Supporting children's oral health - Oxfordshire

In September 2023, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) funded Healthwatch Bucks, Healthwatch Oxfordshire and Healthwatch Reading to undertake a community-based research project to understand some of the challenges that parents and caregivers face when looking after the oral health of children under 10 years old. The project was supported through the Core20PLUS5 Connectors initiative, a national NHS programme working to reduce health inequalities.

The three Healthwatch teams each recruited and trained five ‘Community Connectors’ who interviewed parents and caregivers in their community about their children’s oral health. Together the three Healthwatch organisations heard from 215 parents and caregivers. Families who contributed their views included parents and caregivers of children with and without SEND. The joint Healthwatch report, which includes a series of recommendations, was presented to the BOB ICB Prevention, Population Health and Reducing Health Inequalities Group for discussion and action in July. It will also be shared with the BOB ICB Local Dental Network and with local public health and other stakeholders in each of the three project areas.

In addition, Healthwatch Oxfordshire published this separate report setting out what they heard from 96 people in Oxfordshire about supporting oral health in children, including from 45 people via conversations Community Connectors with families from two wards in Banbury. Healthwatch Oxfordshire also carried out a county-wide online survey hearing from 38 people and had 9 in-depth interviews with caregivers of children with SEND. They also spoke to families seeking asylum and in temporary hotel accommodation in Banbury.

In April 2024, Healthwatch Oxfordshire hosted an event in Banbury, where their Community Connectors shared what they had learned from their conversations with the public and presented their findings to representatives from the health system. This helped identify next steps and informed the recommendations in its Oxfordshire report. This report will be shared with key decision-makers, including Oxfordshire Health Improvement Board, Oxfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board and Oxfordshire Health Overview Scrutiny Committee.

As well as making a series of recommendations to BOB ICB as commissioner of NHS dentistry in Oxfordshire and other key stakeholders at place in Oxfordshire, Healthwatch Oxfordshire has also committed to continuing to work with Community Connectors and families supporting children with SEND to co-produce a leaflet or information pack, providing oral health guidance tailored to caregivers of children with SEND in Oxfordshire. This work is in currently in progress.