From 1 April 2013, responsibility for the ongoing development and support programme for health and wellbeing boards will be transferred from the Department of Health to the Local Government Association (LGA).
The LGA has been working with the Department to bring together the key national organisations whose members and delivery organisations will be operating in the new locally-led health environment, including Public Health England, the NHS Confederation, the NHS Commissioning Board, the Association of Directors of Public Health and Healthwatch England. Together they will develop an offer of support for the members and organisations involved in local health and wellbeing boards, local government, and local Healthwatch to create an environment within which boards can provide the best possible support for their local communities.
Building on the work of the National Learning Network for health and wellbeing boards, the offer is anticipated to continue supporting boards in 2013-14 by:
- Establishing a single information hub, supported by several organisations, which local health agencies and their partners can tap into for support and learning
- Utilising the existing sector-led improvement tools, such as peer challenge, to help HWBs reflect on their approaches and improve them for the benefit of local people
- Delivering tailored support for clinical commissioning groups
- Producing a revised version of the self-assessment framework for boards to access
- Providing a regionally based support offer including local chairs’ networks and bespoke support
- Delivering a national event to bring together board members to share learning and experiences.
The overall aim of this offer of support is to continue to work with boards and local health agencies and help them identify and make positive and transformational changes to local health services.
Outgoing National Director for Health and Wellbeing Board Implementation, Joyce Redfearn said:
“The LGA’s new role symbolises a strong partnership that’s already in place. We want the support to be responsive to the needs of the 152 boards who will make the real difference to their local areas.
“There’s a huge amount of learning already in the system and we want to make sure that we’re linking people to the right knowledge, understanding and expertise. This involves mirroring at a national level the kind of partnership working that’s going to be essential for health and wellbeing boards to become effective local system leaders”.
For further information about the offer, visit https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130804124322/http://www.local.gov.uk/web/guest/health/-/journal_content/56/10171/3932121/ARTICLE-TEMPLATE or email Abigail Burridge: abigail.burridge@local.gov.uk
To sign up for regular bulletins about the LGA’s support offer, contact: healthimprovement@local.gov.uk
Find out more about the work of the National Learning Network for health and wellbeing boards – read the online ‘story’ at https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130804124322/http://storify.com/DHgovuk/reflections-on-health-and-wellbeing-boards-support
Follow the conversation online – search #hwblearn on Twitter for the latest health and wellbeing board news.
Access useful resources, share learning and find out about the latest events at the National Learning Network for health and wellbeing boards group on the Knowledge Hub.
