Partnering and Wellbeing Portfolio

'Improving the health and wellbeing of our community'

Portfolio Holder, Cllr Geoffrey Blunden

Portfolio holder introduction

Improving the health and wellbeing of our community and sustaining a healthy lifestyle legacy for future generations is an important focus of the portfolio, collaborating with partner agencies to ensure the wider health outcomes are achieved.

We will work to join up activity to enable these outcomes and embed key health prevention principles in our core services to support both physical and mental health.

Our regulatory services will continue to help protect our residents and visitors from risks to safety and health by working with businesses to provide support, advice and enforcement and improving the knowledge and choice by publishing inspection ratings.

Environmental risks to health will also be prioritised to improve air quality.

It is recognised that the fear of crime is an important issue, and we will engage with the community to manage this fear, whilst keeping our communities safe through the delivery of the Safer New Forest priorities.

Priorities 

Our priorities are:

• working with partners to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents
• ensuring that public health prevention principles are embedded within core services of the council
• increasing the level of physical activity within the district, providing affordable, accessible, and sustainable leisure facilities
• ensuring regulatory services are delivered for the benefit of our residents
• ensuring the New Forest remains a safe place to live, work and visit

Key activities 

Our key activities are:

• develop and deliver a health and wellbeing strategy focusing on both physical and mental health, tackling health inequalities, and creating healthier communities
• deliver the strategic objectives set out in the review of New Forest District Council leisure centres
• work with partners to increase the levels of activity within targeted groups
• work with partners to help improve air quality in the area
• create a safe environment for our residents and level playing field for local businesses to help them grow and develop
• deliver the licensing function in line with policies which are relevant and legally compliant and address the challenges faced in the New Forest
• deliver the Safer New Forest Partnership Plan through collaborative and innovative working with our strategic partners

Action plan and achievement measures

This plan of specific actions that will directly contribute towards the delivery of the priorities within each portfolio.

These actions will be refreshed annually to keep them up to date.

Achievement indicators for each portfolio have been identified to help monitor progress against the delivery of the priorities and provide tangible measures of success.

Progress updates on specific actions and achievement indicators will be reported to the relevant overview and scrutiny panel during the year.

Specific actions 

Specific actions are:

• development and delivery of the New Forest Health and Wellbeing Strategy during 2021/22
• monitor the delivery of the strategic outcomes from the Health and Leisure partnership with Freedom Leisure
• monitor delivery of Mytime Active contract for Dibden Golf Centre to improve participation in golf and associated activities
• undertake and develop community safety engagement opportunities to promote the work of the partnership and ensure the views of residents are reflected within key priorities
• develop and promote the Safer New Forest Webinar, maximising participation of the wider partnership including the voluntary sector
• report on the delivery and successes of the Safer New Forest Partnership Plan
• manage the transition of digital switchover for Appletree Careline and focus activities on developing new areas of business growth opportunities
• advice, support and guidance provided on food safety and compliance with covid requirements, to all new food businesses which have started up during the pandemic and those requesting assistance following reopening after lockdowns
• begin the recovery phase to the Covid-19 pandemic, providing public health sector specific business advice, supporting new businesses, and investigating complaints to meet the needs of residents
• increase activity and engagement in targeted communities as part of the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic

Achievement indicators

Achievement indicators are:

• reduction in inactivity levels (%) 
• number of sedentary adults with recognised medical conditions enrolled in the freedom leisure active lifestyles referral programme (Number)
• level of investment in the leisure centres by Freedom Leisure (£ value)
• percentage of new business start ups receiving an inspection during the year (%) 
• inspection of all higher risk food establishments to improve public safety (%)
• increase participation in community safety engagement events and completion of annual crime and disorder survey (Number)
• maintain residents' satisfaction on the low level of reported crime and anti-social behaviour within the district (%) 
• support communities through programmes to improve the mental wellbeing of residents (Number of programmes)
• increase the engagement with lower socio-economic communities (Number of projects)