Agenda item

To be presented to the Board by Kate Austin, Public Health Principal, Fiona Ruck, Health Improvement Practitioner and

·       May Elamin – Community Health Development Officer – Oxford City Council

·       Jon Hyslop – Community Glue

·       Tom McCulloch – Community First Oxfordshire

·       Tony Eaude – Littlemore Resident

·       Alexa Bailey - Community Health Development Officer – Oxford City Council

The Oxfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board is RECOMMENDED to

1.1  Note the findings and rich insight contained within the Community Profiles for Littlemore and Central Oxford.

1.2  Support the promotion and sharing of the community profiles with partners and colleagues across the system.

1.3   Use the insight from the community profiles to inform service delivery plans of partner organisations on the Board.

The report was presented to the Board by Fiona Ruck, Health Improvement Practitioner. It was highlighted that The Director of Public Health Annual Report in 2019 had highlighted ten wards in Oxfordshire that had small areas (Lower Super Output Areas) that were listed in the 20% most deprived in England in the Index of Multiple Deprivation update (published November 2019) and were most likely to experience inequalities in health. Community profiles for Littlemore and Central Oxford (Phase 3) were published in December 2023 which completed the creation of community profiles for all ten areas. These profiles provided an in-depth understanding of the enablers and challengers to the health and wellbeing of communities. The profiles linked to the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and contributed to the local evidence base to inform service delivery, as well as being a resource for local communities to support their work.

The Board received brief summaries from the Community Officers as below:

Jon Hyslop, Community Glue, Engagement process in City Centre reported the following points:

·       There were high pockets of deprivation with mainly blue-collar area within a working-class area. There is a high concentration of social housing. The project started in July 2023 with many wanting to be a part of it from local organisations and partner organisations. This was an important area for local homelessness services. The information gathering took place through individual and group contact and through an online survey. Reaching the homeless and people in social hosing was good but it was poor in terms of access to young adults and local minority ethnic communities.

·       The findings included that people had good access to primary and secondary healthcare although transport was sometimes an issue. And there was a lack of physical and social spaces.

May Elamin, Community Health Development Officer, Oxford City Council reported the following points:

·       Since the publication of the Central Oxfordshire Inside Gathering Report in December 2023, focus had been given to making meaningful connections to meet the recommendations. The connections were vital for a coordinated effort to deliver the actions. An action plan had been developed with identified improvements and activities to improve the health and wellbeing in the area. Connections had been made with partners to improve activities for residents. The information was shared with residents using the community notice boards, local primary schools and medical centres to try and get the information to as many people as possible.

·       Looking into transport, funding and other initiatives.

Tom McCulloch, Community First Oxfordshire, reported the following points:

·       Looking at the Littlemore area. Reached out to 200 people using different methods such as focus groups, one to one interviews and a community survey. This was over a 10-week period between September and November 2023. This allowed engagement with many groups and reached a good number of children and young people, 60% females were consulted and 80% British and other ethnicities. Additional research would be useful as many assets were available but some of these could be improved such as improving communications and the youth council. The challenges identified included the lack of local available healthcare services and facilities and access to healthcare causing an isolation in the community. There was a lack of public transport and a lack of safe walking connections. There was lots of excellent community support, but the volunteers were very stretched in time, funds, facilities and resource.

Tony Eaude, Littlemore Resident, reported the following points:

·       Littlemore had for many years been overlooked for its primary care services. There is no GP surgery, no dentist, no pharmacy and had many elderly and disabled residents have to travel distances to services. The access to public transport was not good, especially from certain areas. The population in Littlemore and surrounding areas had risen significantly and would continue to do so due to the substantial development in the area. The study’s had shown that Littlemore was an area of derivation that was not recognised.

David Munday thanked all for attending and for all the work carried out. The Community Profiles were all complete now but there was still work to complete. From the profiles that had been generated, it was now time to move from insight to actions on the recommendations. There were community health development officers in each area to take the work forward. The engagement to see how the health and wellbeing was improving was still in place. Phase 4 work was ongoing to see how the community profile work could be replicated. The Board would be kept updated.

Councillor Howson commented that he had lived in and around Oxford for over 40 years and had noticed that the large number of people that had moved into the area were still using the GPs from other areas causing the transport issues.

Ben Riley, Oxford Health, thanked the speakers and commented that their comments were very helpful to evolve and for the planning and local engagement. In the City Centre area, an important asset highlighted, the medical centre that specially provided primary care for the homeless. It was good to hear that the level of service was very good, but the building was not in a good state. There was refurbishment work ongoing on the entire reception and waiting area at the site. It was the fifth year of the five-year contract, so these comments were helpful to start conversations to develop the service going forward. In the Littlemore area, the Trust have a large premises in the Littlemore Health Centre and hospital but agreed with the comments that there was very little access to primary care in the area and that public transport was a challenge, especially at the weekends for people to get to the service.

Councillor Louise Upton commented that it was very important to have positive interactions between children and their care givers and to have social and community spaces and youth councils.

The Chair would take away the public transport point raised by many. The Council had no direct responsibility for public transport but had good links with bus companies.

Others from the Board agreed that the transport issues had been raised previously and in other work being carried out and reassurance was given that work was being done for access to primary care sites.

Resolved: That the Oxfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board

Noted the findings and rich insight contained within the Community Profiles

for Littlemore and Central Oxford.

Support the promotion and sharing of the community profiles with partners

and colleagues across the system.

Use the insight from the community profiles to inform service delivery

plans of partner organisations on the Board.