Agenda item

The Board received an update on the progress made in improving partnership and integration in relation to Child Health and Wellbeing. Sarah Bright reported that Early Help and Children’s Centres have been working together to develop an approach for an integrated 0-18 Children and Families Partnership model. It was additionally reported that work was continuing on the design of this approach that would be ready for implementation by 2017.

Andrew Christie drew Members attention to page 14; appendix 1 of the report, which set out the ‘Best Start in Life Care Pathway’. The Best Start in Life (BSiL) was a partnership programme of work across Children’s Centres, CCGs, GPs and midwifery to develop a systematic pathway of care for families from pregnancy to age 5 in order to improve outcomes for children, families and communities, as well as creating services that provide better access and experience.

It was noted that the programme of work had achieved the following:

·           Improved partnership between Children’s Services and key health professionals such as Health Visiting, Midwifery, Family Nurse Partnership (FNP)

·           Early identification and support offer for vulnerable families as a direct result of health and early help staff attendances at Connected Care, Team Around Children’s Centres and BSiL meetings

·           Joint delivery of services from local community sites such as targeted NSPCC Baby Steps, universal antenatal parent education class, midwifery and health clinics.

·           Joint development and understanding of care pathway between professionals working with families with children 0-5 years.

·           Co-location of provision in one site/locality has significantly improved professional understanding and partnership working between children services and health resulting in joined up delivery of support to families

Keith Mallinson referred to the issue of early identification and support offer for vulnerable families, as it was felt that there was a lack of provision in the north of Hammersmith and Fulham. Sarah Bright commented that there were two key children’s centres in the North of the Borough; Old Oak Children’s Centre and Randolph Beresford Children’s Centre and they both had strong links with partners.

Councillor Vaughan queried the number of schools involved in the Healthy School Partnership as there had been an increasing number of schools taking part. Sarah Bright and Sarah Wallace agreed to provide information on the schools that were taking part and what they were doing in this area either on their own or in conjunction with partners.

ACTION: Sarah Bright and Sarah Wallace

Councillor Lukey referred to the number of families that were not registered with GPs and what could be done to encourage registration of new families moving into Hammersmith and Fulham. Sarah Bright commented that this was being monitored continuously at children’s centre who were working towards signing families up. In addition, it was reported that officers were looking to implement a streamlined service to encourage registration through the use of online forms by moving away from traditional and outdated paper forms.

Sarah Bright drew Members attention to the next steps on pages 12 – 13 of the report and Councillor Lukey queried the progress made on aligned commissioning (early years and adult commissioning). Chris Neill commented on discussions on co-commissioning implications and changes to primary care contracts, which officers were focusing on although there would be an opportunity to examine this in further detail as the Health and Wellbeing Strategy would be updated later in 2016.

RESOLVED –

THAT, the report be noted.