Agenda and minutes

None.

The Head of People and Business Change introduced the Single Integrated Plan (SIP) and the Theme leads to Members.  The Committee were advised that each of the three SIP themes had previously been presented to the most relevant Scrutiny Committee, however since this Committee had been established for the purpose of meeting the statutory requirement to scrutinise the work of the whole Public Service Board (PSB) Partnership, the complete SIP was being presented to this Committee for consideration.

The theme lead from Public Health Wales presented the Health and Well-being theme to the Committee.  Discussions included the following:

Food & Nutrition

·           Progress had been made in promoting physical activity and trying to promote healthy nutrition in early years. Schools have been encouraging children to walk to school with the ‘Mile a Day’ campaign. This scheme would also impact on school run traffic congestion, to reduce the numbers of cars traveling to school.

·           With regard to the new pilot scheme starting in September, where school nurses would record height and weight of children, and inform parents if their child is in a dangerous weight range.  Members voiced concerns that this may lead to a backlash from parents and asked if school nurses were being prepared for this. Members were assured that nurses had been trained in how to approach this with parents and that consideration had been given to the wording used in letters to parents, learning from the backlash against Public Health England when this initiative was launched there last year.

·           The Committee queried whether the funding for breakfast, dinner time and after school clubs would cease when the Communities First funding ended, and were advised the impact of the ending of this funding would be considered by the PSB in September.

Smoking

·         The Committee were advised that the smoking rate in Newport was in line with the Welsh average, although not yet meeting the UK average.  Members discussed the Just B programme aimed at reducing smoking related inequalities in health using strong peer networks to promote positive messages.  NHS Stop Smoking services are being promoted and services being offered to help people to quit, and work being done with ASH Wales to stop smoking in school gates.

·         The use of electronic cigarettes was discussed and the extent to which their use led to smoking tobacco. There were currently no targets relating to electronic cigarettes and it is not recommended as a substitute to pregnant smokers, as not enough was known about the effects, instead steering people towards supported smoking cessation programmes in place.

·         Concern was raised about the impact of smoking shisha with no filter other than water and the impact of the substances upon young people and possible future addiction. It was asked if this could be looked into further in terms of future addiction. Committee were advised that currently there was no prevention work currently, but advised there is a group named Minority Ethnic Community Health Association for Newport: Initiating Change (MECHANIC) who have had conversations regarding providing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

The Chief Democratic Services Officer advised the Committee that the Public Services Board were required to send a copy of the published Local Well-being Assessment to this Scrutiny Committee and indicated the link the report for Members information. 

Resolutions and Actions:

The Committee received the Local Well-being Assessment.

The Chief Democratic Services Officer presented the Forward Work Programme to the Committee. In answer to a query about when the Briefing Sessions were to be programmed, the Overview and Scrutiny Officer explained that meeting the new statutory requirement to scrutinise the Public Service Board was the priority of the Committee’s focus, before scrutinising other partnership working and advised that briefings upon the Shared Resource Services and the Education Achievement Services would be scheduled first for this Autumn / Winter, with briefings upon Norse and Newport LIVE to be scheduled for later the following year.

Resolutions and Actions:

The Committee:

      i.        Approved its Annual Work Programme for 2017/18;

     ii.        Approved the schedule of meetings for 2017/18;

    iii.        Agreed to a start time of 5pm for its meetings, with a Committee only pre meeting at 4:30pm;

   iv.        Requested that background reading links for papers are included for reference where possible in reports to the Committee.