Agenda item

Ansaf Azhar (Director of Public Health) has been invited to present the draft Director of Public Health Annual Report 2024-2025. This report focuses on supporting the mental wellbeing of children and young people.

PLEASE NOTE: This report remains in draft form and has not been formally published. The final version of this report will be presented to Full Council in the near future.

The Committee is invited to consider the report, raise any questions and AGREE any recommendations arising it may wish to make.

Ansaf Azhar (Director of Public Health at Oxfordshire County Council), was invited to present the draft Director of Public Health (DPH) Annual Report 2024-2025. This report focused on supporting the mental wellbeing of children and young people.

Donna Husband (Head of Public Health Programmes), and Frances Burnett (Public Health Registrar), also attended to support the Director and help answer questions from the Committee.

This year’s DPH annual report focused on the mental health and well-being of children and young people, alongside economic inactivity among them. The report aimed to highlight these key issues and encourage action. The Public Health Director emphasised the importance of viewing mental health as an asset and the necessity for a diverse workforce in Oxfordshire by 2040.

The report detailed current mental health support provisions and underscored the significance of general settings in supporting young people. It recommended increasing the use of existing interventions, reframing discussions about mental health, and utilising anchor institutions to create opportunities for young people.

Members asked whether there were measures in place to assess the effectiveness of the various schemes and activities listed in the report. It was explained to the Committee that the principle avenue through which to evaluate the overall effectiveness of measures or projects to improve children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing was via the Health and Wellbeing Strategy’s Outcomes Framework. Children’s mental health sat within the Start Well category of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, and the Health and Wellbeing Board was due to evaluate Start Well aspects of the strategy in April 2025.

Members asked whether it would be helpful for the DPH annual report to include information on how Oxfordshire compares in terms of deprivation and apprenticeships. They recognised the successes already achieved in these areas but also highlighted the importance of addressing ongoing mental health challenges. The discussion emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach that acknowledges both achievements and areas requiring further attention.

Members asked whether the various programmes listed in the report were working together in an integrated manner or operating separately from each other. It was responded that whilst some programmes aimed at improving children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health operated separately, they would all be evaluated as part of the Health and Wellbeing strategy’s aforementioned Outcomes Framework. Whilst each programme had their unique specificities and objectives, they all shared the common purpose of driving improvements to children’s mental wellbeing in Oxfordshire.

Members asked whether early intervention efforts were being coordinated with partners to determine who should concentrate on what and making recommendations more specific in this regard. They questioned whether these efforts were being coordinated with partners to determine specific areas of focus and to make recommendations more targeted. It was explained to the Committee that early intervention efforts were being coordinated between system partners, and that more work would follow in this regard. Various system partners would have their own contributions that they could make toward implementing the recommendations outlined in the DPH annual report.

Members asked about the educational issues in deprived areas, specifically the disparity between primary school attainment and secondary school underachievement. They inquired about the challenges and opportunities for collaboration among schools, local authorities, and the NHS to get all partners on the same page, particularly in relation to the CAMHS waiting list. It was responded that all partners were working toward achieving the Start Well objectives of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, but that the Public Health team per se was limited by its own remit of services it could deliver.

Members asked what could be behind the rise of mental health issues in Oxfordshire, specifically mentioning the impact of smartphones and social media. The discussion emphasised that more could be done in terms of examining or minimising the potentially negative impacts of social media on children’s mental health.

The Healthwatch Senior Research and Projects officer asked whether there had been or would be any opportunities for children and young people to shape the report or provide their input. It was explained that the Council and its partners did seek the input of children and young people on services. It was agreed amongst the Committee and the officers in attendance that system partners should continue to engage in coproduction with children and young people inasmuch as possible around implementing the plans or recommendations outlined in the DPH annual report.

The Committee AGREED to issue the following recommendations:

1. For the Public Health Team to provide details of how system partners will work with schools to improve children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health.

2. For clarity to be provided on who will have responsibility for implementing each of the recommendations being made in the DPH annual report.

3. For there to be greater collaboration and sharing of ideas between communities for the purposes of improving health and wellbeing at the local community/neighbourhood level.