The Calderdale Health and Wellbeing Board met to discuss strategies and plans to improve the health and wellbeing of Calderdale residents. Key topics included the Developing Well initiative aimed at improving the hope and aspiration of 15-year-olds, the Better Care Fund plan for integrated health and social care, and winter plans to mitigate the impact of seasonal pressures on health and social care services. The board approved the Better Care Fund plan and discussed ways to further support the Developing Well priority.

Better Care Fund Plan 2025/26

The board approved the Better Care Fund (BCF) plan for 2025/26, a plan designed to integrate health and social care services in Calderdale. The BCF promotes collaboration between the local authority and the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) through pooled budget arrangements and an integrated spending plan. The aim is to support person-centred care, promote independent living, and improve outcomes for residents and carers. The Calderdale BCF is valued at £35,369,397 for 2025/26.

The plan focuses on shifting from sickness to prevention and supporting people to live independently at home, aligning with the government's plan for integrated neighbourhoods. Key performance metrics for 2025/26 include:

1. Reducing emergency admissions to hospital for people aged 65 and over.
2. Reducing the average length of discharge delays for all acute patients.
3. Reducing admissions to long-term residential and nursing home care for people aged 65 and over.

The BCF plan includes funding for various schemes, such as reablement and rehabilitation at home, short-term domiciliary care, and intermediate care in bedded settings. These schemes aim to improve capacity and demand management, support hospital discharges, and prevent unnecessary admissions.

The board discussed how the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) could be involved in the development of the 2026/27 BCF plan.

Developing Well

The board discussed progress towards the Developing Well priority goal of the Calderdale Wellbeing Strategy, which aims to ensure that every 15-year-old in Calderdale has hope and aspiration. The goal is measured by:

• an increase in the percentage of Year 10 students who feel happy with what may happen to them in the future
• a smaller percentage of Year 10 students with low life satisfaction

The report highlighted that in 2025, 55% of Year 10 students reported feeling happy about their future, a significant increase from 47% in 2021. Additionally, 16% of Year 10 students reported low life satisfaction, a decrease from 28% in 2021.

However, the report also noted disparities among under-represented groups. Females, students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), children looked after (CLA), lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students, and young carers were significantly less likely to feel happy about their future and more likely to have low life satisfaction. The Minority Stress Theory suggests that increased exposure to stress, adversity, and discrimination may contribute to these disparities¹.

The board discussed actions being taken to achieve the Developing Well strategic outcome, including:

• VoCalderdale: A newly launched Children and Young People's Voice and Influence Strategy co-created with young people.
• The Calderdale Youth Collective (CYC): A partnership of organisations working with young people to strengthen collaboration and ensure access to opportunities and services.
• Mainstream Inclusion Calderdale (MIC): Guidance outlining provision and strategies for children and young people with SEND in mainstream school settings.
• Refreshing the Post-16 Learning, Employment and Skills Strategy: Key actions include implementing the government's Get Britain Working White Paper² and diversifying post-16 pathways for young people with Education, Health and Care Plans³.

The board considered how to further strengthen the participation of children and young people across all work and local services.

Winter Plans

The board was informed about the potential impact of increased ill health during winter and winter pressures on the health and social care system, and how this may affect the priority goals of the Wellbeing Strategy. The Director of Public Health, Deborah Harkins, outlined the process partners are undertaking to develop winter plans that will mitigate negative impacts of winter on the Wellbeing Strategy Goals and use the agreed ways of working to deliver the Wellbeing Strategy.

The board noted the risks that winter poses to the achievement of the Wellbeing Strategy goals, including:

• Increased cost of living and poverty
• Reduced health and wellbeing opportunities
• Risks of respiratory illnesses and infectious diseases
• Seasonal variations in emotional wellbeing

The winter resilience plan for 2025/26 seeks to mitigate these risks and adopts the Wellbeing Strategy ways of working, including joining up services, focusing on prevention, addressing health inequalities, and empowering resilient communities.

The board considered further information it would like to receive about winter plans and the Wellbeing Strategy at the December meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025-2028

The minutes of the previous meeting on 19 June 2025 record that the board approved the draft Calderdale Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025-2028 for public consultation. The assessment looks at the current provision of pharmaceutical services across Calderdale, considers whether the needs of the population are being met, and identifies any potential gaps in service delivery.