Agenda and draft minutes

Also in attendance:-

(Councillor Forster arrived at the meeting at 10.55 am).

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from councillors Harris, Hinton and Lynch together with the Director of Health and Care Integration for South Cumbria Place, Integrated Care Board Director of Delivery for North Cumbria and the Director of Public Health and Communities.

To note any changes to the membership of the Committee.

Councillor Patrick attended as substitute for Councillor Harris for this meeting only.

To receive declarations by councillors of any disclosable pecuniary interest, personal interests, other registrable interests or any other interests in respect of items on the agenda.

Councillor Forster declared a non-pecuniary interest as she was employed by the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

RESOLVED,   that the press and public be not excluded from the meeting for any items of business.

To receive any questions or representations which have been received from members of the public.

There was no public participation to be considered at this meeting.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 16 January 2025 (copy enclosed).

RESOLVED,   that the minutes of the meeting held on 16 January 2025 be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To consider a report by the Director of Public Health and Communities (copy enclosed).

The Committee considered a report which detailed the approach and process of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment in Cumberland together with an update on progress so far and the future provisional programme of work.

Members were informed that the purpose of Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) and Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategies (JLHWSs) was to assess health and wellbeing needs to improve the health and wellbeing of the local community and reduce inequalities for all ages.  The Committee noted that the aim of the JSNA was to help identify local health and wellbeing priorities and to provide an evidence base to inform local policy and commissioning decisions.

Members were informed that the production of the JSNA (and JLHWS) was a statutory duty of Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBBs).  Officers advised that the Health and Care Act 2022 required all HWBBs to develop a JSNA along with the JLHWS and that local authorities and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) had equal and joint duties to prepare JSNAs (and JLHWSs) through the (HWBB).

The Committee was advised that the JSNA approach and process in Cumberland took into consideration the statutory national JSNA guidance and that a Steering Group would oversee the management, development and production of the JSNA and would report to the HWBB. 

A discussion took place regarding the membership of the JSNA Steering Group and members felt this was more top?down than the preferred bottom?up approach.  The Committee highlighted the Authority’s community panels and suggested that engagement took place with them too.  The Senior Analyst acknowledged the preferred approach and agreed to investigate this further with community panels.

Members were informed of the additional topic-based working groups comprising of specialist officers and appropriately represented partners which would continue to be established, where appropriate, for future JSNAs. 

A discussion took place regarding the JSNA Work Programme which accurately reflected priority areas across Cumberland and the wider integrated care system, including the local authority and ICBs. 

The Committee discussed the ‘Climate Change’ priority area and asked how the process would look at this and progress positive actions for the health of the community.  The Senior Analyst advised that this priority area had not yet been considered and that an update would be made to the Committee once this had been scoped out by appropriately qualified officers.  During the course of discussion Councillor Davison expressed a wish to be included in the scoping exercise if possible.

Members were advised that the priorities identified reflected and aligned with the health and wellbeing needs of the local population and priorities of the health and care system, as set out in local plans and strategies; furthermore, commissioning timelines had and would continue to be considered. 

Members were informed about the relationship between the Health Determinents of Health Research Collboration (HDRC) work and the JSNA.  The Committee felt that the topics for focus were unsurprisingly similar for the two groups and each drew on the others work to try and prevent duplication of effort.

The  ...  view the full minutes text for item HOS.61/24

The Committee considered a report which provided the details of the plans for the recommissioning of the Integrated Sexual Health Service. 

Members were informed that Cumberland Council had a statutory duty to provide a range of sexual health services to its population under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.  The Public Health Manager advised that those services provided comprehensive open access sexual health services, including free STI testing and treatment, notification of sexual partners of infected persons, advice on and reasonable access to a broad range of contraception and information on preventing unplanned pregnancy.

The Committee noted the current integrated sexual health service provisions in Cumberland which were provided by North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) from various clinics around the Council area. 

The Public Health Manager outlined the current contracting arrangement following Local Government Reform in Cumbria in April 2023 whereby Westmorland and Furness Council became lead commissioner of the Cumbria Integrated Sexual Health Service Contract.

Members noted that the current delivery of the Service had commenced in 2019 for a four?year term (plus one 12 months extension) and NCIC were continuing to provide the service for an additional fourteen-months extension under the Terms and Conditions of the previous Contract.  The Committee was informed that this arrangement was being formalised by Westmorland and Furness Council as host Authority until a new Contract was awarded to a provider via the procurement process from 1 December 2025.

The Committee drew attention to NCIC withdrawing agreement to enter into the Contract shortly before the start date of the new service and was advised that this was due to their concerns regarding the Agenda for Change uplift for staff. 

The Committee was advised that the current total annual Contract value was c.£1,865,000 per annum and the local authority split was Westmorland and Furness £736,000 and Cumberland £1,104,000 in accordance with their respective population.

Members were informed that permission from the Executive Committee was being sought for Cumberland Council to enter into an Agreement with Westmorland and Furness Council in order to procure a Cumbria?wide Integrated Sexual Health Service for a period of up to 10 years which would consist of an initial six year term plus an optional extension of up to four years. 

The Committee was advised that it was proposed that Westmorland and Furness Council would continue to be the lead Authority and would undertake the procurement and contract with the successful provider on behalf of both councils.  Members questioned why Westmorland and Furness should lead given their smaller contribution; they were advised that the expertise on this area of service provision was within the Westmorland and Furness team making them the appropriate lead.

The Public Health Manager informed members that the estimated value of Cumberland’s contribution over the full 10-year term was a maximum of £20m which would be funded from the Public Health Grant.  Officers explained that the Agenda for Change had been taken into consideration during the financial process and there was confidence  ...  view the full minutes text for item HOS.62/24

To consider a report by the Director of Public Health and Communities (copy enclosed).

The Committee considered a report which provided an update on Cumberland Council's preparedness for an off?site nuclear or chemical emergency at Sellafield, a large, multi-functional licensed nuclear site covering approximately 265 hectares (650 acres) and housing over 1,000 buildings. 

Members were informed of the different zones surrounding the site and the differentiated levels of planning within the off-site emergency plan appropriate to proximity.

Members were informed that Cumberland Council was responsible for developing arrangements in the Sellafield Off-Site Emergency Plan to enable an effective response to the unlikely event of a nuclear or chemical emergency on the site leading to an off?site emergency.  The Committee noted that the Emergency Planning Service was provided by the Joint Emergency Management and Resilience (JEMR) Team, which served both Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council, as well as the multi-agency partnership of the Cumbria Local Resilience Forum.

The Committee was advised that the JEMR Team was hosted by Westmorland and Furness Council and was currently located at the Council’s Emergency Control Centre in Cumbria Fire Service Headquarters in Penrith.

Members were informed that the Inter-Agency Agreement between Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council outlined the role of the JEMR Team and its deliverables which included ensuring the councils met their statutory duties under the emergency planning legislation. 

The Committee asked questions regarding the links between the Sellafield Off?site Emergency Plan, the on?site emergency plans, the wider major incident and other community emergency plans, and were reassured that those links were robust.

Members received an update regarding the risks of not appropriately discharging the duties, which included the public not being adequately protected in the unlikely event of an off?site emergency at the Sellafield site and the Office for Nuclear Regulation taking appropriate enforcement action.

Members welcomed learning from other live events.  A discussion took place regarding the various sources used by communities to obtain information during emergencies and how the Plan would take technology into account in the future.  The Committee was informed that work was being undertaken at a national level to look at how support could be provided when the copper lines were no longer in use.

The Committee raised their concerns about the lack of mobile telephone coverage in rural areas, reliance on landlines that now were actually internet and electricity dependent, and highlighted the need for a back?up solution if this disappeared during an emergency.

The Emergency Planning and Resilience Manager acknowledged that telecoms and increased reliance on electricity was a national issue.  The Committee was informed that the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) had a process whereby vulnerable members of the community could obtain a battery pack from their provider.  Whilst multi?agencies collated information regarding properties which housed vulnerable people members were encouraged to make their constituents aware of the support available.

The Committee was advised that lessons were learnt and actions implemented as necessary local, national and international events both nuclear and non?nuclear.

Officers explained that  ...  view the full minutes text for item HOS.63/24

To consider a report by the Specialist – Policy (copy enclosed).

The Committee considered a report which provided an overview of current scrutiny work and members were asked to consider the recommendations in order to ensure that scrutiny activity remained effective and focussed on Cumberland Council’s strategic priorities.

Members received a positive update regarding a specific GP experience and it was agreed to include this on the Work Programme following Healthwatch Cumberland undertaking a project on this potentially in late summer.  It was agreed that outputs from the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment would be monitored and added to the work programme where appropriate.

Members welcomed the inclusion of ‘Correspondence’ detailed in Appendix 2 of the report.

The Chair thanked members for their participation in both the first successful virtual pre?meeting and the work programme planning meeting.

RESOLVED,   that

                          (1)          the following be noted:-

                                        (a)       the relevant items on the most recent Forward Plan of Key Decisions (as set out in paragraph 6 of the report);

                                        (b)       the correspondence received by the Committee (as detailed in Appendix 2 of the report);

                          (2)          the Committee Work Programme (as set out at Appendix 1) be agreed and ‘GP Experience’ added;

                          (3)          a further virtual Work Programme planning meeting take place following the May meeting of the Committee;

                          (4)          the virtual Committee private pre-meetings continue a couple of days prior to the public meetings;

                          (5)          the private in?person briefings continue immediately prior to the public meetings.

To note that the next meeting of the Committee will be held on Thursday 22 May 2025 at 10.30 am in the Civic Centre, Carlisle.

(1)       It was noted that the next meeting of the Committee would be held on Thursday 22 May 2025 at 10.30 am in the Civic Centre, Carlisle.

(2)       It was agreed that a virtual private pre-meeting be arranged for Tuesday 20 May 2025 at 6.00 pm.