To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 9 February 2022.

Decision

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 9 February 2022 as a correct record.

Report of the Director of Public Health and Medical Director, Manchester Health and Care Commissioning

Over the past few weeks, the Director of Public Health, council colleagues and other partners have been developing the local Manchester Living Fairly and Safely with Covid draft plan. This will be circulated to the Committee shortly for comments before it goes to the Council Executive on 16 March.

In advance of the meeting the Director of Public Health and Medical Director, Manchester Health and Care Commissioning, will also circulate their usual summary presentation on the latest available data relating to Manchester COVID-19 rates and the Manchester Vaccination Programme.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Public Health and the Medical Director, Manchester Health and Care Commissioning that described that following recent national announcements the Director of Public Health, council colleagues and other partners had been developing the local Manchester Living Fairly and Safely with Covid draft plan. This draft plan had been circulated to Members for consideration in advance of the meeting.

Key points and themes in the plan included:

·         Summary of our Covid-19 response so far;

·         Covid-19 Inequalities;

·         Epidemiology, including possible future scenarios;

·         National Living Safely with Covid-19 Strategy key information;

·         Building a shared understanding of what ‘living safely and fairly with Covid-19’ meant for Manchester – our approach, what we would do and inequalities considerations;

·         Local Governance arrangements;

·         Our 12-point plan for Living Safely and Fairly with Covid-19 in Manchester; and

·         Resource requirements.

The Committee further considered the joint presentation of the Director of Public Health and the Medical Director, Manchester Health and Care Commissioning, that had been circulated to all Members in advance of the meeting that provided an update on COVID-19 activity.

Key points and themes in the presentation included:

·         The latest headline figures for the 7 days ending 1 March 2022; and

·         An update on the vaccination programme with particular reference to actions taken by Neighbourhood Teams to increase uptake across Wards, vaccine breakdown by ethnicity, case studies and feedback.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

·         To welcome the local Manchester Living Fairly and Safely with Covid draft plan, noting that it included actions to address inequalities and fairer access to services;

·         Welcoming the information relating to the newsletter and the inclusion of the trusted voice that had been used to promote the vaccination in local communities, adding this model needed to be rolled out across other areas;

·         Noting the prevalence of Covid cases in Manchester and how this could be related to increased social mixing and testing behaviours;

·         Was there capacity within the existing teams to respond to any future wave of a Covid variant;

·         Noting the removal of free testing and the importance of recognising that Omicrom was still present;

·         Were Officers confident that Care Home settings were supported to manage any future outbreaks;

·         The challenge in monitoring COVID-19 in future and the need to clarify how the Committee would scrutinise this; and

·         Further information was sought on the Pakistani Sounding Board.

The Director of Public Health advised that the relaxation of the national restriction rules and the subsequent increase in social mixing would result in an increase in positive cases, adding that the vaccination was the best way to protect people from serious illness. He advised that following the decline in testing the team were now reliant on ONS (Office for National Statistics) data, noting that there were challenges associated with how this data was reported. He advised that the intention was to establish a bespoke local system to accurately monitor infection rates. He advised that a further national announcement was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

Report of the Director of Public Health

This report provides an overview of delivery of social prescribing in Manchester. It outlines how the Be Well service works, giving examples of good practice in the delivery of social prescribing (including information on how the service works with primary care to support patients), and highlighting case studies of the benefits of the service for Manchester residents.

The report also summarises the findings of the recently completed independent evaluation of Manchester’s Prevention Programme, and other social prescribing initiatives currently being developed and delivered within Manchester and Greater Manchester. The next steps in developing and delivering Manchester’s social prescribing and wellbeing support provision within the context of the Population Health Covid-19 Recovery Plan and Manchester’s Wellbeing Model are outlined.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Public Health that provided an overview of delivery of social prescribing in Manchester.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Providing an outline of how the Be Well service worked;

·         Examples of good practice in the delivery of social prescribing;

·         Highlighting case studies of the benefits of the service for Manchester residents;

·         A summary of the findings of the independent evaluation of Manchester’s Prevention Programme, and other social prescribing initiatives currently being developed and delivered within both Manchester and Greater Manchester; and

·         Describing the next steps in developing and delivering Manchester’s social prescribing and wellbeing support provision within the context of the Population Health Covid-19 Recovery Plan and Manchester’s Wellbeing Model.

The Committee further received a presentation from Jay Patient, Be Well Service Manager, Big Life Group that provided an overview of:

·         The aims and values of the Be Well Service;

·         Access;

·         Pathways within Be Well;

·         Progression within service since initial commissioning;

·         Outcomes;

·         Examples of good practice; and

·         Aims for 2022.

The Committee then heard from George Ramsay and Gaynor Heaton, residents of Manchester. Both spoke eloquently of their experience of engaging with the Be Well service. They articulated the circumstances which led them to engage with the service and the range of positive outcomes that they had achieved as a result. The Chair on behalf of the Committee thanked both contributors for attending the meeting and sharing their experiences.  

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

·         Recognising the important work of the Be Well service and paying tribute to all of the staff involved;

·         What work was being done to support BAME residents;

·         Noting that the number of males accessing the Be Well service was relatively low and what was being done to address this;

·         Were Coaches Trauma Informed trained and how would they support an individual who was neurodivergent (defined as differing in mental or neurological function from what was considered typical or normal);

·         Stating that the term ‘disparities’ should not be used when referring to health outcomes, adding that the term ‘inequalities’ was the preferred term and this was supported by Professor Michael Marmot;

·         Noting that from April 2020, 10 of Manchester’s 14 PCNs had made formal arrangements for Big Life Group to employ and manage their social prescribing link workers, how would the patients of the 4 that had not made the formal arrangement access social prescribing opportunities;

·         The importance of a wider understanding of social prescribing across other services: and

·         Concern about access to mental health services in the city and, while welcoming the benefits of social prescribing, commenting that it was important that this was not used to cover up gaps in mental health provision.

Jay Patient, Be Well Service Manager, Big Life Group advised that there were many positive examples of where informal support groups had been developed that had built upon local connections and resilience, making particular reference to the South Asian Woman’s Group in Longsight.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69.

Report of the Strategic Lead Neighbourhoods (MCC), Sarah Lake, Integrated Neighbourhood Lead for Gorton and Levenshulme (MLCO) and the Head of Corporate Estate and Facilities Management (MCC)

This report provides an update on the Gorton Hub, a new Health and Care Hub in the heart of Gorton. The Hub will provide a real opportunity to make a significant improvement in the management and delivery of public services through co-location and integration within a modern, innovative and efficient environment. The report sets out progress with the partnership working underpinning the integration of services in the hub, and a construction update. The Hub is due to open in October 2022.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Lead Neighbourhoods, Sarah Lake, Integrated Neighbourhood Lead for Gorton and Levenshulme (MLCO) and the Head of Corporate Estate and Facilities Management that provided an update on the Gorton Hub, a new Health and Care Hub in the heart of Gorton.

The Hub would provide a real opportunity to make a significant improvement in the management and delivery of public services through co-location and integration within a modern, innovative and efficient environment.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Describing how the Hub would provide an opportunity to make a significant improvement in the management and delivery of public services through co-location and integration within a modern, innovative and efficient environment;

·         Progress with the partnership working underpinning the integration of services in the Hub;

·         Construction and property update; and

·         Noting that the Hub was due to open in October 2022.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

·         What areas would this provision serve and would all elected Members concerned be regularly informed regarding the development of this site;

·         How would the success of this model of service delivery be assessed; and

·         This positive model needed to be replicated across the city.

The Strategic Lead Neighbourhoods advised that this site would serve residents form the Gorton, Longsight, Levenshulme and Clayton & Openshaw wards, adding that meetings with those ward Members would be convened. He advised that the success of this development would be assessed across three strands, first being a range of Key Performance Indicators to be agreed to measure progress against wider health determents, the second against improvements in bringing partners together in the Hub, and third, the benefits realised through the land released from the colocation of services. He stated that this would be reported to the Committee at the appropriate time along with a general update on the delivery of the Hub.

The Committee heard from Councillor Reid, Ward Councillor for Gorton and Abbey Hey. She provided a background to the development and the challenges that were presented as a result of the pandemic. She reassured the Committee that despite this and other challenges the site was being progressed with very positive relationships being established with all the multi-agency partners who would eventually occupy the site. She stated that she supported a recommendation that the Committee continue to receive regular progress reports on this project.

Decision

To note the report and recommend that a future update report is added to the Committee’s Work Programme for consideration at an appropriate time.

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit

The monthly report includes the recommendations monitor, relevant key decisions, the Committee’s work programme and items for information. The report also contains additional information including details of those organisations that have been inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

The report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit which contained key decisions within the Committee’s remit and responses to previous recommendations was submitted for comment. Members were also invited to agree the Committee’s future work programme.

The Chair recommended that other than the Covid-19 update report the May 2022 meeting would be dedicated to the annual Work Programming Session.  

Decision

The Committee notes the report and agrees the work programme, noting the above comment.