Agenda and minutes

All Members who believe they have a Disclosable Pecuniary or other Interest in any matter to be considered at the meeting must declare that interest and, having regard to the circumstances described in Section 4 paragraph 4.6 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, leave the meeting while the matter is discussed.

No declarations were made.

Resolved –  That the minutes of the meeting held on 17^th November 2020 be approved as a correct record.

The Council’s Service Lead, Public Health introduced a report that updated on the work of the Workplace Health Task & Finish Group.

The group had been established in spring 2020 to lead on the delivery of Outcome Four of the Slough Wellbeing Strategy relating to workplace health.  The early work of the group had been disrupted by Covid-19, however, it had been meeting monthly since October 2020 and had focused on the following areas:

·  A subgroup had met to discuss the data and insight needed to inform the work and a slide deck on the initial outcomes was noted in Appendix B to the report.  Clarification was sought on the definition of the term ‘positive pay gap’ as referred to the ethnicity pay gap section of the appendix.  It was agreed to review the wording in the slide deck to ensure the data was clearly explained.

·  An audit of workplace health measures was being compiled and all members of the group had been asked to list their existing interventions happening in the borough.

·  Resources were being collected for a toolkit which could assist employers in managing workplace health.

·  An application was being prepared for a Health Foundation Grant which was available for joint projects between economic development and public health teams to use combined action to improve health.

A workshop had been held on 18^th December to consider the health impacts for people on furlough which had produced very useful feedback that would now be considered.  The progress on the provision of mental health first aid was also noted with had started with SBC managers being invited to training with plans to extend it in the coming months.  The Board discussed the membership of the group.  It currently included representatives from SBC human resources, public health and policy insight teams, Slough CVS, Frimley NHS Foundation Trust and DWP.  It was hoped that Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce would be able to join to group to provide more input from private sector employers.  Work in the next few months would focus on the toolkit for employers and the funding bid.

At the conclusion of the discussion the report was noted and partners were invited to submit any good practice or resources on workplace health for the toolkit to Democratic Services by 28^th January 2021.

Resolved –  That the update on the Workplace Health Task & Finish Group be noted.

The Board considered and endorsed the Work Programme for the remainder of the municipal year as set out in Appendix A of the report.  Partners were invited to suggest items to add to the programme for future meetings.  The programme would be adjusted with the agreement of the Chair.

Resolved –  That the Work Programme, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be endorsed.

The Council’s Associate Director, Place Regulation introduced a report that updated on the work to address Priority Three of the Slough Wellbeing Strategy relating to Strong, Health and Attractive Neighbourhoods.

The key points noted in the update were as follows:

·  The ‘Strong, Healthy and Attractive Chalvey’ plan had been finalised and was included as a appendix to the report.  It had been very well received by the local community.

·  The Chalvey Community Partnership had been formed and a chair had been appointed.  Subgroups were being set up to progress the various projects in the action plan.

·  Updates on projects such as Chalvey Can, Grove Academy and the new Chalvey Early Years Centre and Community Centre were noted.

·  The Strong, Healthy and Attractive Neighbourhoods initiative was due to be extended to Colnbrook and Britwell next and the specific projects and timescales were outlined.

·  A borough wide Strong, Healthy and Attractive Neighbourhoods Steering Group had been set up which brought key partners together to provide strategic oversight of the project as a whole.

·  Good progress was being made by SBC in implementing the Localities Strategy which involved close working with a range of partners.

The Board welcomed the engagement of partners in the community and voluntary sector, Thames Valley Police and the CCG in the work undertaken to date in Chalvey, Colnbrook and Britwell respectively.  All partners were encouraged to engage and incorporate their local activities into the neighbourhood plans.  In relation to Chalvey, the Board asked how local people could be engaged in the ongoing monitoring of the plan to ensure it owned by the community and was seen as ‘Chalvey’s Plan’ rather than ‘the Council’s plan for Chalvey’.  It was responded that there was strong local involvement in the groups set up and ward councillors were also integral to the design and ownership of both the plan and its implementation.  Local councillors had been involved in shaping the plan to date and would continue to have an important role.  Members asked how a wider set of partners and groups who were not already involved in the plan could be engaged.  This was taken away as a fair challenge to try to reach out as widely as possible.

There was a discussion about specific health issues in each neighbourhood and the importance of working with local people to identify and prioritise them.  The approach being taken in Chalvey, Colnbrook and Britwell was set out and this included data gathering, analysis and engagement to further understand the local issues over and above what was known from all the activity undertaken with communities in the past.

At the conclusion of the discussion the report was noted.

Resolved –  That the update on Priority Three: Strong, Healthy and Attractive Neighbourhoods be noted.

Resolved –  That details of the Attendance Report be noted.

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 24^th March 2021 at 5pm.