Agenda item

The Head of Policy, Partnerships & Programmes and Head of Adult Safeguarding & Learning Disabilities introduced a report on the new Five Year Plan and in particular Outcome 2: ‘Our people will become healthier and will manage their own health, care and support needs’.

The Five Year Plan defined the strategic vision, opportunities and challenges for the Council and set out the key priorities behind which resources would be focused.  The plan was updated annually and had recently been subject of a substantial refresh including a reduction in the number of outcome priorities from eight to five.  The Health Scrutiny Panel was tasked with leading scrutiny of Outcome 2 relating to health and care issues and the key actions to improve the targeting of health checks, preventative activity, community capacity, empowerment and adult safeguarding were considered.

During a wide ranging discussion, Members commented on the following issues:

·  It was important to ensure the widest possible access to leisure facilities, particularly in view of the significant investment the Council was making, and the Panel requested further information on the discounts available to target groups once the new leisure provider was in place.

·  Prevention and early intervention were particularly important, including the relationship and communication between social care and housing services.  It was noted that new ways of working, including the recent adoption of a locality model in adult social care, would help improve such linkages.

·  Relationships with the voluntary sector provided opportunities to engage people and the work the SPACE programme was doing was explained.

·  The use of data and intelligence to determine strategic priorities was discussed and it was noted that the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment was evidence based and set out the high level approach.

More generally, the Panel discussed some of the other Five Year Plan outcomes including the performance measure for crime rates.  Further information was requested on the action being taken by the Safer Slough Partnership to reduce crime rates per 1,000 population, and it was noted that the Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner was due to attend the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting in April which would provide Members with an opportunity to discuss these issues in more detail.

At the conclusion of the discussion the Panel noted the report and agreed to receive a further update in six months to include high level performance; any barriers to success; progress on digital innovation; and relationships between wellbeing and housing.

Resolved –

(a)  That the plans in place to achieve Outcome 2 in the new Five Year Plan be noted.

(b)  That the Panel receive an update in six months on the progress being made in delivering Outcome 2 of the plan to include:

i.  an overview of performance;

ii.  any issues or barriers requiring additional support;

iii.  links between wellbeing and housing; and

iv.  an update on the use of digital technology to help deliver outcome 2.