Cabinet Member for Communities
Minutes:
Councillor Davis introduced the report and informed Council that he was delighted to be presenting the first Wellbeing Strategy for Babergh to Council. The document was a high-level document developed by councillors, officers, key partners and key community stakeholders. The strategy focuses on identified needs which are and will be dealt with in the associated delivery plan.
Councillor Davis said that the wellbeing of our residents is probably the most important aspect of our role as councillors. Everything we do impacts and affects the wellbeing of our residents. The vision for this strategy will mean that our residents will have the best possible conditions for good wellbeing and have lives that are happy, healthy and rewarding.
Developing a Wellbeing Strategy has enabled the Council to set out its strategic vision and approach to support the wellbeing priorities of its local communities. Understanding our wellbeing priorities will also enable us to make the most effective use of our resources.
Addressing the wellbeing of our communities has rarely never been more important than at present as we live in the shadow of a global pandemic.
Wellbeing, put simply, is about ‘how we are doing’ as individuals, within communities and society. It provides a holistic view of people’s lives, taking in not just health, but our opportunities, engagement and success in other areas of life including social, civic, economic and the built and natural environment.
Councillor Davis went on to say it is well recognised that the broader determinants of health are particularly important in ensuring a healthy and happy population and these are also the types of wellbeing issues over which Councils have some control and influence; for example, stimulating our local economy, managing our environment, developing and managing our homes or providing leisure facilities. This strategy therefore does not duplicate the wellbeing impacts already contained within our Economy, Housing, Environment and Communities Strategies. These other strategies will however be reviewed to ensure wellbeing outcomes are being optimised through those strategies; and performance in relation to those aspects will be included when we are reporting on our performance in respect of wellbeing.
The Strategy sights the 10 Measures of National Wellbeing, developed by the Office for National Statistics which organises nationally surveyed and gathered data into different areas of life affecting wellbeing. We have adopted the 10 areas with a focus on: personal wellbeing, relationships, Health, the local communities where we live and what we do with our time.
Our long-term outcomes will focus on enabling:
· Families to lead active, healthy, safe, and independent lives and manage their own health & wellbeing;
· All communities to have sustainable and inclusive places and spaces, which maximise health & wellbeing opportunities and benefits; and
· A reduction in Health inequalities.
As this strategy spans the period to 2027, our long-term outcomes are supported by a set of shorter-term outcomes that will focus on the next two years and are accompanied by more detailed objectives which are set out in the Strategy and where it makes sense to, will be delivered in partnership with both internal and external stakeholders.
While developing the strategy we haven’t stood still and have delivered a number of projects and supported many of our communities.
Councillor Davis then MOVED the recommendations in the report which Councillor McCraw SECONDED.
Councillor Hinton sought clarification on what activities had taken place in his ward.
In response, Councillor Davis confirmed that Active Suffolk had held several sessions at the Constable Medical Practice.
Councillor Simon Barrett asked if free swims were planned to be reintroduced as part of this programme.
Councillor Davis responded by confirming that a reduced programme had been held across the summer with a wider return planned for the future.
Councillor Busby welcomed the paper but felt that this was an ambitious strategy where several elements of it were reliant on other partners delivering the outcomes, and asked about the risk?
In response, Councillor Davis confirmed that this was an ambitious strategy but one that had been developed with the involvement of partners and stakeholders. There was recognition that the Strategy could not be delivered by the Council on its own and the delivery plan would be informed by the constant dialogue with partners. The implementation of the Strategy would be monitored closely.
Councillor Hurren was worried about the poverty within his own ward and across the district and felt that the ambition was good but that the Council needed to ensure it got the basics right.
Councillor Maybury stated that there was already a Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Suffolk and asked why Babergh needed a separate one. She also felt that the free-swimming offer should be directed at the right people, as adults still needed to pay to go in to supervise their children and many could not afford to pay for this. She supported the free cookery classes and welcomed the proposals to support carers.
Councillor Melanie Barratt felt that residents could be supported better to deal with anti-social behaviour around tenancy issues and hoped that the Strategy would help that move in the right direction.
Councillor Ward informed Council that the ASB Team had been beefed up following feedback from the Stella Maris enquiry. Multi agency response for complex cases was far more robust and was initiated a lot earlier. Councillor Ward also said that the delivery plan was flexible enough to allow the Council to do what it could and what it could afford. The Strategy was ambitious and will be delivered working with partners and stakeholders.
Councillor Jan Osborne responding to the concerns about ASB, welcomed the Strategy aspirations and was looking forward to aligning the aims and aspirations with the Housing Teams, however she was concerned about the delivery plan from a partner perspective and hoped that Suffolk County Council and the police raised their game to enable the plan to be delivered.
Councillor Beer welcomed the Strategy and hoped that both Babergh and Suffolk County Council worked together to deal with ASB issues and tenancy issues in a more timely manner.
Councillor Arthey highlighted page 11 of the Strategy and the “Where we Llve” theme and our approach to planning discussions and said that the new emerging Joint Local Plan would lead this.
Councillor Davis in his summing up, said that anti-social behaviour was an issue that the Council was already working to address, using many different tools including enforcement notices, noise abatement orders and notices to seek possession. When it came to partnership working, it would be clear who would be funding the project, and partners would be expected to pay up. Councillor Davis said he recognised that this was an ambitious Strategy it was not a cut and paste job but bespoke in its own way to fit the district’s needs.
It was RESOLVED: -
1.1 That the Joint Wellbeing Strategy, attached as Appendix 1 to the report be approved.
1.2 That the Assistant Director for Communities and Wellbeing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Communities, be delegated authority to make future amendments and updates to the Strategy, in response to changing needs.
After the Strategy has been approved, that the Assistant Director for Communities and Wellbeing in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Communities, be delegated authority to develop and implement a Delivery Plan.
Supporting documents: