The purpose of the Board is ‘Working together to improve people’s health and wellbeing in Sandwell’.  Our key aims are to ensure an integrated approach on delivery of national and local priorities; oversee development of strategic commissioning; reshape local strategic partnership priorities; and build views of key stakeholders and the local community into strategic plans and service delivery.

A Partnership Agreement between Sandwell PCT and Adult & Community Services, Sandwell MBC on integrated working across health and social care underpins mainstream responsibilities.  The Health & Wellbeing Board focuses on cross-cutting issues in response to national and local priorities that have a significant impact for partners.  It provides a means to jointly identify key areas of work that require further attention and ensure that they are synchronised and prioritised accordingly.

A comprehensive Joint Strategic Needs Assessment has been done and a Health & Wellbeing Commissioning Strategy will be in place later this year.    A major focus is delivery of Local Area Agreement priorities for Improving Health and Supporting Independence. They focus on partnership actions that promote healthy lifestyles to reduce premature deaths from circulatory diseases; and developing a wider range of personalised services to support adults and older people enabling them to maintain their independence.

We are faced with particularly challenging issues in driving forward Sandwell Plan objectives to improve people’s health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities; promote independence and access to a wider range of services; promote greater choice, control and say; and improve the quality of life of the over 50s.

We are however well placed as a partnership to meet these challenges and improve the health and wellbeing of people in Sandwell.

The Health & Wellbeing Board is driven by a range of national statutory priorities and a key strength of the Board is to ensure that partners are committed to working together on these issues.