Agenda item

The Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing submitted a report which provided an overview of public health and how Members could positively influence the health of residents in East Herts. 

The Environmental Health Manager explained the roles of both the County Council and District Council in terms of their statutory responsibilities and how councils can influence public health in providing a healthier environment in which to live and work in and to also address the factors which contributed to health inequalities. 

The Environmental Health Manager stated that the Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee could not scrutinise the NHS as this was a function of the County Council and it could not scrutinise social care as this fell within the remit of another inspectorate.

The Environmental Health Manager explained that public health was central to all of the Council’s functions in that health and wellbeing initiatives had been integrated into the provision of all the Council’s services and that Councillors had a role to play in using their local knowledge of groups and individuals to identify training and act as public health champions.

The Environmental Health Manager provided an overview of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) stating that this online website provided a wealth of statistical information about the health of areas which could be interrogated nationally and at to local level. 

In response to a query from Councillor P Moore regarding joint working with partners, and the difficulties regarding accessibility to social workers and occupational therapists to help a family she was working with, the Environmental Health Officer stated that she hoped that the Care Act would provide a quicker and more holistic approach in service matching individuals and their needs.  The Chairman suggested that it might have been more effective to the Member and family to have contacted the Children’s Centre as a first point of contact and then “Thriving Families”.

In response to a query from Councillor J Kaye, the Environmental Health Officer explained the background to the Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-18, adding that the Council was one of the forerunners in producing such a strategy which also had the County Council’s endorsement.

The Environmental Health Officer explained the two streams of public health funding via the New Homes Bonus and Hertfordshire County Council’s District Offer.  She stated that in relation to the District Offer, all 10 District Councils within Hertfordshire would receive £100,000 for year one and year two public health projects.

The Environmental Health Promotion Officer provided an overview of the work of the Health and Wellbeing Panel to promote public health in terms of working with partners to build a sustainable working model.  He referred to the “Meet and Eat” project and working with people living in sheltered accommodation to try and reduce isolation.  The Environmental Health Promotion Officer referred to the unique position Members offered in terms of their local knowledge of groups and individuals to promote changes and facilitate the work of partner agencies in promoting health and wellbeing. 

In response to a query from Councillor D Abbott regarding promotional literature, the Environmental Health Manager explained what leaflets were available district-wise and what information was held by the County Council.  She encouraged Members to contact Officers for further information if it could not be easily sourced. 

The Environmental Health Manager explained the difficulties in quantifying the impact of some measures, adding that there were models which the Council could refer to which could provide figures and thereby allow some measurability of an outcome. 

Members received the report.

RESOLVED – that the report be received.