Agenda item

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       At the meeting of the People and Communities Committee on 9th March 2021, Members agreed to extend the current partnership agreement with Belfast Healthy Cities, until 30th September 2021 to allow for the submission of the application for Phase VII of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and the completion of a value for money review of partnership arrangements with Belfast Healthy Cities, who facilitate the city’s membership of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network.

1.2       On 21st May BHC notified us that the City of Belfast has been designated in Phase VII thereby extended to April 2026.  Council Officers will work with BHC to ensure that the certificate is formally signed off by the incoming Lord Mayor over the coming weeks.

1.3       Belfast City Council are one of four core funders of Belfast Healthy Cities along with the Public Health Agency, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Belfast’s membership to the WHO European Healthy Cities Network is facilitated by Belfast Healthy Cities.  The CEOs of each of the four funding bodies will receive a copy of the final designation letter.

1.4       The value for money review draft report has now been issued, on 6th May 2021, to the core funding partners of Belfast Healthy Cities for review and comment. Overall, the findings outlined in the initial draft report do indicate that the collective investment in Belfast Healthy Cities represents ‘good value for money’ based on the returns the city receives in both profile and practice.

1.5       Further engagement within, and across, each of the core funding partners is now required to collectively examine the content of the draft report. As such, and to ensure continuity of delivery during this period, it is recommended the current partnership agreement with Belfast Healthy Cities is extended until 31st March 2022.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May 2021, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:

·        Note the content of the report

·        Agree to extend the current partnership agreement with Belfast Healthy Cities to 31st March 2022

·        Agree to a further report being brought to committee in the Autumn which will detail both the findings and recommendations from the final version of the value for money review as well as the four core funding partners plans for acting on/responding to the findings /recommendations.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       At the meeting of the People and Communities Committee on 4th June 2019, Members agreed that a review be undertaken of the Department’s ongoing partnership agreements with a focus on alignment with the Belfast Agenda and value for money. Included within this review was the partnership agreement with Belfast Healthy Cities.

3.2       Further to this, at the meeting of the People and Communities Committee on 9th March 2021, Members approved an extension of the current partnership agreement with Belfast Healthy Cities, until 30th September 2021 to allow for the completion of both the value for money review of partnership arrangements with Belfast Healthy Cities and to facilitate the application process for Phase VII of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network.

3.3       Belfast’s membership to the WHO European Healthy Cities Network is facilitated by Belfast Healthy Cities, who are an independent partnership organisation, recognised as having charitable status by The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. BHC is governed by a Board of Directors, elected annually and representing the public, university, voluntary and community sectors and funded by a range of partners including Council, Public Health Agency (PHA), Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE).

3.4       Independent consultancy support, working on behalf of the funders collectively, has led on the value for money review process. The timeframe for the review has been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly given the high levels of engagement required to undertake such work. As such, the timescale for the completion of the review was extended to allow for full involvement from key stakeholders. 

3.5       A draft report has recently been submitted to the core funding partners. The draft report indicates the current level of collective funding to Belfast Healthy Cities represents good value for money based on the existing work programme and the return received to the city in both profile (regionally and internationally) and practice (partnership and action). Further engagement is now required within each of the core funding organisations, across the funding partnership, and with Belfast Healthy Cities.

3.6       A report will be brought back to committee in Autumn 2021, providing greater detail on the review findings and recommendations, as well as the core funding partners collective response in terms of how these should/could be addressed going forward for members consideration and approval.

3.7       In the interim, members are asked to approve an extension of the current partnership agreement with Belfast Healthy Cities, until 31st March 2022, to allow for further discussion and engagement to take place and to ensure continuity of service during this time.

                        Financial and Resource Implications

3.8       Extending the current partnership agreement with Belfast Healthy Cities as recommended, would have a financial implication of £40,647. This has been included within the revenue estimates for 2021/22 and does not represent any growth.

            Equality or Good Relations Implications/

            Rural Needs Assessment

3.9       There are no Equality or Good Relations Implications and no Rural Needs Assessment required for the recommendations outlined above.”

            Following a query in regard to funding, the Director of Neighbourhood Services advised that Belfast City Council was just one of the funders and he assured the Member that the long-term sustainability of the partnership would be considered in the Council’s value for money review.

            In accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Members agreed that the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to agree:

·          to extend the current partnership agreement with Belfast Healthy Cities to 31st March 2022; and

·          to a further report being submitted to committee in the Autumn which would detail both the findings and recommendations from the final version of the value for money review as well as the four core funding partners plans for acting on/responding to the findings/recommendations.