The Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on 10 June 2024 saw the approval of a new five-year strategy for sexual and reproductive health across North East London, alongside discussions on significant updates to the SEND Improvement plan and the Serious Violence and Exploitation Strategy. The board also received a comprehensive overview of the borough's public health trends and challenges.

North East London Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy 2024-2029

The board approved the North East London (NEL) Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy 2024-2029, a collaborative five-year plan developed with residents and partners across eight boroughs. The strategy aims to empower residents to lead healthy and fulfilling lives by ensuring informed choices and timely access to high-quality, inclusive, and equitable sexual and reproductive health services. Key priorities include fostering healthy relationships, promoting good reproductive health across the life course, improving STI testing and treatment, and working towards zero HIV transmission. The strategy acknowledges the specific challenges faced by Tower Hamlets, including high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and low uptake of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Local action plans for Tower Hamlets have been developed to address borough-specific needs, such as improving sex and relationship education in schools and reducing the stigma associated with HIV and STIs.

Updated SEND Improvement

Steve Reddy, presenting an update on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) improvement, highlighted the progress made against the Written Statement of Action (WSoA) following a 2021 inspection. Positive recognition has been received from the Department for Education (DfE) and NHS England for improvements in areas such as relationships with young people and families, and progress on therapies. However, current challenges include a sustained rise in demand for Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs), with an 184% growth since 2020, and a significant shortfall in specialist education places. The board was informed about preparations for an upcoming SEND inspection, with a focus on embedding co-production and strengthening the inclusion framework. Key workstreams include the development of a new SEND and Inclusion Strategy and efforts to address SEND sufficiency, projecting a need for up to 260 additional specialist places in the next ten years.

Serious Violence and Exploitation Strategy

Leo Hutchinson, Strategy and Policy Manager, presented the draft Serious Violence and Exploitation Strategy, developed in response to new legislation placing a duty on local areas to tackle serious violence. The strategy defines serious violence to include violence and exploitation affecting young people under 25, domestic abuse, sexual violence, and hate crime. It outlines six strategic priorities: prevention and early intervention, safer spaces, disrupting offenders, supporting victims, safeguarding those at risk of exploitation, and tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG). The strategy has been informed by a needs assessment and consultation with residents, professionals, and the voluntary sector. The board provided feedback, with particular emphasis on the need to address the low conviction rates for perpetrators of sexual violence and to strengthen the involvement of the voluntary and community sector, as well as housing providers, in the strategy's implementation.

Annual Public Health Report Headlines

Dr Somen Banerjee, Acting Corporate Director of Adult Social Care, presented the headlines from the Annual Public Health Report, which provides an in-depth review of health and wellbeing trends in Tower Hamlets. The report highlights a slowing rise, and in recent years, a fall in life expectancy, mirroring national trends. It also points to significant demographic shifts, with a faster expected growth in the older population, and high population churn. The report details stark inequalities related to ethnicity, deprivation, and childhood poverty, as well as issues concerning overcrowding, poor air quality, and diet. Specific health concerns raised include high rates of diabetes in pregnancy, low birth weight babies, dental decay, childhood obesity, and significant inequalities in long-term conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure among the Bangladeshi community. The report also noted higher rates of breast and lung cancer, and concerningly high hospital admissions for alcohol-related issues among men, despite a significant proportion of the population not drinking. The board discussed the importance of accurate data collection and ensuring services meet the needs of all residents, particularly in light of these identified inequalities.