The West Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Board met to discuss a range of health and social care issues affecting the area, including updates on the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) improvement plan, the Family Help Strategy, disabled facilities grants, the NHS five-year plan, health inequalities, and joint strategic needs assessments. The meeting also included reports from Healthwatch North and West Northamptonshire, and updates on the Better Care Fund and capital resources.

SEND Improvement Plan

An update on the local area SEND partnership's progress against the Priority Action Plan, following an OFSTED and Care Quality Commission inspection in March 2024, was scheduled. The report, authored by Ben Pearson, Assistant Director for Education, included feedback from the Department for Education and NHS England. The five specific areas of the plan are:

• To develop a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment¹ and Joint Commissioning Strategy.
• To urgently address the length of time families have to wait for Education, Health and Care needs assessments.
• To ensure Education, Health and Care plans are accurate and contain key information from all partners.
• For health leaders to address the current waiting times for speech and language therapy, mental health services and neurodevelopmental assessment.
• To improve the joint approach to speech, language and communication needs.

West Northamptonshire Family Help Strategy

The board was scheduled to consider the West Northamptonshire Family Help Strategy 2025-2028. The report, authored by Liz McDermott, Family Hubs Project Manager, and Melanie Barnett, Director of Children's Services, sought final approval for the strategy's adoption and implementation. The strategy aims to create a child-friendly place where children and families thrive through timely, joined-up support. It focuses on prevention and early intervention, partnership-led delivery, and child-centred practice. The strategy's key objectives include:

• Embedding a culture of family help across all services.
• Strengthening family resilience and reducing the need for statutory intervention.
• Ensuring equitable access to support across communities.
• Promoting co-production with families and young people.
• Delivering integrated services through Family Hubs and Local Area Partnerships.

Disabled Facilities Grant Annual Report

The board was scheduled to note the Disabled Facilities Grant End of Year Report 2024/2025, which was authored by Chris Stopford, Head of Private Sector Housing at West Northamptonshire Council. The report provided an overview of how the Disabled Facilities Grant allocation was spent during the financial year. Disabled Facilities Grants are provided to enable people with a disability to remain in their own homes and live independently. Adaptations funded by the grants range from level-access showers and stairlifts to property extensions. Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant funding is limited to £30,000 per application.

NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board Five Year Forward Plan

The board was scheduled to receive an update on the NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board Five Year Joint Forward Plan. The report, authored by Bhavna Gosai, Associate Director Strategic Planning at NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board, outlined progress made against the plan and priorities for 2025/26. Priorities for 2025/2026 included:

• Implementation of Integrated Neighbourhood Models of Care.
• Improving Urgent and Emergency Care.
• Reducing waiting times for Autism Spectrum Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder assessments.
• Improving access to primary, elective, dental, mental health and community services.
• Further rollout of digital tools and data integration.
• Tackling Health Inequalities.

Northamptonshire Health Inequalities Annual Report

The board was scheduled to note the Northamptonshire Health Inequalities Annual Report, authored by Paul Birch, Associate Director Population Health at NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board. The report provided an overview of the Integrated Care Board's statutory duties, key findings, and priority areas for action across the Integrated Care System. The report highlighted significant and avoidable differences in health outcomes, access, and experience across Northamptonshire, particularly in cancer, circulatory disease, and respiratory disease. It also noted racialised health inequalities, with poorer outcomes for the Black community in maternity services and severe mental illness.

Joint Strategic Needs Assessments

The board was scheduled to discuss Joint Strategic Needs Assessments on:

• Mental Health, presented by Henna Parmar, with chapters on perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationships, children and young people, working-age adults and older people.
• Learning Disability, presented by Frank Earley.

Better Care Fund Quarter 1 Report

The board was scheduled to sign off the Better Care Fund 2025-26 Quarter 1 submission and note the update on the fund's progress.

West Northamptonshire Carers Strategy Progress Report

The board was scheduled to note the West Northamptonshire Carers Strategy Progress Report Year 1, which was authored by Michael Hurt, Service Manager at West Northamptonshire Council.

Healthwatch North and West Northamptonshire Annual Report

The board was scheduled to note the Healthwatch North and West Northamptonshire Annual Report 2024-2025, which was authored by Gabriella Van Beek, Michelle Wright, Kate Holt and Jemma Frater. The report detailed Healthwatch's work during the financial year, including reports, projects, and areas of impact within health and care.