To:      Health and Wellbeing Board

7 June 2022

Bracknell Forest Health and Wellbeing Strategy

Director of Place Planning and Regeneration

1          Purpose of Report

1.1       At the meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board in December the Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Bracknell Forest was formally agreed for consultation. This consultation took place between March and April 2022, and received 80 responses. This report is to formally set out the results of the consultation, set out amendments to the strategy in the light of the consultation and formally approve the Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The post consultation Health and Wellbeing Strategy is attached At appendix 1.

2          Recommendation

2.1       That the Bracknell Forest Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-202x be approved.

3          Reasons for Recommendation

3.1       The Health and Wellbeing Board is required to prepare a Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The Draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy has been co-produced to identify the key health and wellbeing priorities for Bracknell Forest.  The draft plan was prepared and consultation on the plan was agreed by the Health and Wellbeing Board at its meeting on 2^nd December 2021

3.2       The Consultation took place in March 2022 and received 80 responses.  These responses where from a variety of groups including residents and health professionals.  The Consultation sought to understand the support (or otherwise) for the plan and its various priorities and actions the following were the main conclusions of the Consultation

· 76.5% of the respondents to the public consultation strongly agreed or tended to agree overall with the strategy, with 15% neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

· 65% of the respondents strongly agreed or tended to agree with the vision and 20% neither agreed nor disagreed.

· 77% strongly agreed or tended to agree, 10% strongly disagreed or tended to disagree with the priorities.

3.2       The majority of the comments of those who did not agree with the plan were in the main commenting on primary care access. As this is not a direct role of the plan these matters have been passed to relevant colleagues within the appropriate element of the NHS and the Council.  The majority of comments received were very positive about the strategy and respondents commented that if this was implemented it would make a difference to the residents’ health and wellbeing.

3.2       50% of the respondents said they would like to keep updated on the progress of the strategy with 75% of them offering to be involved in further engagement.

3.3       Appendix 2 Provides a general summary of the consultation responses to each element of the plan.  Appendix 3 sets out the specific comments (by theme) made on the plan and the response / action to the comment.  Where a key change to the plan was required this has been identified and the plan amended.

3.4       The key changes to the plan are a refresh of priority 4 to reflect the change in national policy from outbreak management of COVID to living with COVID.

4          Alternative Options Considered

4.1       None considered (As the preparation of a Health and Wellbeing Strategy is a statuary requirement)

5          Supporting Information

5.1       Approved Version of the Health and Wellbeing Plan, Headline findings slides attached and full schedule of comments attached.

6          Consultation and Other Considerations

Legal Advice

6.1       The Health and Wellbeing Strategy is a statutory function of the HWB board. It supports the Council to demonstrate it responsibility to improve the health and wellbeing of the local population, reduce inequalities and provide assurance to the health protection function.

Financial Advice

6.2       The strategy will be delivered within the current resources and funding streams of each partner organisation.

Other Consultation Responses

6.3       N/A

Equalities Impact Assessment

6.4       EIA undertaken on the draft HWB strategy and updated following consultation

Strategic Risk Management Issues

6.5       None identified

Climate Change Implications

6.6       The Health and Wellbeing Strategy has Healthy Environments as an embedding theme and active transport fits in with priority 5.

Health & Wellbeing Considerations

6.7       The Heath and Wellbeing Strategy aims to improve the HWB of the population and reduce inequalities.

Background Papers

Contact for further information

Andrew Hunter Executive Director Place Planning and Regeneration

andrew.hunter@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Heema Shukla, Deputy Director of Public Health

Heema.shukla@bracknell-forest.gov.uk