Agenda item

This paper presents the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Strategy. The interim strategy was approved by cabinet in December 2022 and this version is an update that incorporates extensive feedback from consultation.

Discussion:

Members considered a paper which presented the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Strategy. The interim Strategy had been approved by Cabinet in December 2022 and this version was an update that incorporated extensive feedback from consultation. 

The following issues were discussed:

·       Consultation – regarding a comment that the number of respondents from Medway was low in comparison to the size of the population, the Deputy Director of Public Health commented that he felt engagement had been successful in Medway. There had been extensive engagement during the development of the Medway Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which focused only on Medway, with online surveys and focus group discussions.

·       Outcomes – in response to queries about how the Strategy would be delivered and how outcomes would be measured, the Deputy Director of Public Health advised that there would be a joint delivery plan which would action the aspirations in the Strategy. There would also be indicators so that the Council could see if the desired outcomes had been achieved at a strategic level. There were Operational plans which had their own metrics to show if outcomes were being delivered. Information on this could be reported to the Committee. The Director of Public Health added that this was a Kent and Medway wide strategy. The Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy was the primary mechanism for delivery in Medway. The importance of monitoring performance in Medway was emphasised.

·       Values – a point was made that a value-based strategy would always deliver better outcomes and the values underpinning the Strategy were not clear.  Officers advised the core value was people needing to be at the centre of what the three partners did and the Strategy outlined what it aimed to achieve.

·       Support for the workforce – in terms of what support was offered such as help with housing and schools, the Deputy Director of Public Health commented that the workforce was an important part of the Strategy. One of the shared outcomes was about how to support and grow the workforce.

·       Voluntary and community sector (VCS) – an assurance was sought that the VCS would have an equal voice in the Strategy. Noting the health status of the gypsy and travellers community was much poorer than that of the general population, how the Strategy addressed this was questioned. The Deputy Director of Public Health advised that the VCS were part of the Strategy and there was a voluntary sector alliance. The Council was working with the VCS on a number of initiatives to improve health and wellbeing. Communities were being asked what issues were important to them and they would be involved in the solutions.

·       Medway Healthwatch – the Committee was advised that Healthwatch had been involved in the development of the Strategy and were pleased with the document, which had evolved since last year.

·       Digital services – it was noted that the Strategy stated that digital services were good but were not accessible for everyone and there should be alternatives. The Director of Public Health commented using a digital service would depend on the issue. 

Decision:

The Committee agreed to:

a)      note the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Strategy and recommend its approval to Cabinet.

b)      request an update in 6 months, including outcomes for Medway and details of how the voluntary and community sector was involved in the Strategy.