Agenda item

Report of the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing

The Board considered a report and received a presentation of the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing concerning her Annual Report for 2019-2020 ‘Resetting our Wellbeing’. The report was a statutory report produced each year.

This year the report recorded Coventry’s state of wellbeing in 2019/20 and offered a reflection on the city’s system-wide approach to improving wellbeing last year and in the early Covid-19 response. The report’s findings were informed by statistical figures, performance reports and evaluations from the Council and partners, and interviews with over 20 colleagues across teams and organisations.

As the city continued to live with, and through, Covid-19, the aim was to minimise the harm of the pandemic and make use of the benefits gained from the city’s projects and partnerships last year and in the early Covid-19 response. As a result, the report offered two sets of recommendations: one for individuals and one for organisations and Coventry’s health and wellbeing system.

The Director’s report provided an update on progress with implementing the nine recommendations from the 2018-19 Annual Report ‘Bridging the Gap: Tackling Health Inequalities in Coventry, a Marmot City’. This report had focused on health inequalities in Coventry; the determinants that contributed to these inequalities and the work being carried out to address them. There was an acknowledgement that responding to covid-19 had created a shift in priorities across the resources and capacity of the Council and their partners.

For the 2019-20 report, individuals were recommended to improve their wellbeing and build their resilience by: having vaccinations; having the flu vaccination; eating healthily; travelling by walking or cycling; doing physical activities; and practising the five ways to wellbeing. These recommendations tied in with the Coventry Health Challenge and the Government’s Better Health campaign. Together, they encouraged Coventry’s residents to take action for their wellbeing, which would help to reduce the harm of Covid-19.

The following recommendations for organisations and the city’s health and wellbeing system fell under the four quadrants of Coventry’s population health framework and were in line with the Council’s reset and recovery exercise:

Recommendation 1 – Wider determinants of health

Covid-19 had shone a light on inequalities within our communities. Coventry City Council and partners should continue to build on this increased awareness, and consider the findings from Covid-19-related research and surveys, to mitigate the health and wellbeing impact of inequalities in Coventry.

Recommendation 2 – Our health, behaviours, and lifestyles

Coventry City Council's approach to public health communications and engagement should be guided by lessons learnt and new relationships formed, especially as we continue to live with, and through, covid-19.

Recommendation 3 – Our health, behaviours, and lifestyles

Coventry City Council and partners should continue to encourage local employers, and lifestyle and wellbeing services, to commit to improving workplace wellbeing.

Recommendation 4 – Integration of actions from the community, public sector, and voluntary sector

Building on existing health and wellbeing infrastructure, a collaborative partnership approach, which brings together residents’ experience and partners’ skills and assets, should be taken to strengthen health and wellbeing in communities.

Recommendation 5 – The places and communities we live in and with

Coventry City Council and partners should set up spaces and channels to meet with residents, with the aim of inspiring them to imagine the change they wish to see in their communities, and enabling residents to lead the change.

The Board were informed that work was currently underway to support the achievement of the five recommendations with reference being made to the ongoing Coventry Health Challenge, the local campaign to tackle obesity. Following last year’s Year of Wellbeing campaign, there was still momentum for promoting workplace wellbeing. During the current pandemic, existing and new partnerships had established closer communications, more effective resource sharing and better alignment of work. The partnerships continued to progress.

Members questioned the officers on a number of issues and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  Clarification about the difference in life expectancy for males and females

·  The reaction to date to the physical activity communications being sent out to residents

·  A request for key performance indicator data for Public Health

·  What framework/ system was being provided for employers to encourage them to promote a healthy workplace environment looking after the physical and mental health of their employees

·  In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, what measures were being put in place to address inequalities, particularly in the BAME communities.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The progress on recommendations from the 2018-2019 Director of Public Health’s Annual Report be noted.

(2) The findings from the 2019-2020 Director of Public Health’s Annual Report be noted.

(3) The recommendations from the 2019-2020 Director of Public Health’s Annual Report be endorsed.

(4) A summary of the Council’s key performance indicator data for Public Health be circulated to the Board.

(5) The report ‘Health Inequalities’ considered by Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee at their meeting on 7th October, 2020 be circulated to the Board.