Decision Maker:

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: February 3, 2025

Purpose:

Content: 11.1 Compassionate Sheffield is a programme of work that aims to improve people’s experiences of death and bereavement. It adopts a community development approach and since its inception in August 2021, has gathered significant momentum working alongside communities, health care agencies, Voluntary Community and Faith (VCF) organisations and civic institutions, building on the concept that death is primarily a social and spiritual event, which may have medical implications.   This proposal aims to secure five years of recurrent funding for the Compassionate Sheffield programme, so that Sheffield continues to progress towards achieving the “realistic utopia” described in the Lancet Commission: Value of Death report by focusing on their five principles.   This proposal aims to secure one third of the cost of the programme from Sheffield City Council’s Public Health grant, namely £80,000 per year, recurrently for five years.     11.2 RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Communities, Parks and Leisure Policy Committee:-   (a)  approves a grant award of £80,000 per year recurrently for five years to St Luke’s Hospice (£400,000 in total) as the Sheffield City Council contribution to the Compassionate Sheffield programme as outlined in this report; and   (b)  approves a one-off payment of £6,000 for St Luke’s Hospice to organise and manage for Sheffield the COVID-19 Day of Reflection 2025 as part of the UK wide collective commemoration.     11.3 Reasons for Decision     11.3.1 By approving this proposal, it will confirm the Council’s commitment to our role within the Compassionate Sheffield partnership and continue this vital work in improving peoples experience of death and bereavement.     11.4 Alternatives Considered and Rejected     11.4.1 Alternative option 1: Do nothing – Stop the programme. If the programme were to stop now, there would be very little chance of change and thus, the medicalised approach to death would continue with its resultant inequalities and unsustainable cost to the health and care system.     11.4.2 Alternative option 2: Remove Sheffield City Council as a partner and allow the project to be funded, directed and delivered by the NHS and Hospice. Public Health have been the key driver of work to date, there is a high risk of other partners withdrawing from the programme     11.4.3 Alternative option 3: Continue with ad hoc approach to funding – this does not allow the programme or the wider system to plan properly for the future and takes staff time away from the programme to focus on applying for funding. It also runs the risk of losing staff who require stability to maintain their commitment to this emotionally challenging work.