Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Hart had a Personal Interest at Minute 46/21 as a member of the Erewash Health and Wellbeing Partnership.

RESOLVED that the non-exempt minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet Member for Health and Communities held on 22 July 2021 be confirmed as a correct record.

The Cabinet Member was given an update on the Council Plan performance position and the revenue budget position of the Health and Communities portfolio for 2021-2022 to the end of June 2021.

          This report presented both financial and Council Plan performance data including the performance summary, which set out progress on the Council Plan deliverables and measures led by the Health and Communities portfolio, and a summary and detail on the revenue budget position for the portfolio.  Progress was "good" for the majority of the Plan deliverables, however the deliverable "Worked with communities in a further 8 areas across the county as part of the Thriving Communities programme, listening to and understanding their needs and working together to ensure they thrive" had been flagged as "requiring review".

          After the use of additional Covid-19 funding, the budget forecast position for 2021-22 was an underspend of £0.343m and it was forecast that £0.213m of savings would be achieved by the year end against target savings of £0.255m.  The report contained detailed tables, graphs and data showing an overview of progress on deliverables and measures, with further information provided at Appendix 2.

          The net controllable budget for the portfolio was £8.533m with an additional £95k Covid-19 funding.  The Revenue Outturn Statement forecast for Quarter 1 was a year-end underspend of £0.343m.  The value of th savings intiatives identified for the current year was £0.213m.  The shortfall betwwen total targets and identified savings was £0.042m.

          A trading area was where the Council received income in return for providing discretionary services to external organisations and/or individuals.  ‘Partially traded’ trading areas did not have a net controllable budget but received income from external entities.  The financial performance of these areas was tabled in the report.

          RESOLVED – that the Cabinet Member note the report and consider whether there were any further actions that should be undertaken to address performance, where it has not met the desired level.

The Cabinet Member was given an update on organisations supported through the Public Health Covid-19 Emergency Fund and the relaunch of the fund to continue to provide support to communities affected by Covid-19.  This was the fifth quarterly update covering organisations who had received funding from 27 April 2021 to 30 June 2021 and applications were detailed in the report.

          It was proposed that a further £0.100m be allocated to extend and reposition the fund from the Contain Outbreak Management Fund, so Public Health could continue to support local organisations to ensure they were able manage the continued impact of Covid-19 on their activities. This would be especially important should the case rate increase again into the autumn and winter months; as detailed in the report.

          The small grants scheme would continue in 2021/22 and the £0.100m be  allocated to provide small one-off grants of £2,000 for constituted organisations and £250 for non-constituted groups.  The existing criteria for the fund would be amended to reflect these changes.  Groups who had previously applied to the Emergency Fund up to 30 June 2021 would be able to apply.  The fund would be renamed to the Covid-19 Community Response Fund to acknowledge the longer lasting impact of the pandemic and the ongoing response required.

          RESOLVED – that the Cabinet Member (1) note the allocation of the Public Health Covid-19 Emergency Fund to date;

          (2) agree to continue to delegate authority to the Director of Public Health to approve awards of no more than £2,000 to individual organisations;

          (3) agree to receive details of further recipient organisations on a quarterly basis;

          (4) allocate £100,000 to the Covid Community Response Fund from the Contain Outbreak Management Budget to extend the funding arrangements currently in place via the Covid Emergency Fund; and

(5)          note the revisions to the eligibility criteria to align with the Contain framework.

The Cabinet Member was given an update on the progress of the Community Testing Programme for Covid-19 which commenced in Derbyshire on 21 December 2021 and was asked to note the progress of the programme and the change in approach due to new Government guidance.

          Since 1 July 2021 the programme had evolved with local authorities being asked by the Department of Health and Social Care to lead an agile targeted testing programme until 30 September 2021, subject to further review of a business case by HM Treasury. The local authority was anticipating that some form of asymptomatic testing programme would be required until March 2022.

          The Council had increased the number of mobile vans to deliver the agile testing, with five units operating across the county.  The units operated on a fixed schedule visiting the same communities every week for a month, but in the event of a major outbreak or incident one or more of the units may change location at short notice. The vans are open seven days a week.

          The Council had also supported the Community Collect initiative whereby individuals could pick up packs of lateral flow home test kits.  The testing had successfully enabled representatives from organisations working with the homeless population and those impacted by domestic violence to access home test kits.  Public Health was working alongside partners to further expand this option across the county.

          RESOLVED – that the Cabinet Member (1) note the progress to date of the programme;

(2) note the change in approach due to new Government guidance and next steps as outlined in the report; and

(3) agree to receive a further update report in December 2021.

The Cabinet Member was asked to approve to procurement of a mental health and suicide prevention outreach project at a value of £0.120m under protocol 5 and to note the role of Derbyshire County Council Public Health in leading the pan-Derbyshire approach to suicide prevention and investment of NHS Wave 3 suicide prevention funding.

          Suicide rates in Derbyshire remained similar to the national average however, after three years of declining rates, 2018 saw an increase in rates.  The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic had led to an increase in the risk factors for mental ill health and suicide.

          In January 2020, Derbyshire County Council Public Health Department, on behalf of Joined Up Care Derbyshire (JUCD) was successful in gaining Wave 3 Suicide Prevention funding from NHS England of £0.202m per year for three years from 2020-21. The Mental Health System Delivery Board of JUCD agreed for the Derbyshire Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention Partnership Forum (DSSPPF) to have responsibility for overseeing implementation of the projects in respect of Wave 3.  It was agreed that Derbyshire County Council Public Health (DCC) should manage and lead the commissioning and delivery of the projects.

          The report detailed information on funding allocation and the development options for investment.  One of the agreed proposals was for the procurement of a Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Outreach Project which would engage and work with different organisations and businesses to increase their awareness, competence and confidence to support mental wellbeing in a sustainable way. As places began to re-open after the pandemic, key settings such as taxi firms, bookmakers, tattoo parlours, pubs, amateur sports clubs and others would be amongst those targeted. The opportunity to influence settings that engage people within high risk groups was significant.

          Mental health was not only an essential component of general health but also influences a broad range of social and economic outcomes including education, work, relationships, lifestyle and risky behaviours.  The procurement of the mental health and suicide prevention outreach project was the preferred option and was seen to increase capacity and be in-line with the Derbyshire place-based approach. The management, leading and delivery of project by Public Health on behalf of Joined Up Care Derbyshire enhance the Council’s standing both locally and nationally.

          RESOLVED - that the Cabinet Member approve the procurement of a mental health and suicide prevention outreach project at a value of £0.120m under protocol 5.

The Cabinet Member was asked to approve the grant awards agreed through the Erewash Health and Wellbeing Partnership Executive Group.

          The Health and Wellbeing Partnership in Erewash had developed a shared commitment across a broad range of statutory, community, and voluntary sectors organisations to work locally to maximise health and wellbeing outcomes for the people of Erewash. The Partnership aimed to deliver an asset-based Community Wellness programme that was community driven, place-based and committed to a shift to the Community Wellness Approach which supported and enabled leadership from people and communities in the identification and development of community-led solutions by building trust between partners and communities. This Approach complimented the Thriving Communities Programme.

          The report detailed the purpose and amount of each grant allocation and considered appropriate alternative options.

          RESOLVED – that the Cabinet Member approve the grant awards agreed through the Erewash Health and Wellbeing Partnership Executive Group.