Agenda item

This paper provides an update on the delivery of the JSNA programme since January 2021 - Duncan Vernon

Duncan Vernon, a Public Health consultant working across South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) and Warwickshire County Council provided an update on the delivery of the JSNA programme since January 2021. The report reminded of the thematic approach to needs assessments and the focus on mental health needs.

From September a multi-agency task and finish group commenced a joint piece of work across Coventry and Warwickshire, which included a survey and focus groups to secure qualitative information. An outline was given of the key findings. A total of 975 individuals responded to the survey and 98 people participated in the focus groups. The report was supplemented by the detailed needs assessment of adult mental health and wellbeing and a presentation which covered the key themes from the mental health needs assessment:

• Scope
• Wellbeing is different but related to mental illness
• A graphic showing that good mental health needs a wide response
• The key themes identified:
  • There is a high prevalence of mental ill health
  • Challenges in accessing or understanding available services and support
  • There is growing future need and demand for services
  • Short and long-term impacts from the pandemic

Returning to the thematic work programme, a table and subsequent paragraphs reported on the provisional timescales for the other areas of pharmaceutical needs assessment, health visiting 0-5, end of life care, children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing and substance misuse. Further sections reported on the Grapevine Project and the Director of Public Health’s annual report for 2021.

Questions and comments were invited from the Board.

• Discussion about the reasons why people did not access a service and exploring this to get to the true causes. A lack of awareness of the services available would show a need to improve messaging for example. The research didn’t provide for such detailed questioning, but the points made were noted.
• There was a low proportion of people who would benefit from services, who were currently accessing them. Organisations were working under significant pressure, there were workforce challenges and whilst the aim was to offer services, there may be capacity concerns. Aside from the initiatives discussed earlier in the meeting, it was questioned if other activity should be undertaken.
• From the report, there was no sense of geography and context was needed.  There were concerns about service capacity and resource for example in responding to mental health crisis. A comment to take back was what the report meant for Warwickshire residents. Duncan Vernon spoke of the endeavours to break down the data into smaller areas, links to social deprivation and/or ethnicity, where possible.
• The need to inform people of the service. Methods which had been successful previously included messaging on televisions in GP waiting rooms and printed drink mats in public houses. The formation of primary care networks (PCN) and understanding the health needs of their population could be a useful trigger to start such conversations.
• A question on the role for GP doctors and whether it was planned to engage with them, through the PCNs or perhaps with accident and emergency departments. It was about signposting services. Duncan Vernon referred to the dissemination plan, arrangements at place level and work in healthcare settings. Alongside the wider engagement, there would be an easy read summary, infographics and the report would be taken to various health and social care system meetings.
• The Chair viewed this item as key in identifying needs which would inform the commissioning of services.

Resolved

That the Health and Wellbeing Board:

1. Notes the progress of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) programme to date.

2. Supports the promotion and dissemination of findings and recommendations of the mental health needs assessment, implementing them where appropriate.

3. Notes the outlined thematic JSNA workplan for 2021/22 – 2022/23.

Supports the development of future needs assessments through promoting the work of the JSNA and supporting requests for resource to support the analysis and development of assessments.