The Southwark Health and Wellbeing Board is scheduled to meet on Thursday 11 December 2025 to discuss several key issues, including updates on the Healthy Work and Lives programme, the Financial Shield project, the SC1 London Life Sciences Innovation District, and the annual Health Protection Report. The board will also receive verbal updates on neighbourhood planning and the Health of the Borough event.

Healthy Work and Lives Progress

The board is scheduled to discuss the progress of the 'Healthy work and lives' theme, which is part of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy action plan 2025-27. Councillor Evelyn Akoto, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, and other board members are expected to note updates, outcome measures, and requests related to this theme. The report pack states that the board's priority aim for 'Healthy work and lives' is to:

Increase access to good quality jobs, providing support to those facing systemic inequalities and barriers to employment, including Black, Asian and ethnic minority residents, older people, women and disabled people.

The report pack highlights several actions and their progress:

• Connect to Work Programme: This programme, which went live in October 2025, aims to embed employment support within primary care, secondary care, and community health services. Referral relationships are in place with social prescriber networks, community health ambassadors, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT), and King's College Hospital (KCH) musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy services.
• Creative and Cultural Skills Programme: The council is in the final stages of commissioning a Creative and Culture Co-ordinator, who will work with the Southwark Culture Health and Wellbeing Partnership (SCHWeP).
• Home Care and Reablement Service Specifications: The new tender requires all bidders to comply with the Ethical Care Charter, and providers will be asked to report on the number of staff employed on zero-hours contracts and paid at least the London Living Wage.
• Social Value Framework: Adopted by the cabinet in June 2025, the framework ensures all council divisions can evaluate, monitor, and measure commitments to staff health and wellbeing within the procurement of commissioned services and contract management.
• Wellbeing Programme for Primary and Social Care Staff: A targeted wellbeing programme was delivered, with early feedback showing improved staff experience and engagement.
• Healthy Advertising Policy: The council is strengthening the monitoring and enforcement of Southwark's Healthy Advertising Policy, which goes further than banning unhealthy food advertising to also exclude alcohol, tobacco and gambling adverts.
• Targeted Leisure, Parks and Culture Offer: A new collaboration aims to strengthen the health-promoting offer that libraries provide, including relaunching the 'books on prescription' scheme known as Reading Well, expanding the home visit service for isolated residents, and increasing physical activity through a cultural walks programme.
• Rose Voucher Scheme: The Rose Voucher healthy food scheme is expanding to different populations and delivery locations based on local need, including areas in the south of the borough with high child poverty.
• Affordable Leisure Activities: The council is expanding the offer of affordable leisure activities in community settings and promoting a wider range of physical activities.
• Streets for People Strategy: Targeted engagement and promotion of cycle schemes, such as Peddle My Wheels and Joyriders, are underway to address financial, social, and cultural barriers to active travel.

Financial Shield Project Update

The Health and Wellbeing Board is scheduled to receive an update on the Financial Shield project, which aims to tackle the link between financial difficulties and poor health. The project, launched by Impact on Urban Health and Centre for Responsible Credit in 2020, embeds dedicated advice workers, called 'Financial Support Link Workers' (FSLWs), within primary care. These workers provide tailored financial assistance to those with, or at risk of developing, long-term health conditions.

The project relies on a partnership between 34 GP practices, Southwark and Lambeth Councils, and four housing associations, with Age UK Lambeth and Citizens Advice Southwark managing the FSLWs. Over 1,100 residents have received support from the service, with women aged 45–64, single parents, and people from Black, African, or Caribbean backgrounds being the most likely to access support.

Key achievements and impacts of the project include:

• Financial gains of £1.67 million for the individuals involved.
• Reduced stress through a local breathing space scheme.
• Improved health, with over half of residents reporting improved mental or physical health.
• Reduced pressure on the NHS, with a third of residents making fewer GP visits.
• High levels of resident satisfaction.

The report pack recommends that health service commissioners integrate financial advice and support into plans for neighbourhood health centres and services, and that the national government ensures all future welfare changes are subjected to a rigorous impact assessment with respect to their impacts for health and the delivery of health services.

SC1 London Life Sciences Innovation District Update

The board is scheduled to note the progress being made with SC1 London, a Life Sciences Innovation District in South Central London. SC1 is a partnership between King's College London, Guy's and St Thomas', South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts, Guy's & St Thomas's Foundation and Southwark and Lambeth Councils. The district aims to foster innovation, creative partnerships, and improve life for local and global communities.

In the medium term, SC1 is aiming to deliver:

• 20,000 new high-quality jobs in the life sciences sector by 2030.
• Three innovation hubs: a BioMedical Hub at London Bridge, a MedTech Hub at the Westminster Bridge Campus, and the Mind & Body Hub at Denmark Hill.
• Major new life sciences developments at Royal Street in Lambeth and Snowsfields Quarter in Southwark.
• A life sciences talent and skills pipeline for local residents.

The Snowsfield Quarter project, a collaborative development being led by Guy's and St Thomas' Foundation, Oxford Properties and Reef Group, was approved by Southwark Council in October 2025. The £350 million development will create a 32,500 square meter mixed-use life science space and 1,605 jobs.

Health Protection Annual Report 2024/25

The board is scheduled to note the Health Protection Annual Report 2024/25, which provides an overview of activity, incidents, risks, and achievements relating to communicable disease control, vaccination programmes, sexual health, screening programmes, environmental hazards, and emergency preparedness and response in Southwark.

The report pack notes that health protection activity remained high in 2024/25, bringing various challenges, including low vaccination rates and the emergence of new health risks due to climate change and global travel. The report pack also highlights the importance of close partnership working across the council, South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB), local voluntary and community sector (VCS), and national bodies to effectively manage and mitigate the impacts of health protection incidents.

The report pack states that the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) highlight three main goals in their 2023-26 strategy:

• To be ready for and prevent future health security hazards.
• To save lives and reduce harm through an effective response.
• To build the UKs health security capacity.

The report pack also notes that the Community Nursing Vaccination service launched in September 2025, with dedicated Health Visitors recruited to work with Children and Family Hubs and primary care to engage with families, provide information, deliver vaccinations and offer home visits to families where appropriate.