The two main items for the Healthy Croydon Partnership meeting on 17 April 2008 are:
The Annual Report of the Director of Public Health
This year’s Annual Report of the Director of Public Health examines the health of children and young people in Croydon. Members of the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership have been invited to take part in the meeting. The speaker is Dr Tim Crayford, Director of Public Health. Dr Crayford is also President of the UK Association of Directors of Public Health.
Croydon’s alcohol strategy
Croydon’s alcohol strategy is currently being updated. The Healthy Croydon Partnership is being asked to comment on the draft strategy. The strategy will be presented by Dominic Conlin, Director of Strategic Commissioning for Croydon Primary Care Trust and Chair of Croydon’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team. Jan Annan, Associate Director at the International Centre for Drug Policy (ICDP) will also speak about a new project in Croydon to develop the skills of healthcare professionals to identify alcohol problems early and to deliver brief interventions to help people manage their drinking.
Healthy Croydon Partnership meeting programme 2008-09
Topics for future meetings of the Healthy Croydon Partnership were agreed by the Joint Chairs of the Partnership on 14 March 2008.
17 April 2008
Annual Report of the Director of Public Health
Croydon’s draft alcohol strategy
10 July 2008
Obesity & overweight
Men’s health
9 October 2008
Child and maternal health
Carers
22 January 2008
Community Strategy & Local Area Agreement
The Joint Chairs also agreed that the Partnership should have an away day in June 2008 to review the Healthy Croydon Partnership vision and to take forward changes to the Partnership arising from the partnership review. In addition the Healthy Croydon Partnership will host an Open Event for all member of the Partnership Groups and members of the public. This is planned take place in the autumn of 2008. Dates for the away day and Open Event will be confirmed.
Healthy Croydon Partnership Review
The Healthy Croydon Partnership is one of eight theme partnerships within Croydon’s Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). Established in its current form in 1998 and last reviewed in 2003, Healthy Croydon predates the LSP. With 14 Partnership Groups reporting to it, Healthy Croydon is currently one of the most complex of the theme partnerships. This reflects the breadth of the health and care agenda and Croydon’s high level of ambition for improving health and well-being and delivering world class health and social care services.
The review of partnership arrangements in health and social care was initiated following the annual meeting of the Healthy Croydon Partnership Executive Group with Partnership Group Chairs and lead officers in March 2007. Whilst those participating recognised significant achievements derived from partnership they also identified a need to ensure our partnership arrangements remain fit for purpose. On 7 June 2007 the Healthy Croydon Partnership Executive Group commissioned the Healthy Croydon Support Unit to carry out an audit of partnership arrangements and to report with recommendations. The project has been overseen by two members of the Executive Group: the Director of Adult Social Services as Council Corporate Lead for Health and Social Care, and the Director of Public Health.
Three broad questions have informed the review:
- How does the partnership add value?
- How is the partnership governed?
- Are the current arrangements ‘fit for purpose’ in order for the partnership to deliver?
Key themes emerging from the review are:
- Strengthen the leadership role of the Healthy Croydon Partnership members in developing strategy and holding the partnership groups to account for delivery;
- Improve focus on priority outcomes including aligning partnership structures to those outcomes;
- Strengthen governance and performance management;
- Share best practice across the partnership especially in relation to the involvement of service users and carers;
- Strengthen the connection between the work of the partnership groups, the Healthy Croydon Partnership and the Local Strategic Partnership.
The report should be read in the context of the broader review of Croydon’s Local Strategic Partnership. A report and recommendations on that review was made to the LSP Board on 10 January 2008. The recommendations in the Healthy Croydon Partnership review take into account the findings of the overall LSP review.
For a copy of the Healthy Croydon Partnership Review contact Rachel Nicholson, Health Inequalities Policy Officer 020 8760 5773 rachel.nicholson@croydon.gov.uk
Improving health and well-being: our plan for a healthy Croydon
Croydon’s new joint health improvement plan for Croydon Improving health and well-being: our plan for a healthy Croydon 2008-11 has now been published. The plan has been developed by the Healthy Croydon Partnership and sets out intended outcomes and plans in seven priority areas.
These are:
- Improve the environment so that Croydon is a healthier place to live and work.
- Identify and narrow unfair differences in health between different parts of the borough and different groups of people.
- Reduce the number of people who smoke.
- Encourage people to be more active and to eat a healthy diet.
- Improve sexual health.
- Encourage safe and responsible use of alcohol.
- Promote mental health and well-being.
For copies of the plan contact Ruth Finlay, Project Manager 020 8760 5773 ruth.finlay@croydon.gov.uk
Local Area Agreement update
Draft priorities for the new Local Area Agreement (LAA) were discussed at the Healthy Croydon Partnership meeting on 23 January 2008. Work on the LAA has been underway to refine the priorities and to agree indicators which will be used to measure progress. The LAA is due to be signed off by central government in June 2008.
Healthy Croydon will have responsibility for the delivery of the following priorities in the Improving health and well-being section of the LAA:
- Increase life expectancy within the borough
- Maintain and improve quality of life for an ageing population
- Improve the quality of health and social care
- Support vulnerable adults needing care
The Partnership will also need to maintain an overview of priorities in other sections of the LAA including:
- Childhood Obesity
- Reduce teenage pregnancy
- Improve the life chances of vulnerable children and young people
Selected indicators to measure progress against the priorities above are:
NI 123 16+ current smoking rate prevalence
NI 9 Adult participation in sport
NI 125 Achieving independence for older people through rehabilitation/ intermediate care
NI 126 Early access for women to maternity services
NI 124 People with long term conditions supported to be independent
NI 141 Number of vulnerable people achieving independent living
NI 55 Obesity amongst primary school aged children in reception year
NI 112 Under 18 conception rate per 1000
NI 53 Prevalence of breast-feeding at 6-8 weeks from birth
The Healthy Croydon Partnership will receive performance reports against these priorities and indicators.
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 places a duty on local authorities and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to produce a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) of the health and wellbeing of the local community. A local JSNA Project Board has been established, chaired by Dr Tim Crayford, the Director of Public Health.
Croydon’s JSNA will help us understand the current and future health and wellbeing needs of the population of Croydon over both the short term (three to five years) to inform our Local Area Agreement, and the longer term future (five to ten years) to inform our strategic planning. It also aims to ensure that we commission services and interventions that will achieve better health and well-being outcomes and reduce inequalities. In particular, JSNA will address those outcomes described in both the National Indicator Set for local authorities and local authority partnerships, and the “vital signs” referred to in The NHS in England: The Operating Framework for 2008/09.
For more information about the JSNA contact Jennie Mussard, Consultant in Public Health Intelligence 020 8274 6114 jennie.mussard@croydonpct.nhs.uk
Croydon’s Local Involvement Network (LINk)
Local Involvement Networks (LINks) are being set up across the country and replace Patient Forums. They aim to give local people the chance to say what they think about their health and care services, what is working well and what is not so good. They will also give people the chance to check how services are planned and run. They will feedback what people have said to services so that things can change for the better.
Croydon Council has been asked by the Department of Health to set up a contract with an organisation which will help the LINk do its work. Croydon’s LINk should build on the work of a wide range of individuals, groups and networks in Croydon who over the years have helped patients, service users and members of the public have a say. An interim LINk Steering Group has been established and an interim host organization (the Shaw Trust) appointed to manage the transition from Patient Forums to LINk. The selection of the final LINk host will take place during the summer 2008.
More information about LINks can be found by downling the publication LINks Explained from the Department of Health website http://www.dh.gov.uk/.
For more information about Croydon’s LINk contact Tom Magill, Facilitator, 020 7096 8793 tom.magill@shaw-trust.org.uk
Health and Care Forum
Croydon’s Health and Care Forum met on 25 March 2008. The main topics for discussion were accessible transport and an update from Adult Social Services. There was also a demonstration of the Talk2Croydon website. The next meeting will be on 23 June 2008.
For more information about the Health and Care Forum contact Cath Collins, Community Involvement Worker 020 8683 7010 cath.collins@cvalive.org.uk
Consultation – Mayday Foundation Trust application
Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust is consulting on its bid for Foundation Trust status. Mayday believes that becoming a Foundation Trust is the best way to continue to provide a full range of high quality and responsive health services to local people by putting the future of Croydon’s health services firmly into the hands of Croydon people.
As a Foundation Trust, the Trust Board would no longer report through the Strategic Health Authority in London to the Department of Health. Instead it would be accountable to the Council of Governors who are directly elected by the membership drawn from local people and staff.
The Council would have real power to influence the way the Trust worked. Mayday hopes that members of the Healthy Croydon Partnership will support the bid by responding to the current consultation and consider becoming members or standing as governors of the new organisation.
The consultation closes on 15 May 2008.
The full consultation document is available at www.maydayhospital.org.uk/. Printed copies are available from the Foundation Trust Project Office on 020 8401 3209 or by sending your name and address to ft@mayday.nhs.uk. Large print and audio tape versions of the summary document are also available on request.
For more information contact: Foundation Trust Project Office 020 8401 3209 ft@mayday.nhs.uk
Consultation – Healthcare for London
The Healthcare for London consultation ended on 7 March 2008 with over 3,500 responses from individuals and organisations across London. The consultation, which lasted for over three months, was aimed at staff, patients, residents, commuters, representative groups, unions, elected representatives and anyone who has an interest in, or might use, London health services. More than 4,000 members of the public visited the 35 roadshows, one of which was held in Croydon. The analysis of the consultation responses will be presented in public on 6 May 2008. Croydon Primary Care Trust Board will be considering the proposals on 22 May 2008. On 12 June 2008, the Joint Committee of PCTs which has overall responsibility for the consultation will meet in public to agree a set of recommendations.
Events
Croydon Council staff are taking part in a wide range of healthy activities as part of the Activate Your Workforce initiative. These include lunchtime exercise classes and signage in Taberner House encouraging people to use the stairs rather than lifts. Teams from across the Council are planning to compete in a Pedometer Challenge between 21 April and 18 May. The Healthy Croydon Support Unit will be entering a team. Watch this space for the results….
For more information on the Activate Your Workforce initiative contact Rachel Nicholson, Health Inequalities Policy Officer 020 8760 5773 rachel.nicholson@croydon.gov.uk
News
Talk2Croydon has won first prize in the ICELE (international centre of excellence for local e-democracy) Organisational E-participation awards. This eminent award is given to the organisation who can show how, through engaging online, they have made a real difference to the communities they serve, from a change of services, to a change in policy, to the delivery of a new service.
Croydon Voluntary Action UK (CVA) manages the website in partnership with Croydon Council, Croydon Primary Care Trust and Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust. Talk2Croydon aims to enable the people of Croydon to influence local decisions and raise issues they care about within the borough. It allows the local community to talk to the local public services without attending meetings or events, making it easier to get involved.
In a national scheme that showcases excellence Croydon has an almost unrivalled record - and has become a Beacon holder in each of the last four years. Winning Beacon status in the local strategic partnership and local area agreement category has singled Croydon out as the only borough in London to receive top level recognition for this key approach to strategic planning.
Awards are granted only to boroughs that can demonstrate a clear vision, excellent services and a willingness to innovate within a theme and Beacon holders are recognised as being at the cutting edge of policy development and often ahead of the pack in implementing the latest ideas. At the Beacon awards ceremony communities and local government minister Parmjit Dhanda said: "Croydon is leading the way in its use of new ideas and methods and is ideally placed to drive change, helping to improve public services for everyone."
The POP Service received its new state-of-the-art bus on 6 February 2008. The POP bus brings services for older people direct to the heart of the community. In just under a year with the previous bus, some three thousand older people took advantage of the services on offer. The bus provides a wide range of information, advice and services. It is staffed by experts from a number of different organizations.
Making a difference to the lives of carers in Croydon a carers’ Open Space event took place on 5 March to develop the new Carers’ Strategy for 2008-2011. The event had over 100 attendees from a wide group of carers across a range of sectors. As with the older people’s event, Councillor Margaret Mead opened the event and attended for the whole day. The event gave carers, and people working with carers, a chance to have conversations about what really matters to carers in Croydon.
Croydon’s Boxercise project run by Mind is features in the new Year of Healthy Communities calendar from the Improvement & Development Agency (IDeA). Copies of the calendar can be obtained from Cynthia Talor 020 7296 6178 cynthia.taylor@idea.gov.uk
Dr Tim Crayford, Director of Public Health and Mike Pilgrim, Acting Director of Environment, Culture and Public Protection, launched the Croydon Tobacco Control Alliance on 18 March 2008. The Alliance brings together all the local agencies which influence tobacco control in the borough. The aim is to reduce uptake of smoking, provide support to those giving up, reduce access to tobacco through effective enforcement, and protect non-smokers from tobacco smoke. For more information about the Tobacco Control Alliance contact Ruth Finlay, Project Manager 020 8760 5773 ruth.finlay@croydon.gov.uk
Tessa Jowell MP visited Croydon on 20 March 2008 to discuss the 2012 Olympic Games. She joined a team hosted by the leader of Croydon Council, Councillor Mike Fisher, and chief executive Jon Rouse to talk through how Croydon might benefit from London 2012. Under discussion were Croydon's plans for maximising opportunities for sport and physical activity as well as proposals for the cultural Olympiad leading up to the Games.
In Croydon an action plan is being developed as part of the Cultural Strategy. It will include all the projects that cultural organisations in the borough would like to deliver as part of the Olympiad and a grant scheme will be made available for projects which meet the core values. Croydon’s strategy for the Games will be signed off in June. It will set out a vision for Croydon and explain how we will fulfil our aim of making everyone feel part of London 2012 and involved in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
For further information about the 2012 Games in Croydon contact Edward McDermott 020 8726 6000 x62228 edward.mcdermott@croydon.gov.uk
