Agenda item

The West Sussex Wellbeing Programme is commissioned by West Sussex County Council, Public Health Department.  Since 2011, Arun District Council has delivered a prevention and wellbeing service under this agreement which focuses on addressing local inequalities.  This report seeks authority to enter into a new three-year funding and partnership agreement with West Sussex County Council to enable the continuation of the Wellbeing Programme in Arun.

The Cabinet

            RESOLVED – That

(1)  Agreement be given to enter into the Partnership Agreement relating to the Public Health Wellbeing Programme for the period 2019 to 2022 with West Sussex County Council; and

(2)  It be noted that the financial contribution of £323,360 from West Sussex County Council for the financial year 2019/20 and that subsequent contributions will be subject to the ratification of the budget by West Sussex County Council.

The Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, Councillor Mrs Yeates, introduced this item stating that Arun had enjoyed a Partnership Agreement with Public Health since 2011.  The agreement allowed the Council to identify the key issues facing its residents and to agree a range of interventions to help improve the health and wellbeing needs of the community.  Councillor Mrs Yeates stated that she was extremely supportive of this arrangement as it allowed the Council the opportunity to work with Public Health to consider the local picture rather than requiring a ‘one size fits all’ approach to the prevention agenda.

Councillor Mrs Yeates then invited the Group Head of Community Wellbeing to highlight the key sections of the report.

            Members were advised that the main point to emphasise was that this was a long-term partnership with Public Health who commissioned Arun to provide a preventative service to its residents.  This service focused on issues that were particular to Arun.  An example provided was life expectancy differentials between the most and least affluent areas which were as much as nine years for men and eight for women.  This had improved over the last nine years when the gap had been well over eleven years for men.

Members’ attention was drawn to the Arun Wellbeing Business Plan attached to the report at Appendix 1 identifying all the activities of the team which had previously been agreed with Public Health, who very closely monitored the service outcomes.  This conveyed that this partnership delivered services that improved and transformed lives and so it was hoped that Members would agree to entering into a new three-year agreement.

The Chairman thanked the Group Head of Community Wellbeing for his report and outlined that as a retired doctor he endorsed the Plan entirely and applauded the work of the Wellbeing Team in demonstrably improving health outcomes. There were large issues to continue to tackle such as childhood obesity and he outlined that it was partnership agreements such as this that assisted in tackling such long-term problems.

Other Cabinet Members agreed with this point of view and commended the work undertaken by the Arun Wellbeing Team.  The varying life expectancy ages were of concern and it was hoped that by continuing with the partnership the differentials could be reduced further. 

The Cabinet

            RESOLVED – That

(1)          Agreement be given to enter into the Partnership Agreement Relating to the Public Health Wellbeing Programme for the period 2019 to 2022 with West Sussex County Council; and

(2)          The financial contribution of £323,360 from West Sussex County Council for the financial year 2019/20 and that subsequent contributions would be subject to the ratification of the Budget by West Sussex County Council was noted.

            The Cabinet supported the recommendations in the report and then confirmed its decision as per Decision Notice C/017/071019, a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of the Minutes.

(During the course of the discussion on this item, Councillors Oppler, Purchese and Dr Walsh all declared their Personal Interests as Members of West Sussex County Council).