Hi, my name is Phil and I am delighted to have the opportunity to share this week’s leadership message for the Partnership.
It probably seems a long time ago now, but it’s just four months since the Health and Care Act 2022 came into effect and introduced some of the biggest reforms that we’ve seen in the NHS for some time. The legislation further strengthened joint working and puts Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) on a statutory footing through the creation of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). More importantly, by joining up NHS, social care and community services, it aims to improve outcomes and tackle health inequalities.
Since then, across Bradford District and Craven - like all places - we’ve established our Partnership Board, that brings a formal governance structure to how we’re already working. Across our place, we have jointly agreed transformation programmes, each with a different executive lead.
Our organisation has the executive lead responsibility for children and young people, working alongside our partners - under our ‘Act as One’ approach - to jointly develop plans across our place. This system-wide approach brings all the partners together and has a clear focus on improving outcomes for children, young people and their families at every touch point, wherever they access local services. This supports our shared ambition to keep people ‘happy and healthy at home.’
What does it mean for children and young people?
We all know that the early years are key in shaping and often determining life chances. Now we’ve got the formal decision-making frameworks in place, it’s critical that we have an unwavering focus on improving outcomes for children and young people.
I’m born and bred in Bradford, and I have four children, but with just one still at home. I, like many round the table, have a real vested interest in getting this right. Yes, discussions can be challenging, but we all recognise the need to look at this in-the-round, whether it’s health, education, social services, children on the edge of care, or youth justice, to get this right.
Our context
Like many areas we have challenges, including our socio-economic context, particularly in the Bradford district that’s the fifth most income deprived local authority in the UK. This clearly impacts on family life. It’s important that our approach is evidence-based for a shared understanding of where we are now and where we want to be. Equally importantly, that our communities continually shape and influence our work.
The Partnership’s ‘Listen in’ events across Bradford District and Craven are part of this, asking local people who are using our health and care services, what really matters to them. This approach reinforces our shared commitment that local people should have the most power to shape health and care decisions.
We’re fortunate to have ‘Born in Bradford’, the internationally recognised research programme, to inform this work. This is further supported by Better Start Bradford, a nationally funded lottery programme which supports the most deprived communities in central Bradford. Their work ensures that we find out what keeps families healthy and happy, to improve population health across our place.
Working differently
For the children and young people’s programme, we’re working hard to get the governance frameworks right to give assurance and oversight, and a shared view of our ambitions and challenges across the partnership. Identifying clear, agreed priorities and data will underpin this, working collaboratively, so we have a collective view on progress against our communities’ needs.
Our work will link into existing decision-making forums across our place. This will include the new Bradford Children and Families Trust that’s being set up for children's social services, to further strengthen closer working between all those involved in children’s services, with national expertise.
Our approach
A number of our services - health visiting, school nursing, oral health, mental health and speech and language - are a key part of the wrap-round services for children, young people and their families. They work as part of the bigger team including integrated family hubs, social services, police, youth justice, safeguarding, and voluntary and community services.
We’re asking ourselves, how do we ensure that we’re providing the right support in the right places and giving a seamless joined-up service - genuinely one team - for those we’re supporting? How and where do we invest our collective but finite budgets, particularly on early support, to deliver tangible and positive change?
The journey started some time ago, with the co-location of most of the prevention and early help services in the Council’s four Family Hubs across Bradford District. This ensures better co-ordination and delivery of services to children, young people and families.
Looking at the skill mix of teams, piloting new roles like family support workers in schools – to help families navigate and connect with the right services - and digital 24/7 support for families are also part of this.
Building a better ‘start for life’
Going back to my original point on the crucial early years, our joint working on ‘start for life’ really shows the huge potential of pooling our collective resources and expertise.
This work is looking at the critical first 1,001 days so we provide timely support and help identify and respond to problems early. It brings together all the relevant services like Better Start Bradford, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), health visiting, breastfeeding, speech and language, and early help services to develop a service offer that supports the early preventative work. It's also building on the existing Family Hub model, to create accessible spaces where the full breadth of services are available and visible for local people.
Whilst the formal structures are new, it’s building on our collective strengths and knowledge, and the good work that’s already happening across our place.
As a Bradford resident and mum, it’s a privilege to be part of our collective journey, and to give children and young people across our communities - wherever they are - the best start in life so they can thrive.
Thank you for reading,
Phil.
Hello.
Beth says: “We are now coming to the end of our flexi-placement, a short placement that we get to organise ourselves whilst on GMTS. I was really excited to join the Communication and Involvement team; the placement gave me the chance to work in an organisation outside of an acute trust and in an area I had an interest in. In the last eight weeks I’ve learnt so much about what is involved in communication and engagement work, and about integrated care boards (ICB) and integrated care systems (ICS) - though I know I’ve only experienced the tip of the iceberg!”
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