Agenda item

Following discussions at the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Community Safety Board, this paper seeks approval for the merger of the Community Safety Board and the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Witnesses:

Amy Morgan - Policy and Programme Manager for Health & Social Care Integration (H&Sci) (SCC)

Key points raised in the discussion:

1. The Policy and Programme Manager noted that the merger was based upon developing a longer term approach to improving health outcomes and inequality across Surrey, after close working with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and key stakeholders represented through the four new Members of the Board.
2. She emphasised that greater connectivity across priority areas was vital to improving the lives of those with severe disadvantages and to address the wider determinants of health. Over the last three months, officers in the OPCC and SCC had worked with stakeholders, including the Community Safety Partnerships, to map the current work and statutory responsibilities of both the Community Safety Board and the Health and Wellbeing Board. Officers were able to provide assurance that the four major priorities of the Community Safety Board would be aligned with those of the Health and Wellbeing Board, which would ensure the delivery of the Surrey Community Safety Agreement (CCSA).
3. The Health and Wellbeing Board was also developing stronger links to the Adult Safeguarding and Children Safeguarding Partnerships. The Surrey Adults Matter programme was a good example of how the Health and Wellbeing Strategy was responding directly to community safety-related concerns raised by the Adult Safeguarding Board.
4. The Chief Constable of Surrey Police, was very supportive of the merger noting the national policing and health consensus on the importance of wellbeing which was exemplified at the 2019 Fifth International Law Enforcement and Public Health Conference.
5. He summarised that: policing was more closely coupled with health - 70% demand of policing - than justice, that case work was increasingly complex, focusing on a range of issues to work out why someone committed a crime rather than simply who did it, active research to understand the causes of safety and wellbeing rather than the symptoms - personal resilience and control were key, that different and earlier intervention was required such as trauma informed policing and adverse childhood experiences, collective action across agencies was essential as there was a move away from individual territorial leadership.
6. The Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Fire and Resilience positively reported that she had seen tangible progress on the ground through the use of Trading Standards community safety departments to identify hotspots of priority offenders to manage crime more intelligently and from a wellbeing perspective addressing the causes of criminal activity.
7. The substitute for the Assistant Chief Officer of the Community Rehabilitation Company noted that it was important that probation and community rehabilitation remained represented on the Board, as reoffending and health were closely linked.
8. Members were in agreement with the merger and noted that it was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom.

RESOLVED:

The Health and Wellbeing Board:

1. Approved the merger of the Community Safety Board and the Health and Wellbeing Board.
2. Agreed for the new members from Surrey Police, Surrey County Council, South East Probation Services and the Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) to join the Board.
3. Noted the alignment of the Community Safety Board priorities to the Health and Wellbeing Strategy priorities 1 and 3.
4. Approved the new Terms of Reference which link to the delivery of the Surrey Community Safety Agreement (CCSA).

Actions/further information to be provided:

None.