Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence from those Members who are unable to attend the meeting.

Apologies were received from Tom Brailsford, Stacey Appleyard, James Creegan, Alasdair Brown, Brent Kilmurray, and Karen Jackson.

Helen Duke, attended as sub for Karen Jackson.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting of the Board held on the 7^th August 2025.

That the minutes of the meeting held on the 7^th August 2025 be approved as a correct record.

Members will be asked to say if there are any items on the Agenda in which they have any disclosable pecuniary interests or any other interests, which may prevent them from participating in any discussion of the items or participating in any vote upon the items.

No interests were declared.

Most agenda items take place in public. This only changes where there is a need to consider exempt information, as contained at Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. You will be informed at this point which items are to be recommended for exclusion and to be resolved by the Board.

All agenda items were considered in public session.

The Board will receive any petitions and/or deputations from members of the public. A deputation is where up to five people can attend the meeting and make a presentation on some particular issue of concern. A member of the public can also submit a petition at the meeting relating to a matter on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10, Members of the Public must submit a deputation in writing, at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting and shall subsequently be notified if the deputation shall be heard. A maximum of four deputations shall be heard at any one meeting. 

No deputations or petitions were received.

To receive any public questions.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11, the period for the asking and answering of public questions shall not exceed 15 minutes.

Any questions must be submitted in writing at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting.

No public questions were asked.

Regular update - This is an opportunity for partners to update the

board on progress made and actions taken by their organisations to

improve the health and well-being of the people who work for them

and the Kirklees population as a whole.

Contact:  Cllr Beverley Addy, Portfolio Holder for Public Health

Melvyn Ingleson, Chair of Healthwatch Kirklees and Calderdale, reminded the Board that Healthwatch has a statutory function under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. He explained that its role extends beyond the Act, reaching deep into communities and amplifying the voices of those who are seldom heard.

He informed the Board that the NHS 10-year plan, sets out a new vision for giving power to the patient and enabling the public to shape services.  Alongside the 10-year plan, a report was also published by Dr Penny Dash, who is now the Chair of NHS England. 

The report was a comprehensive review of five patient safety bodies in England which included Healthwatch in terms of its role. This has led to a decision by the government to disband Healthwatch England, and to move its role as a national champion of the patient, into a department of patient experience within the Department of Health and Social Care. It has also led to a decision to remove the funding that is received from Local Government, to provide core funding to each local Healthwatch and to pass responsibility for communicating patient experience to the Integrated Care Board (ICB) for health, and the responsibility for patient experience in social care to the local authority.

The Board was informed that the 10-year plan and the recommendations from the DASH review, will require enabling legislation. The challenge for Healthwatch will be maintaining the motivation of committed staff and volunteers until April 2027.  The issue for the Board is how it wishes to consider the role of the independent voice that is critical for service users moving forward, and in particular, it is critical for service users who are not confident with accessing or navigating the system.

The Board was informed that, as the landscape becomes clearer, the intention is to work collaboratively with partners to explore the future role of an independent patient voice. A paper may be brought in due course to reflect the continued importance of this function, which may or may not be delivered under the Healthwatch name. In addition, plans are being considered to convene a major forum in the New Year, aimed at understanding how the health and care system and the strong partnerships across West Yorkshire, particularly in Kirklees and Calderdale can work together to ensure that the independent voice of service users is preserved and strengthened.

Vicky Dutchburn, Interim Accountable Officer, Kirklees ICB, provided an update to the Board advising that the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) held a meeting earlier in the week, during which the importance of maintaining an independent voice for service users was discussed. She confirmed a continued commitment to joint working both at the West Yorkshire level and across local places with Healthwatch, ensuring that Healthwatch remains a key partner in shaping the future approach to patient and public involvement.

Ms Dutchburn raised an issue regarding the unrest currently being experienced across some communities, particularly in relation to incidents of racism. She emphasised  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

To update the Board on progress with developing the Kirklees Healthy Working Life programme.

Contact:  Steve Brennan, Kirklees Place Director of Partnership Development, Allison Porter, Employment Lead, Growth & Regeneration Manager, and Phil Longworth, Programme Manager, Kirklees Healthy Working Life Programme

Phil Longworth, Kirklees Healthy Working Life Programme Manager,

Allison Porter, Programme Manager Business and Skills, and Jessica Taylor, Young Adults Employability Officer, Fresh Futures, presented the Kirklees Healthy Working Life Programme. 

In summary, the Board was informed that the government produced a white paper in November 2024, which identified a range of actions that needed to happen, to increase the number of people in work.  These were people who had previously been out of work because of ill health and also to increase the support for people who are in work, who might be at risk of losing their job because of ill health.

West Yorkshire was selected for two key national programmes, namely:

1.    Health and Growth Accelerator, led by the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (included in the new NHS Plan)

2.    Economic Inactivity Trailblazer led by West Yorkshire Combined Authority (included in the spending review)

The Board was informed that the intention is to deal with those as a single entity. Although funding has only been confirmed for the current financial year, there was specific reference to the accelerator programme in the NHS Plan. This provides some optimism that the approach will continue and that future funding may be made available through the Integrated Care Board (ICB).  Similarly, the trailblazer was referenced in the spending review, which again gives some hope that funding will continue beyond this year.  Work on this has been ongoing since April 2025 and has now progressed to the implementation phase.

This work was established in response to national recognition of the link between health and employment. West Yorkshire was selected due to having some of the highest rates of unemployment related to ill health. While a reasonable level of funding has been confirmed for this year and for the Trailblazer programme next year, the details of future funding remain uncertain.

It is well established that mental health, musculoskeletal conditions, and cardiometabolic issues are key factors affecting people’s ability to work. Historically, mental health and musculoskeletal issues contributed equally, but recent evidence shows a shift around 40% of those at risk of leaving work or struggling to return due to ill health are now affected by mental health conditions. This highlights mental health as a growing area of concern.

Due to the nature of the conditions, the greatest numbers of people are in the 50 plus age group, however, the group that is growing fastest in terms of people who are not in work due to ill health is young people aged 16 to 24. One of the distinguishing features of the approach in Kirklees, compared to other areas in West Yorkshire and the two other areas receiving accelerator funding, is a strong focus on supporting young people.  It is also important to highlight that out of the people who are not currently working, who are classed as economically inactive, approximately one in four, it is because of long term, ill health issues.

Referring to the presentation slides, the Board was shown a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

Verbal update on the ongoing changes to the Integrated Care Board

(ICB) landscape.

Contact: Vicky Dutchburn, Accountable Officer, NHS, West

Yorkshire ICB, Kirklees Place.

Vicky Dutchburn, Interim Accountable Officer, Kirklees Integrated Care Board (ICB), informed the Board that the ICB landscape has been rapidly changing over the last week and the position has evolved since the last update. The Board was reminded that during the previous update, a detailed overview was provided regarding the organisational changes across West Yorkshire and the specific impact that would have for Kirklees.

By way of context, the Board was informed that there are key missions that the government has set out. The first, is that they are looking at the cross governmental work for health, and there is going to be significant changes across the four key elements that deliver health services. These include the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, regional bodies, and local ICBs. Recently the 10-year plan for the NHS has been published, and in addition there are reforms for adult social care that have also been included.

The Board was informed that there are three key shifts in care identified within the 10-Year Plan. These include a move from treatment to prevention, which emphasises the importance of neighbourhood-level health initiatives and transitioning care from hospitals into the community; a stronger focus on neighbourhood health as a foundation for integrated care; and the shift from analogue to digital approaches, supporting more efficient and accessible service delivery.

At the previous meeting, the Board was informed of the rapid timeline for designing new structures to support the proposed functions of the ICB. A formal mandate was issued in April 2025, and within approximately eight weeks, the expectation was that draft structures were to be in place and submitted to NHS England on behalf of West Yorkshire. The required milestones were met.

During the process, it was identified that there were four key components requiring change across the wider NHS system. At the time, the only available blueprint for consideration related to expectations for the future ICB. As a result, designing the new structures were undertaken with limited clarity regarding the roles and requirements of emerging regional and national teams. Despite these constraints, draft structures were successfully developed and submitted for West Yorkshire.

Board members may recall that during the last update, attention was drawn to the scale of proposed changes, including a potential staffing reduction of up to 50%, with implementation expected to begin from October 2025.  Concerns were also raised regarding the uncertainty around funding arrangements for any resulting redundancies. The current position with regard to redundancies is that there still remains a lack of funding for any redundancies this year and this is national.   It is clear that it was never planned for national level to fund any redundancies, and it is unlikely that any funding will be coming down, from central to ICBs.  It is expected that this will be funded from within existing resources.

It is recognised that the current financial position makes it unfeasible to implement the required changes within this financial year. This is not unique to Kirklees  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

The purpose of this paper is to:

• Share with the Board the key reflections and recommendations from the midpoint evaluation of the Kirklees Health and Wellbeing Strategy (KHWS) 2022-2027
• To propose the next steps, including plans to refresh the Strategy in preparation of it ending.

Contact: Lucy Wearmouth, Head of Public Health Improvement, and Jo Hilton-Jones, Public Health Manager. Tel: 01484 221000

Rachel Spencer-Henshall, Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director for Public Health, advised the Board that the information being presented, represents a midpoint assessment of the Kirklees Health and Wellbeing Strategy (KHWS), which launched in 2022 and is due to expire in 2027.  A few next steps are being proposed in terms of plans to refresh the strategy in preparation for its finish.

Referring to the presentation slides, the Board was reminded of the strategic diagram previously agreed and endorsed in 2022. The diagram sets out the shared vision and the intended outcomes of Best Start, Well and Independent. To achieve these outcomes, three priority areas were identified: Mental Wellbeing, Healthy Places, and Connected Care and Support.  The Board was reminded that it has received regular updates on progress within each of these priority areas over the past two years. 

It includes factors which serve as a lens to determine how the priorities are being delivered. This includes a consistent focus on inequalities and inclusion, which are reflected in the annual reports that are produced.  Shaped by People has considered the impact of poverty on health and wellbeing, and the role of digital approaches in improving reach and effectiveness of services. There is also a focus on housing, because it is recognised that people's homes are important in terms of the effect on their health and well-being.  In addition to contributing to the climate emergency.

The Board was informed that an informal midpoint evaluation was undertaken by council officers. Partners were not involved at this stage, as it was a first draft within the council office space.  By presenting it to the Board, there is an opportunity for other people to have input and ascertain whether they agree with the initial summary.

The purpose of the initial review was to:

•       Assess whether the strategy is on track to achieve its intended outcomes

•       Identify early signs of change and emerging impacts across the three priority areas

•       Understand what is enabling or hindering successful implementation

•       Inform practical recommendations to enhance the strategy’s effectiveness through to 2027 and beyond.

The general reflections were:

Strategic Ownership

•       The vision remains relevant & widely supported, especially the focus on the wider determinants of health

•       Some system-wide embedding of the strategy, but it could be further strengthened

Delivery and Accountability

•       Roles of project management, delivery and accountability would benefit from further clarity 

Outcomes Focus

•       Current outcomes framework would benefit from being less complex

•       Questions around how outcomes are demonstrated

•       The strategy would benefit from a simplified, outcome-driven approach with clearer measurements

Key challenges and opportunities

•         The Board was informed that there is a need for clear leadership and governance of the strategy, and how can the Board and respective organisations be used to look at that.

•         In terms of accountability, ensure clear roles, responsibilities and monitoring are in place.

•         Develop a simplified version of the outcomes framework, refresh the language and structure of the strategy and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.