Agenda item

To receive a report (Healthonomics - Tackling Health Inequalities through Inclusive Growth) from the Director of Public Health at Gloucestershire County Council.

The committee received a presentation of a report, (Healthonomics - Tackling Health Inequalities through Inclusive Growth), from Sarah Scott, Director of Public Health at Gloucestershire County Council.

Key actions from the report included:

a)    The Joint Committee were asked to endorse the recommendations included in the report to ‘address the challenges and opportunities of driving inclusive growth in order to tackle health inequalities and increase productivity’. Feedback was requested on the following ambitions, (made to partners across the system to deliver as a joint venture). Action by – Committee Members

1)    The Health and Wellbeing Board to set out its position on inclusive economic growth and its benefits to health (and vice versa) and seek to influence and align its strategy and actions wherever possible with those of economic development partners, particularly GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

2)    GFirst LEP, in the development of the Local Industrial Strategy and other key strategies and plans, consider the recommendations of this report and set out its plans to ensure that everyone in Gloucestershire can contribute to and benefit from local growth. Representation by GFirst LEP on the Health and Wellbeing Board would support this.

3)    GFirst LEP and the Employment and Skills Board should consider their role in tackling social mobility and promoting inclusive growth. Key partner organisations should cooperate to undertake a ‘deep dive’ of Gloucestershire’s social mobility indicators, to better understand areas for focus and trends of concern and agree a joint approach to increasing social mobility. In the meantime, partners should continue to focus efforts around school readiness to maintain the early improvements being seen.

4)    Public Health and Local Planning Authorities should continue to work together with other partners in housing, transport and other infrastructure specialists to maximise opportunities to build

healthy communities with a thriving and inclusive economy.

This should make sure that there is a strong understanding of inequalities amongst planners and other partners, and that actions taken to create healthy places benefit people from all socio-economic backgrounds.

5)    Businesses and public sector partners should consider how ‘good work’ in Gloucestershire could be measured and encouraged amongst local employers. Plans to improve the flexibility of the workplace should seek to make sure that this is available to all, wherever possible.

6)    Local anchor institutions should consider how they can lead by example in delivering inclusive growth through their employment and spending power. There may be an opportunity for the One Gloucestershire Integrated Care System (ICS) to play a key role in this at a local level.

b)    The Joint Committee noted the progress of the Cheltenham Borough Council’s ‘no child left behind’ piece of work and agreed to make reference to the work as a measurement of how the county, (as a joint exercise), ensured disadvantaged children were being cared for.

c)    The Director for Public Health welcomed the suggestion that the Employment and Skills Board consider how to ensure a commitment from organisations involved in major developments to provide/invest in delivering a employment and skill plan for the development. Action by - Employment and Skills Board

d)    Responding to concerns about the investment needed from local authorities to address social issues within their areas, the committee reflected on the work being undertaken by the Health and Wellbeing Board in dealing with this problem. To provide a link between the Joint Committee and the Health and Wellbeing Board, it was suggested the committee invite the Director of Public Health to join the Senior Officer Group. Action by – Mike Dawson (Chair of Senior Officer Group)

a)    Activities undertaken by Stroud District Council, (reflecting high ranking status in social mobility performance), to be shared with the other Districts. Action by – Sarah Scott, Director of Public Health

e)    The use of Health Impact Assessments to be encouraged. Action by – All

f)     The committee requested that an agenda item be added to the committee work plan to consider information on the changing role of the work place and how to support local businesses in providing pastoral care. Action by – Mike Dawson (Chair of Senior Officer Group). 

The committee thanked the Director of Public Health and her colleagues for her report. Particular thanks was made for the work involved in developing the Local Strategy.