Agenda item

Report of the Director of Public Health

The Public Health Officer attended and provided members with a presentation and update on refreshing the Darlington Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). The presentation on the JSNA demonstrated the utility of using an interactive dashboard to present data which describes the health and wellbeing status of the population.

Members were informed that a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) is a collaborative process where local authorities, NHS organisations and others work together to ensure the needs and local determinants of the health of the local population are identified and agreed. The JSNA provides the evidence base for the health and wellbeing needs of the population and is reviewed regularly.

The process was explained as a 2-stage endeavour where the first stage was to clarify data available, i.e. Demography, Social and Environmental, Lifestyle and Risk Factors, Burden of Ill Health, and Service Delivery. The second stage (due to “go live” in May 2024) is to structure the JSNA around the life course approach, underpinning the development of the Darlington Health and Wellbeing Plan. The revised JSNA will use Power BI to process and present information in a cohesive and accessible format. This is a tool for displaying and visualizing data via interactive dashboards which can update automatically.

It was explained that the goal of the “live version” is to ensure smooth navigation for users through the presentation of data, specific data points and the ability to isolate data-ranges with the belief that the system will provide an adaptable, user-friendly experience.

A question was raised as to whether the system will be able to provide information at ward-level with the response that data would be retrievable in the manner it was collected (i.e. if collected on a ward-basis) however most data is Darlington-wide rather than ward-based due to strict regulations.  Members noted that ward-level data would be very useful in the case of schools where available.

Discussions were held with members noting that the retrieval of information offered will be beneficial across the board with the information available being of use to many different areas of work.

RESOLVED – That Health and Wellbeing Board members note the presentation and progress in developing and updating the JSNA.

REASON - The Health and Wellbeing Board is responsible for assessing the health and wellbeing needs of the population.