Independent Review of Health and Wellbeing For Northamptonshire

There are currently seven Health and Wellbeing Fora in Northamptonshire which enable engagement with a broad range of public sector and voluntary organisations. However, it was felt that across the county the Fora varied considerably in the way they operate and in what they have been able to achieve.

Healthwatch Northamptonshire was asked to conduct a quick independent review of the Fora and produce this report. In all, 57 surveys were completed by attendees of the Fora and eight one to one interviews carried out with Chairs and Officers across all seven localities.

Most attendees find that the right people attend the fora, felt there was clarity and purpose for the Forum they attend and were aware of their Forum’s Terms of Reference. Just over half thought all the Forums should have the same Terms of Reference. The majority of attendees felt ‘somewhat connected’ to the Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Board. Less than half said that their Forum aligns its priorities with the Northamptonshire Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Most felt that working on their Forum’s priorities made a difference and that their Forum makes a difference to the health and wellbeing of the population they serve. They were generally happy that the for a met often enough but felt that they needed more support to be more effective. They would like to know what other for are doing. Just over half felt that the Fora should continue once 2 Unitary Authorities are set up in Northamptonshire.

Interviews with the chairs and officers of the fora found that the Fora vary in how they operate, and exist outside any county governance system. The main role of the Fora is information sharing and networking and they struggle to generate outputs through member activity. They felt that the current membership represented the community well, though it has been hard to gain members from schools. They rely on administrative support provided by local councils at no cost. The recent Public Health funding has energised the Fora into action and can be a platform for future operations. They would welcome strategic alignment with the Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Board and county strategies and standardised Terms of Reference and planning documents to be effective.

Recommendations

1.Bring the Fora closer to the Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Board in terms of governance and strategy, while still allowing a good degree of local independence and activity

2.Standardise Terms of Reference, planning document sand frameworks to measure and demonstrate impact

3.Ensure there is primary and secondary health and also school representation in all Fora

4.Identify areas of duplication and opportunities to work together and share information effectively

5.Encourage and support regular dynamic individual and joint meetings and workshops focusing on key priority areas

6.Build on the energy created by the Public Health bids and create a county Health and Wellbeing budget for future Fora bids with clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)