Agenda and minutes

The Board is asked to note that in accordance with the Terms of Reference, County Councillor Michael Green, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, is appointed as the Chair for the 2022/2023 municipal year.

Resolved:  That in accordance with the Terms of Reference, County Councillor Michael Green, as the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, was appointed as Chair for the 2022/2023 municipal year.

To note that the current arrangements for Deputy Chair was continuing with Denis Gizzi, whilst confirmation from the NHS was still awaited on membership for the municipal year 2022/2023.

Resolved:  That the Board noted that James Fleet, Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board had been appointed as Deputy Chair for the municipal year 2022/2023.

The Chair thanked the outgoing Deputy Chair, Denis Gizzi, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board for his valued commitment to the Board over the years.

To welcome all to the meeting, introduction and receive apologies.

The Chair welcomed all to the meeting and thanked the staff at More Music, Morecambe for hosting the Board meeting and thanked officers from the Public Health team and Democratic Services for arranging the meeting.

Apologies were noted as above.

Replacements for the meeting were as follows:

Dave Carr for Edwina Grant OBE, Education and Children's Services, Lancashire County Council.

Members of the Board are asked to consider any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

There were no disclosures of interest in relation to items appearing on the agenda.

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting.

Resolved:  That the Board agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 10 May 2022.

There were no matters arising from them.

Resolved:  That the Board noted the current membership and Terms of Reference for the 2022/2023 municipal year, as set out in the agenda pack.

To discuss supporting mental health and wellbeing by working with partners across the whole system to address:

·  Emotional health self-care (5 ways to wellbeing)

·  Loneliness and social isolation

·  Dementia

·  Alcohol and drug use

·  Self-harm and suicide

Clare Platt, Health, Equity, Welfare and Partnerships, Lancashire County Council presented the report which outlined discussions supporting mental health and wellbeing by working with partners across the whole system.

The Board were provided with some background and noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as a 'state of wellbeing in which the individual realises his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to his or her community'.

It was noted that mental health problems can start early in life, with around 50% of all mental health problems established by the age of 14, rising to 75% by age 24; impacting on the ability to thrive.

People with physical health problems, especially long-term conditions, are at increased risk of poor mental health - particularly depression and anxiety; with around 30% of people with any long-term physical health condition having a mental health problem too.

Together with alcohol and drug use, mental illness accounts for around 20% of the total burden of disease in England; with consequent and significant economic and social costs. 

Mental health problems are common, with 1 in 6 adults reporting a common mental health disorder, such as anxiety, and there are close to 551,000 people in England with more severe mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

A 2017 study by Stonewall found that over the previous year half of LGBTIQ+ people had experienced depression and three in five had experienced anxiety. One in eight LGBTIQ+ people aged 18-24 had attempted to end their life and almost half of trans people had thought about taking their life. Local action therefore needs to consider the mental health of specific groups.

The Board were informed that the impact of COVID-19, particularly self-reported mental health and wellbeing at a population level (including anxiety, stress and depression) has worsened during the pandemic and remains worse than pre-pandemic levels.

The pandemic has also been challenging for children, young people and young adults' mental health in particular, with 54% of 11–16-year-olds with probable mental health problems saying that lockdown had made their lives worse. 16% (1 in 6) of children aged 5 to 16 years have a probable mental health disorder, an increase from 11% (1 in 9) in 2017 (NHS Digital 2020).

The Board noted that the social risk factors, included poverty, migration, extreme stress, exposure to violence (domestic, sexual and gender-based) emergency and conflict situations, natural disasters, trauma and low social support, increase risk for poor mental health and specific disorders.

It was also reported that across the UK, those in the poorest fifth of the population are twice as likely to be at risk of developing mental health problems as those on an average income.

There is a system wide strategy being developed through the Integrated Care System to address:

·  Emotional health self-care (five ways to wellbeing):

Ø  Connect

Ø  Be active

Ø  Take notice

Ø  Keep learning

Ø  Give

·  Loneliness and social isolation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

An item of Urgent Business may only be considered under this heading, where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the minutes, the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Members' intention to raise a matter under this heading.

Congratulations were given to Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, Director of Public Health, Lancashire County Council who had been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Lancaster University in recognition of the work he had done for the residents of Lancashire.

An item of urgent business had been received following the meeting of Lancashire County Council's Full Council on 14 July 2022 where it had been resolved that Lancashire County Council would:

a)  Provide for members a list of opening times and locations of publicly accessible County Council buildings that are free of charge and offer a warm and welcome place where people can keep warm and comfortable this coming autumn and winter.

b)  Ask District Councils to identify other locally based VCFSE (voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise) provision that offers similar support and for that list to be shared with members.

c)  Ensure such 'warm and welcome' public spaces should offer additional support and advice services to support individuals and families to access other services to alleviate food and fuel poverty.

d)  Place this resolution before the Lancashire Leaders and Health and Wellbeing Board meetings later this month, and work with districts to develop a deliverable plan as soon as possible and report on progress to September Cabinet with a view to reporting final arrangements to the October Cabinet with, where possible, all sources of funding for the scheme being identified at that meeting.

e)  Ask the Scrutiny Management Board to form a cross-party task and finish group with immediate effect to identify and adopt best practice, and work in delivering warm hubs and welcoming space schemes and report the same to Cabinet.

As part of the resolution, the Health and Wellbeing Board was asked to consider what contribution it can make to the discussions moving forward.  A Scrutiny Task Group is being formed and the notice of motion will be considered by many partners to make this work.

It was noted that there is a significant amount that the Board can do with regards to this and in working with partners moving forwards.

Discussion ensued, and it was felt that:

·  That there needed to be comms engagement with the people of Lancashire.

·  A need to offer debt advice and locations of food hubs.

·  As throughout the COVID pandemic, continue to work with District Councils, VCFS and other organisations, including the NHS and to use the Community Hub model.

·  A program is being developed and a further update on this will be presented at a future meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

·  In terms of social isolation, look at the barriers in accessing what is being offered.

·  It was felt that the majority of public buildings that are being offered are not welcoming ones, ie are very formal and have lots of security procedures to navigate before entering buildings such as County Hall and other Council buildings.  Therefore, there is a challenge back to other organisations, particularly the Third Sector to see what they can offer.

·  Libraries have a welcoming network  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

The next scheduled meeting of the Board will be held at 2pm on Tuesday, 6 September 2022.  Venue to be confirmed.

The next scheduled meeting of the Board will be held at 2pm on Tuesday, 6 September 2022 with the venue to be confirmed.