Agenda item

The Redditch Partnership Manager provided Members with a brief overview of the Partnership and its various theme groups, together with details of how these groups fed into the Redditch Partnership Executive Group (RPEG).  Details of the Partnership’s four current priorities were also provided.  At its most recent meeting, following an away day which had aimed to refocus the Partnership, it had been agreed that RPEG should concentrate on one particular area per meeting.  There was also a recently established sub group, the Suicide Prevention Task Group, which had been created following discussions between Worcestershire County Council (WCC) and Redditch Borough Council amid concerns being raised about the number of suicides from a particular site, and this would be added to the structure.  An electronic Directory of Services was also being worked on, together with the Bromsgrove Partnership Manager, and it was hoped that this would be launched by September 2017.

Following presentation of the report Members raised a number of points, which were discussed in detail:

·                Whether the directory would include information about different mental health organisations and it was confirmed that Primary Care had put together a directory and these would be incorporated within the new one.

·                Whether the directory would give clear information about the work each group carried out and the age range that it catered for.  It was confirmed that there might be some signposting within the directory as to where more detailed information could be found.

·                Concerns were raised in respect of the directory only being available online, as it was acknowledged that there were still a number of residents who did not have access to the internet.  The Redditch Partnership Manager provided Members with information about a recent initiative from one of the partners which was aimed at assisting those people through various means, whether it be by providing training or signposting to the library for example where help could be given in accessing the internet.

·                Representatives from the Council, Redditch and Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Worcestershire Health and Care Trust, the Police and Fire Authorities, Bromsgrove and Redditch Network (BARN), Worcestershire County Council, Public Health, Children’s Services and Connecting Families all sat on the partnership.

·                However, it had proved harder to engage with representatives from the Education and the Private Sectors, though it was confirmed that representatives from local businesses sat on the Economic Development Theme Group.

·                It was confirmed that there was an action plan in place in respect of the four priorities of the Economic Development Theme Group.  Members discussed how the actions would be monitored in order to ensure that the work was focused within the right areas.  It was acknowledged that this was difficult to quantify in many cases and needed to be looked at as a whole, although there were a number of measures in place within the action plan.  This work was ongoing and cost benefit analyses for some areas were being carried out.

·                Members discussed the need for joined-up working to ensure that work was not being duplicated, but equally the right areas were being focused on.

The Chief Executive explained to Members that the West Midlands Combined Authority was carrying out a large piece of work in respect of mental health issues, but the concern was that it would still remain an issue for the Council. 

RESOLVED that

the Redditch Local Strategic Partnership – Monitoring Update Report be noted.