Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Background Information

1.1    Members will be aware that, in working to establish the Council’s new ambition for the future and its governance arrangements, consideration has been given to the Council’s role in delivering key outcomes for people across Belfast, including addressing the enduring health inequalities that exist in the city. This means addressing the wider social determinants of health (i.e. the economy, employment, poverty, urban regeneration, sustainable development, community safety, good relations) and the new Council will continue to actively support healthy people, healthy families and healthy communities.

1.2    Following on from the presentation by Dr Eddie Rooney, Chief Executive of the Public Health Agency (PHA) at the 19th  December meeting, it was acknowledged that Council would continue to work with the Public Health Agency, the Belfast Strategic Partnership and other bodies in the establishment of a common agenda to address health inequalities across Belfast. This report outlines the background to current partnership investment through the Belfast Strategic Partnership and how Belfast City Council could continue to support the health agenda in the medium term. 

1.3    The report acknowledges that, in the year ahead, the on-going approach to tackling inequalities and improving health and wellbeing in Belfast will need to be considered and reviewed in the context of the emerging Belfast Agenda and the governance that will support this. 

2       Key Issues

2.1    The Council’s current Investment Programme for Belfast sets out its commitment to deliver for the city, through a prospectus for partnership, to help its citizens realise their potential and focus on reducing inequalities and tackling disadvantage. Additionally, as part of the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge which focused on the issue of persistent deprivation and poverty, the Council committed to create a collaborative environment (and management system) with clear accountability and leadership to implement an evidence-based decision-making model.

2.2    The Investment Programme currently supports joint working arrangements with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) in the form of a city wide strategic health partnership, Belfast Strategic Partnership (BSP). The BSP connects strategic, regional and local joint working to maximise impact and improve health and wellbeing by tackling disadvantage and deprivation across the city. The BSP produced a framework for action for tackling life inequalities (2011-2015). This work was done in conjunction with the Big Lottery community planning pilot for Belfast and includes a number of cross cutting key themes which are still relevant now in shaping city outcomes; in particular

·        Addressing poverty related issues by focusing on:

Ø  employability,

Ø  education and links to poverty,

Ø  fuel poverty

Ø  access to services

·        Releasing community capacity

·        Organisational Development – joining up planning, resourcing and delivery

·        Establishing an Active Belfast Partnership

·        Addressing mental health and emotional resilience

·        Healthy ageing

·        Health and health equity in all local policies.

2.3   BSP has wide representation across the statutory, community and voluntary sectors and to a lesser extent the private sector. It connects a number of thematic partnerships and strategic networks such as Belfast Healthy Aging Strategic Partnership, Children and Young People Outcomes Group and Belfast Healthy Cities. The investment by the Council and the other main partners (PHA, BHSCT and Belfast Local Commissioning Group, (LCG)), mainly in the form of project officer posts in the Council, in the Health Development Unit (HDU is the delivery arm of BSP) and in the Belfast Healthy Cities organisation has resulted in significant work to tackle social deprivation and disadvantage in the city and to address life inequalities

2.4    Developing strategic relationships with key stakeholders at a city thematic and area-level will be the cornerstone of the Council’s approach to community and strategic planning and will be a key lever to stimulating continued investment and supporting the social, economic, environmental and physical renewal of the city and its neighbourhoods. It is good therefore to note a strong intention by the main investors in the BSP to continue to support it and the HDU through this transition period up to March 2016.

2.5    The BSP is leading the way in Northern Ireland in delivering tangible improvements that address life inequalities and tackle social disadvantage and deprivation in the city. However, it has evolved against a backdrop of considerable change and transformation, firstly in the health service and now in local government. The ongoing transformation process provides an ideal opportunity to improve governance arrangements and better link delivery mechanisms to focus on shared outcomes in light of the emerging Belfast agenda and community planning development. 

2.6    It is proposed therefore that the Council continues to support the delivery of this work through the BSP’s Health Development Unit and through the Belfast Healthy Cities Office who are now a member of the BSP steering group, for a further year and that, within the next year, further consideration is given to aligning this work to the Belfast Agenda and the governance that will be needed at city level to support this agenda.    

3       Resource Implications

3.1    Financial

      Provision has been made within the 2015-2016 estimates to support the work

3.2    Assets.

         BHDU operates out of the Lanyon Building, sharing the space with Cleansing Services and Building Control.

4       Equality and Good Relations Considerations

4.1    No equality implications at this stage.

5       Call In

5.1    This decision is subject to Call In.

6       Recommendation

6.1    Members are asked to note the work on health inequalities and the need to review continually its future delivery in the context of the Belfast Agenda and community planning and emerging outcomes for the city.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.