Terms of Reference

 

The Strategic Partnership for Health Improvement

 

Introduction
The Strategic Partnership for Healthier Communities is a thematic partnership within the North Yorkshire Strategic Partnership (NYSP).  As such, it will advise the NYSP on the content of its strategy and will support the delivery of the strategy in relation to Healthier Communities.
 
Purpose of Group

The purpose of the group is to provide a forum in which the member bodies  working together adds value and increases the likelihood of delivering identified health improvement priorities and ensure health improvement is embedded within the other thematic partnership strategies.
 
The group will also act as a resource for other partnerships and organisations who wish to develop health improvement initiatives.
 
Aims
 
The Strategic Partnership Healthier Communities in North Yorkshire will aim to:
  • Develop a multi-agency strategic approach to deliver agreed outcomes for the population of North Yorkshire. The multi-agency strategic approach will form the foundation for any future joint commissioning activity.
  • Ensure robust data, research and evidence are used to identify need and develop services
  • Address health inequalities across North Yorkshire
  • Monitor progress against the strategic objectives and outcomes 
  • Build on the existing engagement of local communities to ensure they have the opportunity to influence the strategy and are involved in its monitoring;
  • Co-ordinate the contribution of statutory agencies; independent sector, community and voluntary sector agencies to enhance the effectiveness of the whole system in achieving agreed outcomes for the community 
  • Advocate and support all local agencies to take account of health improvement when developing services.  
Delivering outcomes
The partnership will establish a programme for the delivery of the agreed outcomes and will maintain an overview of performance in relation to those outcomes.  These will be based upon an analysis of local need and on an understanding of community priorities.  In particular, the partnership will develop and oversee the delivery of its contribution to the Local Area Agreement for North Yorkshire in relation health improvement for the period 2007-2010, working with those agencies and partnerships at the local and strategic level which need to be engaged in that work.
 
Membership
 
The strategic partnership will be chaired by a Director of Public Health and will include membership of key local stakeholders as follows:
 
  • District Councils within North Yorkshire
  • Local LSP representation
  • North Yorkshire Police
  • North Yorkshire Housing Associations
  • North Yorkshire Primary Care Trusts
  • Voluntary Organisations
  • North Yorkshire County Council to include Education, Children Services, Adult Social Care and OSC representation
  • Public Health Observatory
  • Strategic Health Authority
  • Mental Health Services
  • Acute Hospital Trusts
  • North Yorkshire Sports
Each member must be at a level of seniority to have delegated decision-making responsibilities for the organisation they represent.
  
Accountability
 
In addition to individual accountability to the employing organisation of each representative the group as a whole will be accountable to the Strategic Partnership Steering Group.  Close links will be maintained with the Local Area Agreement Management Group to ensure delivery of the LAA.
 
Accountability for aspects of the group’s function outside the LAA will continue to be maintained via current and future performance management frameworks for statutory partners.
 
Communications
 
In taking the lead in relation to health improvement as a thematic partnership within the North Yorkshire Strategic Partnership, the group will ensure that communications with stakeholders are effective and in particular that there are arrangements in place to ensure that
  • the priorities of local strategic partnerships in relation to health improvement are addressed
  • the local strategic partnerships are engaged as appropriate in making arrangements for the delivery of the Partnerships’ programmes locally.
Links with other Strategies
 
The work of the strategic partnership will link to a comprehensive range of local and national strategies including:
 
Local:
  • Multi-agency Strategy for Older People
  • Local (Town and County) Plans
  • Learning Disability Plan
  • Mental Health Policy
  • Carers Strategy
  • Children and Young People’s Plan
  • District Council Housing Strategies
  • Regional and Sub-Regional Housing Strategies
  • Homelessness Strategies
  • Community Plans
  • Community Safety Plan
  • Public Health Policies
  • Physical disability and sensory impairment strategies
  • Supporting People Strategy
National:
  • Saving Lives:Our Healthier Nation (1999)
  • The NHS Plan: A Plan for Investment, A Plan for Reform (2000)
  • Tackling Health Inequalities -A Programme For Action (2004)
  • White Paper – Choosing Health :Making Healthier Choices Easier (2004)
  • White Paper – Our Health, Our Care, Our Say (2006)