Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Children and Family Partnership which gave an update on progress in relation to the Best Start for Life priority of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) 2022-32. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 7’, is filed with these minutes.

Arising from discussions the following points were noted:

(i)           The Children and Families Strategy was being reviewed at the same time as the Health and Wellbeing Board strategy and the two pieces of work were being linked and communication was taking place between officers involved in both strategies.

(ii)         In December 2024 the Department for Education had announced continued funding for Family Hubs in Leicestershire for 2025-26. The Chair expressed disappointment that it had only been extended for one year. 

(iii)        It was queried whether work took place with mothers in the period after conception and before birth and suggested Family Hubs could cover this. It was agreed that this would be checked and an answer provided after the meeting.

(iv)       When Children in Care reached the age of 18 they were referred onto Adult Care Services, however some of them still needed the type of services provided by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). So far there had been difficulties in finding an equivalent service for these people once they turned 18. The Looked After Children’s Health Team run by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) supported people up until the age of 25, and adult mental health teams were also available, so there should be services available for care leavers. LPT agreed to liaise with Children and Family Services about this.

(v)         Whilst people were waiting for mental health services they could use the tellmi mobile phone app and the Chat Health website. The information was also shared in schools.

(vi)       Data showed that single mothers aged 21 or below in LLR attended the Emergency Department at least once a year for a condition that did not require any treatment. It was questioned whether the Emergency Department was the most appropriate place to take these children and whether the strategy could give consideration to alternative venues for these mothers to receive the help they required. It was agreed that discussions about this would take place after the meeting.

(vii)      A national survey indicated that 1 in 3 children refused to attend education and it was queried whether this could be addressed as part of the strategy. It was agreed that discussions about this would take place after the meeting and any conclusions would be fed into the refresh of Children and Families Partnership Plan.

(viii)    It was queried whether there was ongoing work within the partnership around antenatal and postnatal care, including smoking cessation and weight management, as this was a key focus from a ‘place’ perspective between Public Health and the Integrated Care Board.  A key consideration was how to strengthen the health focus in this area without destabilizing the valuable work that the Children and Family Partnership was doing around the wider determinants of health and education.

(ix)       In Melton, as part of a pilot scheme, the Family Hubs had been working closely with GP Practices to provide health advice to children. It was intended to replicate this pilot in other parts of Leicestershire. Though it was noted that Melton only had one Primary Care Network, whereas other areas had more than one which could bring greater complexity and challenges. Outcomes in other parts of the county would need to be monitored and the Integrated Care Board could link in with this work.

(x)         In response to a question as to whether the impact of screen time on child development and the affect of social media on teenagers emotional wellbeing was being considered as part of the Strategy work, it was explained that some work was already taking place in this regard but further work would need to take place.

(xi)       It was questioned how the success of the Strategy was measured, where the Strategy had the most positive impact and which areas needed further development. In response assurance was given that these questions would be considered, and further information would be provided after the meeting.

RESOLVED:

(a)    That the progress being made in relation to delivering against the Best Start for Life priority be noted;

(b)    That the progress being made in relation to delivering against the cross-cutting priorities be noted.