These two consultations, the initial one and the follow-up consultation a short time later, were the first steps in developing a three-year plan to improve the health and wellbeing of local people at every stage of their lives.
The consultation documents were based on detailed studies of local needs and focused on the issues that need most attention and where the biggest differences could be made.
Key priorities:
- Ensuring the best possible start for all babies and young children.
- Safe, resilient, secure parenting for all children and young people.
- Enabling people to live healthy lives and have healthy lifestyles.
- Preventing and reducing falls, accidents and injuries.
- Enabling people to manage and maintain their mental health and wellbeing.
- Supporting those with special educational needs, disabilities and long term conditions.
- Providing high quality and choice of end of life care.
We asked if people agreed with the priorities, whether they were clear and whether the consultation document covered all the issues.
Who could take part?
We were interested in the views of everyone – whether you are receiving health and wellbeing support or are involved in providing or commissioning these services.
Background information
The Health and Wellbeing Board
The Strategy is being developed by an important new body, the Health and Wellbeing Board for East Sussex. This board brings together local government, the NHS and the people of East Sussex. Members include local GPs, county councilors, senior County Council officers overseeing Public Health, Adult Social Care and Children's Services and local Healthwatch – a new local voice for people who use and need health and social care services.
One of its main tasks is to develop a Health and Wellbeing Strategy for East Sussex based on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA – an analysis of local, current and future health needs for adults and children) and other data sources:
Health and Wellbeing Boards are a requirement of the recent Health and Social Care Act. East Sussex's shadow board has been running since September 2011 and assumed its full statutory powers and duties in April 2013.
The first consultation round – document archive
The initial consultation period closed on 14 September 2012, after 12 weeks. We asked if people agreed with the priorities, whether they were clear and whether the consultation document covered all the issues.
We made the survey available in a number of different formats including an online form, Easy Read, and PDF. We've left the online questionnaire here for reference:
The second consultation round – document archive
In the light of your feedback to the initial consultation, we ran a second consultation which closed on 21 November 2012, after 2 weeks.
We asked people's views on the new draft Strategy.
What happens next?
The final strategy (which contains seven priority areas that the Board will focus on over the next three years) was approved by the Health and Wellbeing Board on 11 December 2012. A draft action plan was also considered setting out high level outcomes, actions and targets including those aimed at 'narrowing the gap' between the best and worst performing areas in the county.
A Health and Wellbeing Board Assembly meeting was held in early 2013 to engage a wide range of partners in discussions around delivering the strategy and action plan over the next three years.
Your comments and enquiries
If you have any further questions please contact Lisa Schrevel on:
Phone: 01273 481177
Email: healthandwellbeing@eastsussex.gov.uk
Post: Health and Wellbeing Strategy Consultation, North – A Floor
East Sussex County Council
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East Sussex County Council