The Barnsley Health and Wellbeing Board are scheduled to meet on 9 October 2025 to discuss a number of issues including housing and health, poverty and food insecurity, and to receive an update on the voluntary and community sector strategy. The board will also be asked to approve updated terms of reference. They will also review the minutes of previous meetings and updates from the NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.

Health and Housing in Barnsley

The board are scheduled to discuss the links between health and housing in Barnsley. The report pack includes the Health and Housing in Barnsley Report, which aims to provide an overview of the links between housing and health, and the rationale for developing a more co-ordinated approach to addressing housing inequalities based on early intervention and prevention. The report states that:

Good homes are a vital foundation for healthy, long lives. Housing directly impacts health via three established pathways- quality, security and affordability.

The report also highlights the 2024-28 Housing Strategy which sets out the ambition that:

Living in good quality, affordable housing supports our health and wellbeing and is something every resident in Barnsley should have access to.

The report also lists several core services supporting the housing agenda and addressing housing conditions in the borough, including:

• Housing options and homeless prevention
• Berneslai Homes
• Safer Communities Team
• Warm Homes Team
• Strategic Housing Team

The Housing Strategy Action Plan 2025/26 is also included in the report pack.

The board will be asked to commit to ensuring that all residents in Barnsley live in healthy homes by supporting the development of a co-ordinated, borough wide approach to improving housing conditions.

Poverty, Food Insecurity and the Link to Health Inequalities

The board are scheduled to discuss a report on poverty, food insecurity and the link to health inequalities. The Poverty, Food Insecurity and the Link to Health Inequalities Report states that the most recent assessment of Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) was published in 2019, placing Barnsley 38th most deprived local authority area in England. The report also notes that food insecurity in Barnsley is driven both by economic deprivation, and geographic availability of affordable food. The report highlights national data published by the Kings Fund in 2024, which shows a correlation between poverty and increased health inequalities. The board will be asked to contribute to discussions during the meeting to identify Barnsley's 'poverty priorities'.

Health and Wellbeing Board Terms of Reference

The board will be asked to approve updated terms of reference (ToR). The Draft Health and Wellbeing Board Terms of Reference 2025 includes the following proposed changes from the previous version:

• Vision updated to reflect new HWB Strategy
• Schools representative added to Membership
• Executive Director of Public Health and Communities added as Co-Chair
• Stronger Communities Partnership and Alcohol Alliance removed from subgroups as they no longer exist
• Frequency changed from every 6 months to quarterly
• 'Executive Director, Core Services' changed to 'Monitoring Officer'
• 'Council Governance Unit' changed to 'Democratic Services'

Barnsley Place Update

The board are scheduled to receive the Barnsley Place Update - September 2025. The update includes the following information:

• Barnsley Council celebrates 25 years of stop smoking support services. The service is now run as part of Yorkshire Smokefree and operates under South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
• Cabinet members have approved the development of Rock House, a new residential facility for young people aged 16 and above.
• A new wound care drop-in clinic has opened in Barnsley to provide vital health services to people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping. The initiative is a collaboration between services provided by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust including neighbourhood nursing, health inclusion service, community matrons, and the tissue viability service alongside Barnsley Recovery Steps (formerly Humankind), and Barnsley Council's housing and welfare, town centre warden, and adult safeguarding teams.
• Barnsley Place Performance - latest position available.
• Barnsley Health and Care Place Partnership priorities 2025 onwards.

Social Prescribing Presentation

James Barker, Chief Executive of Barnsley Healthcare, is scheduled to give a presentation on social prescribing. Social prescribing, also sometimes known as community referral, is a way for local health services to refer patients to non-medical support services in the community to improve their health and wellbeing¹.

Update on the VCS Strategy

Lara Bundock, Chief Executive of Barnsley CVS², is scheduled to give a verbal update on the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Strategy.

Adopted Minutes

The board will be asked to adopt the minutes of several meetings:

• Minutes of the Board Meeting held on 17 July 2025
• Minutes of the Special Board Meeting held on 11 September 2025
• Minutes of the NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board Barnsley Place Committee and Barnsley Place Partnership Board - 19 June 2025. The minutes include discussion of Healthwatch Barnsley, and the ICB changes. Cath Bedford, Public Health Principal & Commissioner of Healthwatch Barnsley, attended the meeting to update members on Healthwatch Barnsley, including governance, performance and the impact over the last year and focus on local priorities for 2025/26.
• Minutes of the NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board meeting 2 July 2025. The minutes include discussion of the Birth, Bump and Beyond service, the NHS 10-Year Plan, and the South Yorkshire Eating Disorder Joint Committee.