The Health & Wellbeing Board and ICB Sub-Committee meeting on 17 March 2026 focused on improving the health and well-being of carers and residents, with key discussions around the JSNA Deep Dive on Carers' Health Needs and the refresh of the Carers' Charter. The meeting also addressed significant updates on the Northeast London Integrated Care Board (ICB) restructure, neighbourhood working initiatives, and the outcome of the Maternity Services CQC inspection.

JSNA Deep Dive: Carers' Health Needs in Barking and Dagenham

A comprehensive deep dive into the health needs of informal carers in Barking and Dagenham was presented, highlighting that while many carers report positive experiences, a significant number face emotional, social, and financial challenges. The Census 2021 identified 14,200 unpaid carers in the borough, with a core group of over 5,500 known to services. Carers in Barking and Dagenham are more likely to be female and provide over 20 hours of care per week compared to national averages. Positive findings include a high proportion of carers feeling included in discussions about the person they care for and having as much social contact as they desire. However, key areas for improvement identified include general health and well-being, finances and employment, recognition of the carer role, strategic alignment, awareness and access to support, and specific needs of young carers. The report recommended a future Neighbourhood Health model that prioritises carers' own health appointments and integrates health assessments with Carers' Assessments.

Carers Charter Refresh and Action Plan 2026/2036

The refreshed Carers' Charter for 2026-2036 was presented, building on the existing charter and co-produced with carers, stakeholders, and the voluntary sector. The charter, which will last for 10 years with an annually updated action plan, focuses on four key areas: Working together for carers, Carers wellbeing and employment, Supporting young carers, and Carers in the wider community. The charter uses I statements developed by carers to reflect their experiences and aspirations. The report recommended that partner organisations formally adopt the charter and nominate individuals to contribute to the Carers Strategic Group to drive its delivery. The charter aims to support carers in their caring role, focusing on prevention, early intervention, and specialist support to promote financial resilience, reduce health inequalities, and enable carers to maintain their own health and well-being.

Queen Mary University of London Partnership

A presentation was given by Arundi Mahendran, Director for Shape Health at Queen Mary University of London, and Laura, Manager at Shape Health, outlining an exciting partnership focused on reimagining health and well-being. Their work, which moves away from defining health as the absence of illness to asking what does it mean to be well?, is exploring three key projects: early years development in partnership with Beckettree Primary School, upscaling social prescribing through digital innovation, and reimagining community hospitals in a borough that has never had a dedicated on-site acute general hospital. The initiative aims to pioneer a new institutional model of relational health that could be transferable nationally and internationally, focusing on building trust between individuals, groups, and services, and empowering residents as knowledge contributors rather than just service users.

Maternity Services CQC Inspection Outcome

Will Reynolds, Director of Operations for Women's and Children's at BHRUT, and Nichola Kane, Chief Nurse at BHRUT, provided an update on the outcome of the CQC inspection of maternity services. Following concerns raised by the CQC maternity survey results in February 2025, which placed the service in the bottom 20% nationally, significant improvements have been implemented. These include increased midwifery and healthcare support in maternity triage, enhanced medical twilight and overnight cover with a dedicated senior doctor available 24/7, improved monitoring processes with a new dashboard, and the introduction of electronic patient records and flow coordinators. The service was reassessed by the CQC in August 2025, achieving a good rating in four out of five domains. Further work has been undertaken to address patient feedback, focusing on civility and kindness training, and a mini-survey conducted in February 2026 indicated positive patient feedback on labour wards and postnatal wards, with areas for improvement identified in feeding support and pain relief effectiveness. The ambition is to achieve an outstanding rating by 2030.

Committees in Common Governance Review

A governance review was presented, recommending refreshed and streamlined arrangements for the Partnership Executive Committee (PEC) and supporting delivery groups. The review aims to align with the evolving national and local policy agenda, including the NHS 10 Year Plan and neighbourhood health approaches, and to adapt to significant changes within partner organisations, such as the ICB restructure. The proposed changes include updated terms of reference for the PEC to provide strategic oversight of the borough's neighbourhood programme, increased representation from the social sector, and the streamlining of sub-groups, with the Adults Delivery Group being stood down and a new neighbourhoods operational group established. The review also highlighted the need to consider how future partnership activity will be supported collectively and individually by partner organisations, particularly in light of reduced capacity within the ICB's place programme management support.

Northeast London Integrated Care Board Update

An update was provided on the Northeast London ICB restructure, which is part of the delivery of core functions of strategic commissioning and aims to reduce running costs by 50% by 2026/27. The revised operating model and structure were agreed in February 2026, with approximately 150 staff leaving the organisation through voluntary redundancy or the Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme (MARS). Recruitment to new roles is underway, with a further reduction in headcount expected to meet the funded establishment. The structure comprises four departments: Strategy, Strategic Commissioning, Clinical and Quality Commissioning, and Finance and Resources, with a focus on neighbourhood development and strategic commissioning.

Neighbourhood Working Update

An update was given on the progress of the local programme within the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP). Barking and Dagenham was selected as one of 43 implementation sites in September 2025. The update highlighted a visit from the NNHIP SRO and colleagues from NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, who praised the borough's partnership by default approach and focus on the whole person. The visitors also offered advice on creating the necessary infrastructure for joint or shared commissioning. Progress continues on developing integrated neighbourhood teams, with the second round of workshops commencing in March. A Neighbourhood Health Maturity Framework, outlining what good looks like, was presented, indicating that the borough is currently in the mobilising phase, with strengths identified but also areas for development.

National Child Measurement Programme Dataset 2024/25

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) summary for 2024/25 was presented, showing that 6,390 pupils were measured across 49 schools. The number of Reception children measured increased, while Year 6 measurements decreased. The participation rate remained high, though the percentage of children with non-measurement codes saw a slight increase. The data indicated a decrease in Reception children classified as above a healthy weight, with Barking and Dagenham's rate now lower than the national average for this age group. However, Year 6 children classified above a healthy weight remained higher than London and England averages, although the gap has narrowed. Demographic analysis showed that children of Asian ethnicity now form the largest group in both Reception and Year 6 measurements, and while rates of children above a healthy weight have decreased across most ethnic groups, disparities persist. The report also noted that the impact of deprivation on children's weight is less pronounced in Barking and Dagenham compared to national averages.

'It Starts Here: Partnerships for Change' - A New Vision for Barking and Dagenham

The new place-based plan, 'It Starts Here: Partnerships for Change,' was presented for endorsement. This document replaces the Borough Manifesto and outlines ten missions reflecting key partnership priorities: School readiness and child obesity; Poverty; Employment; Independent living; Decent homes; Preventing and managing long-term conditions; Domestic abuse; Community safety; Clean streets; and Culture and heritage placemaking. The vision is guided by the principles of People, Place and Partnerships, aiming to foster a place where residents are proud to live, work, study, and stay. The document has been co-produced with partners, including NHS, Metropolitan Police, and VCFSE organisations, who will be co-signatories, demonstrating collective ownership and responsibility for delivery. Monitoring and delivery will be overseen through existing partnership boards and strategies.

Other Items

The meeting also included updates on the Northeast London Integrated Care Board (ICB) Update and Neighbourhood Working Update, which detailed the ongoing restructuring of the ICB and the progress of neighbourhood health initiatives, respectively. The Committees in Common Governance Review proposed streamlining governance arrangements to better reflect current priorities and partnership changes.

The meeting was held on Tuesday 17 March 2026.