobacco Control Alliance

The board was scheduled to receive an update on the progress of the City and Hackney Tobacco Control Alliance (TCA). The report detailed progress made against the TCA's partnership priorities for 2024-2026, including re-establishing senior-level engagement, developing a coordinated communications approach, co-designing a new Stop Smoking Service (SSS) with an inequalities focus, and improving coordination of NHS and local authority treatment pathways. Significant progress has been made in expanding youth-focused work and intensifying enforcement activity against illegal tobacco and unregulated vaping products. The report also highlighted the development of a strategic direction for smokefree environments and plans for a co-designed vaping position statement. The board was asked to note the progress made, support the next phase of work on smokefree environments, and continue to provide strategic support for the TCA's wider work⁵.

Community Voice: Sickle Cell Services

The board was scheduled to hear about the patient experience of sickle cell services in Hackney, following up on a 2015 Healthwatch Hackney report. The research aimed to evaluate improvements in patient experience and identify areas needing further attention. Evidence was gathered through a focus group with people living with sickle cell disease and Enter and View visits to Lloyd Ward and the Medical Day Unit (MDU) at Homerton Hospital. The findings indicated that patient experience varies significantly depending on the care setting, with non-specialist settings like A&E and GP surgeries associated with negative experiences such as disbelief, delayed pain relief, and poor communication. Specialist services, particularly the MDU, were consistently praised for providing safe, responsive, and trustworthy care. The report highlighted five structural factors enabling excellent care at the MDU: specialist knowledge, continuity of care, staff autonomy, a culture of trust and belief, and consistent protocols. Recommendations were made to Homerton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to improve A&E patient experience and address racism and stigma, to Lloyd Ward to strengthen communication and reflective practice, and to NEL ICB to improve GP knowledge, reduce reliance on A&E, and enhance the transition from paediatric to adult care⁶.