Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors Beaumont, Barlow, Caborn, Craddock, Jaspal, Shaeen and Ben Brook, Guy Daly, Andy Hardy, Sue Ibbotson, Paul Jennings and Alison Tonge.

The following substitutes had been received :

Steve Vincent for Ben Brook.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the first meeting of 2020 and thanked colleagues for showing their support for ‘Blue Monday’ on 20 January.

The minutes of the meeting held 24 October 2020 were agreed as a true record.

In relation to minute no. 17 Chair’s Remarks (viii) Local Authorities input into future Wellbeing Board meetings and an enquiry from Councillor Grinsell regarding input from Solihull into these meetings as she was unable to attend the last meeting, Sean Russell advised that the mechanism for local area feedback was split across geographical boundaries, the Black Country, Birmingham and Solihull and, Coventry and Warwickshire. He would like Solihull to report to the next meeting on 3 April in conjunction with Birmingham.

The board considered a report of Liz Gaulton, Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, Coventry City Council that provided a briefing on Coventry as a Marmot City.

Liz Gaulton presented the key highlights of the report supported by her colleagues Sue Frossell and Tracey Richards, Coventry City Council.

The presentation set out the background, progress and impact of delivering the Marmot City approach in Coventry to date, including its key achievements and impacts in improving health inequalities in Coventry. Liz Gaulton also outlined  the key priorities for the future and next steps.

The board considered that Coventry City of Culture 2021 and Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 could build on wellbeing by utilising the six  ‘Marmot Principles’ to influence the legacy for healthy, sustainable places and communities.

Julie Nugent, Director of Productivity and Skills, WMCA reported that she was still developing proposals for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and would welcome a conversation with colleagues as to how to obtain the best long-term benefits for communities.

The Chair thanked Liz Gaulton, Sue Frossell and Tracey Richards for their informative presentation and report.

Resolved: That the briefing on Coventry as a Marmot City be noted.

The board discussed the need to agree three key wellbeing priority areas the WMCA should be focusing on and to consider where the WMCA could add value to the work already being undertaken by public health bodies within local authorities.

Councillor Hamilton reported of the need to look at the top three priorities identified by local authorities and to consider how the WMCA could provide added value.

Councillor Grinsell reported of the need to link the priorities to those of the STPs.

The Implementation Director Wellbeing, Sean Russell, reported that he would be looking at priorities with Directors of Public Health at a meeting scheduled for 3 February and he would report back with the assessment for a full discussion at a future meeting.

The board considered areas of focus for the priorities should include obesity/healthy outcomes and young people/readiness for school and noted the need for the wellbeing agenda to be linked with the other agendas of the WMCA such as transport, skills, the environment and housing.

Lina Martino, PHE/WMCA Consultant in Public Health provided an update on progress on intelligence projects to date and outlined events planned which included a symposium event for March and an inclusive growth workshop for aligning agendas across the WMCA and with partners.

Resolved : That the update be noted.

The Implementation Director Wellbeing, Sean Russell provided an update on progress of the key programmes of work within the Thrive West Midlands Mental Health Commission Action Plan.

The Implementation Director Wellbeing,  highlighted progress being undertaken on the Wellbeing Premium Trial, Thrive Into Work and Community Sentence Treatment Requirements programmes as well as reporting on progress on  work areas including ‘This is Me’, mental health literacy and healthy weight region.

The Implementation Director Wellbeing also reminded colleagues of forthcoming events including the Mental Health Star Awards on 29 January  and  ‘Walk Out of Darkness’ on Sunday, 17 May. In relation to the ‘Walk Out of Darkness’ event to support the Zero Suicide Ambition, Sean Russell reported that it would be really good to have as many people attend the walk as possible and that colleagues could contact him if they required more information.

The Chair conveyed her congratulations to Sean Russell for the number of people securing employment as a result of the Thrive into Work programme and reported that she was looking forward to hearing more progress at future meetings.

Resolved : That the update on West Midlands Thrive be noted.

The board considered a report of the Physical Activity Policy and Delivery Lead that provided an update on progress and the next steps in the delivery of the WMCA’s West Midlands on the Move Strategic Framework.

The Physical Activity Policy and Delivery Lead, Simon Hall, outlined the report which reported on progress on the West Midlands physical activity sector  collaborative engagement programme, Include Me West Midlands, Black Country Place Based Fund, mental health through sport, Goodgym Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire, walking and cycling and WM Violence Reduction Unit and next steps.

In relation to walking and cycling, the Cycling and Walking Development Officer, Hannah Dayan provided an update on the walking and cycling programmes which  included information on the Network Wide Cycle Parking Programme and on the Better Streets Community Fund.

In relation to the Better Streets Community Fund and the successful projects for 2019/20 listed in appendix 1 of the report, Councillor Grinsell reported that she had some reservations about one of the projects in Solihull that was in her ward and asked if she could be provided with further information with regard to the grant allocation and what is planned.

The Chair asked that that the details of funding and delivery dates for the Better Streets Community Fund projects be circulated to the board via email.

Resolved:

1.    That progress in the delivery of current priorities be noted and

2.    That the strategy refresh by Summer 2020 be approved.