Agenda item

The annexed circulated report of the Director of Governance and HR (Monitoring Officer) was received to consider the draft Health and Wellbeing Board Terms of Reference, as revised in line with the Health and Care Act 2022 for the Integrated Care System (ICS) from 1 July 2022.

The committee was being asked to comment on the constitutional changes required to facilitate compliance with legislation to enable the revised terms of reference to be recommended to full council.

Appended to the report were the following:

Appendix A                Draft Health and Wellbeing Board terms of reference;

Appendix B                Copy of current Health and Wellbeing Board terms of     reference;

Appendix C               Copy of Health and Wellbeing Board report of 5 July 2022.

The Interim Democratic Services Manager, Paul Goult, explained that the Health and Wellbeing Board is a formal committee of the local authority and as such is charged with promoting greater integration and partnerships between bodies from the NHS, Public Health and Local Government and has a statutory duty, with clinical commissions groups, to produce a joint strategic needs assessment and a joint health and wellbeing strategy for the local population.

Under the Health and Care Act 2022 the Board has additional responsibilities and duties as follows:

·         To review the Integrated Care Board (ICB) five-year plan to ensure it takes proper account of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy;

·         To review the ICB Joint Capital Resource Plan;

·         To consult with the ICB for the ICB Annual Report on performance of any steps taken by the ICB to implement the joint health and wellbeing strategy.

The ICB and ICP also must work closely with local Health and Wellbeing Boards.

The Health and Wellbeing Board considered the revised terms of reference and its recent meeting and comments are shown within Appendix A. There are two categories of membership, statutory, as defined by legislation and non-statutory.  Membership is intended to reflect the partnership working of the Board with appropriate and relevant agencies participating.

The following are statutory members:

·         One NNC elected member nominated by the Leader of North Northamptonshire Council;

·         Executive Director of Adult Social Services, Community and Wellbeing for North Northamptonshire Council;

·         The Director of Children’s Services for North Northamptonshire Council;

·         The Director of Public Health for North Northamptonshire Council;

·         A representative of the local Healthwatch organisation for Northamptonshire;

·         A representative from the Integrated Care Board.

Non-statutory members were further detailed in Appendix A.

The proposed scheme allowed the Leader to designate a statutory representative (as required by legislation). Two Executive members would have designated as non-statutory members and one further elected member would be nominated by the Leader of NNC.  Additional members could be co-opted by the Health and Wellbeing Board, as appropriate.

(Cllr Maxwell joined the meeting at 7.20pm).

The committee discussed the revised terms of reference and queried the statement at 6.5 of the report which stated that ‘the Scrutiny Commission supported the North place development’.  Those members who had attended the Scrutiny Commission considered that the commission had not given its support as there wasn’t a vote.  Mr Goult would clarify this. 

Concerns were also raised about the lack of involvement with the voluntary sector as it was considered there had been no communication between the voluntary sector and Board.  Cllr Nichol, as vice-chair, would raise the issue of communication with Cllr Carr as chair.

It was noted that the meetings were quite lengthy and took place in the daytime.  A question was asked about whether these would be webcast.  A decision on this had yet to be reached.

A query was also raised over 8.2 and 9.2 and virtual attendance and why a member joining virtually would not be counted as being in attendance and why at 12.3 anyone wishing to speak would have to provide written notice at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Mr Goult clarified that legislation stipulated that a member would have to be present for a statutory committee which must be held in person. If a member was not physically present, they could not vote but could participate in the meeting.  Regarding notice this was also a statutory notice period. 

A question was also raised about where the funding would come from. This was uncertain as it was an operational issue, but a request would be made for this to be clarified by the relevant officer.

A further question over political representation on the Board was raised and Mr Goult clarified that the Board did not fall under the political balance rules and that this was a designated gift of the leader.

It was noted that the term of reference state ‘The Board’ but that this needed to be defined at 1.1. to read ‘The North Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Board (The Board)’ for the avoidance of doubt.

Resolved to recommend to full Council on 28 July 2022, the revised Health and Wellbeing Board Terms of Reference, along with suggested minor amendments.

Reason for recommendation - The Act sets out new statutory responsibilities for the Health and Wellbeing Board, and as the board is a statutory function of the local authority these changes need to be approved by full council as per North Northamptonshire’s Council Constitution.