North Yorkshire Council
Health and Adult Services
9 June 2023
Funding application to National Institute for Health and Care Research for a Health Determinants Research Collaboration
Report of the Corporate Director Health & Adult Services.
1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 To request approval from the Executive Member for Health & Adult Services to authorise the submission of an application for grant funding of five million pounds (£5,000,000) to support the establishment and delivery of a Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) for 5-years (December 2023-November 2028).
2.0 BACKGROUND
2.1 The National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR) are investing in Local Authorities, to enable them to become more research active and to generate an evidence base to inform their decision making. A significant new funding stream was launched by the NIHR in 2021, for the development of Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs) which are intended to address the wider determinants of health across all council services to lead to better health outcomes for all.
2.2 The HDRC funding stream enables Councils to work in partnership with universities and wider partners, to develop a culture of engaging in, and using, research within a Council. It enables infrastructural change, to create a HDRC team within a Council, who will lead Council-wide research developments.
2.3 In 2021, North Yorkshire Council partnered with the University of Hull to submit an expression of interest for this funding. Unfortunately, the bid was unsuccessful, and we did not progress to stage 2 of the funding application process. However, we have worked together since then to action the feedback that we received and to develop and strengthen our bid for the 2023 funding call. This has involved mapping our shared priorities and securing additional partnerships with the University of York and from public involvement and community and voluntary sector organisations. We have submitted an expression of interest for the 2023 call and are now pleased to report that we have been invited to submit a full application for stage 2 of the funding application process.
3.0 DETAILED PRESENTATION OF THE SUBSTANTIVE ISSUE
3.1 If our bid is successful, NYC would receive HDRC funding of £5,000,000 over 5 years, to be spent on developing our collaboration and delivering our aim and objectives. Around a quarter of the funding would go to our academic partners, to provide expertise and support to us to help improve our research capacity and capability.
3.2 The aim of our HDRC is: ‘To embed a strong research culture across NYC, that generates robust evidence to inform strategy and decision making, ensuring efficient use of resources to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities.’
3.3 The objectives of our HDRC are:
· Culture change: Promote and foster a council-wide culture that is curious and creative in how it utilises research and seeks evidence-based approaches to inform decision making
· Capacity & capability: Develop the confidence and competence of NYC staff to utilise, engage and excel in research activity, with support from additional specialist research expertise and resource
· Collaborations & co-production: Foster and develop collaborative research partnerships both internally and externally, including co-production with underserved communities
· Champions of research: Be catalysts for change driven by strong, committed and highly motivated leadership, to embed research into strategic and policy development
· Communication: Develop high-quality processes to facilitate knowledge exchange, effective dissemination and impact of research outputs to a range of audiences locally, regionally and nationally
3.4 We will achieve our objectives through implementing four Council-wide work packages:
· Infrastructure & Governance – Developing and implementing internal systems and processes for research, creating a research leadership structure and building wider research networks
· Capacity & Capability - We will support staff to engage with and utilise research and evidence in everyday practice through a tailored offer of support to meet the needs of each Directorate
· Dissemination & Impact – We will develop communication strategies and systems to enable knowledge exchange of impactful research activities and evidence internally, locally, nationally and internationally
· Learning & Evaluation - We will learn, and make sure through assessments, that the work of the HDRC meets the needs of the council and our residents, both now and in the future
3.5 Our HDRC will deliver an organisational culture shift to embed co-creation, research and action. This will enable the generation and dissemination of evidence and knowledge, which will positively impact NYC, our residents, our County and our Country.
4.0 CONSULTATION UNDERTAKEN AND RESPONSES
4.1 Relevant internal colleagues and external partners have been consulted and are supportive of the application and have agreed to provide letters of support.
5.0 CONTRIBUTION TO COUNCIL PRIORITIES
5.1 The local government re-organisation provides a timely and unique opportunity, a new start, to build on existing good practice and truly embed a strong research culture across the whole Council, aligned with our new values; Inclusive, Ambitious, Creative, and Together.
5.2 A HDRC would support NYC to be more inclusive by facilitating research that leads to evidence-based interventions to tackle the particular issues faced by disadvantaged groups, both internally within the council and within communities across the local authority.
5.3 A HDRC would support NYC to be ambitious by facilitating research that helps NYC to understand the market and customer needs, identifies trends and new opportunities and make data driven decisions at a localised level.
5.4 A HDRC would support NYC to be creative by facilitating research that enables the council to pilot new approaches to practice and seek the most cost-effective ways to deliver services.
5.5 A HDRC would encourage teams and directorates to work together through cross-directorate research, seeking to tackle specific issues faced by each directorate that would also concomitantly positively influence the health of North Yorkshire residents.
6.0 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED
6.1 No other funding initiatives of this scale are currently available to local authorities to develop research infrastructure and embed a research culture. Therefore, no other options are being considered.
7.0 IMPACT ON OTHER SERVICES/ORGANISATIONS
7.1 The HDRC provides the opportunity to create a positive, council-wide impact, supporting the vision of the Council Plan 2023-27 (for place and environment, economy, health and wellbeing, people and organisation). Engagement from all directorates will be required to enable the HDRC to be delivered.
7.2 The University of Hull have already invested funds and time into developing this collaboration and are committed to supporting NYC in achieving our ambitions for research.
7.3 The University of York are also committed to the HDRC project as collaborative partners.
7.4 We have engaged with a number of public involvement organisations and voluntary and community sector organisations, who are keen to become a part of our collaborative partnership.
8.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
8.1 The terms & conditions of the grant have not yet been seen by finance. Should the bid be successful, finance will check the terms & conditions to ascertain whether there is likely to be any financial risk to North Yorkshire Council and advise accordingly.
8.2 A consideration to address is HDRC sustainability beyond 5 years. Through the delivery of the proposed activities, NYC will be strongly placed to draw in external research funding to help ensure the HDRC becomes self-sustaining. The initial HDRC funding would allow time to demonstrate the economic benefit of research-informed decision making and help make research an ongoing core priority of NYC.
9.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
9.1 If the bid is successful, acceptance of the funding will require NYC to enter into a HDRC contract as stated in the Call for proposals: NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaborations specification document. Any legal agreement required to be signed, will be reviewed by legal services and if any of the terms and conditions present unacceptable risk for the Council then the funding offer would be declined.
10.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
10.1 The opportunities arising from the HDRC funding will be accessible and inclusive to all, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and NYC Equality and Diversity policies. An initial equality impact assessment screening form is provided (Appendix A) together with an equality impact assessment (Appendix B).
11.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS
11.1 The purpose of a HDRC is to increase research capacity and capability at a local level to focus on what can be done to address the wider drivers of population health and health inequalities. Climate change is a key driver of health currently and is expected to pose a greater threat in the future, as the effects of climate change are realised.
11.2 The HDRC would enable opportunity to undertake research to address the wider determinants of population health, including climate change. An initial climate change impact assessment is provided (Appendix C) together with a climate change assessment (Appendix D). The formation of the HDRC would have no immediate impact on climate change, but the subsequent research projects that we may engage in may have the potential for impact and will therefore require further impact assessments to be completed in the future, subject to research proposals being developed.
12.0 POLICY IMPLICATIONS
12.1 There are no policy implications for submitting the grant application. However, receiving the HDRC funds will enable to us undertake and use research that would have the potential to inform policy decisions.
13.0 HUMAN RESOURCES IMPLICATIONS
13.1 If successful with the grant application, the HDRC will grow and develop the NYC workforce, including creating new posts and recruiting new staff. This will be appropriately costed into the application, as per standard corporate financial protocol.
14.0 ICT IMPLICATIONS
14.1 There will be the standard ICT implications resulting from the recruitment of new members of staff. This will be appropriately costed into the application, as per standard corporate financial protocol.
15.0 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
15.1 To provide the opportunity to receive a funding award that would enable infrastructural change to embed research in the Council.
15.2 To enable NYC to become more research active, to generate and use evidence to provide the most efficient and effective services for North Yorkshire residents.
15.3 To upskill the NYC workforce to engage in bid writing for future research grant applications increasing the likelihood of drawing in external funding.
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16.0 |
RECOMMENDATION |
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To request approval from the Executive Member for Health & Adult Services to authorise the submission of an application for grant funding of five million pounds (£5,000,000).
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APPENDICES:
Appendix A – Equality Impact Assessment Screening Form
Appendix B – Equality Impact Assessment
Appendix C – Climate Impact Assessment Screening Form
Appendix D – Climate Impact Assessment
Richard Webb
Corporate Director, Health & Adult Services
County Hall
Northallerton
25/05/2023
Report Authors – Rachel Murphy, Service Manager HAS
Susan Symonds, Public Health Manager
Josh Wood, Public Health Officer
Presenter of Report – Louise Wallace, Director of Public Health
Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.
Appendix A – Initial Equality Impact Assessment Screening Form
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Initial equality impact assessment screening form This form records an equality screening process to determine the relevance of equality to a proposal, and a decision whether or not a full EIA would be appropriate or proportionate.
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Directorate |
Health & Adult Services |
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Service area |
Public Health |
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Proposal being screened |
North Yorkshire Health Determinant’s Research Collaboration (HDRC) |
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Officer(s) carrying out screening |
Josh Wood – Public Health Officer Sue Symonds – Public Health Manager Rachel Murphy – Service Manager |
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What are you proposing to do? |
To submit a funding bid application to the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR), for £5,000,000 over 5 years, to develop a research infrastructure and embed a research culture across all directorates in NYC. |
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Why are you proposing this? What are the desired outcomes? |
To become a research-active Council, that can gather and use evidence to address health determinants, reduce health inequalities and improve health outcomes for our residents.
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Does the proposal involve a significant commitment or removal of resources? Please give details. |
The proposal will bring additional resources to the Council, through funding of new posts and resources required to meet the objectives of the HDRC.
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Impact on people with any of the following protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010, or NYC’s additional agreed characteristics As part of this assessment, please consider the following questions: · To what extent is this service used by particular groups of people with protected characteristics? · Does the proposal relate to functions that previous consultation has identified as important? · Do different groups have different needs or experiences in the area the proposal relates to?
If for any characteristic it is considered that there is likely to be an adverse impact or you have ticked ‘Don’t know/no info available’, then a full EIA should be carried out where this is proportionate. You are advised to speak to your Equality rep for advice if you are in any doubt.
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Protected characteristic |
Potential for adverse impact |
Don’t know/No info available |
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Yes |
No |
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Age |
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x |
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Disability |
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x |
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Sex |
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x |
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Race |
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x |
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Sexual orientation |
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x |
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Gender reassignment |
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x |
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Religion or belief |
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x |
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Pregnancy or maternity |
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x |
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Marriage or civil partnership |
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x |
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People in rural areas |
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x |
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People on a low income |
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x |
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Carer (unpaid family or friend) |
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x |
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Does the proposal relate to an area where there are known inequalities/probable impacts (e.g. disabled people’s access to public transport)? Please give details. |
The purpose of the HDRC will be to develop NYC’s research culture and activity, to generate evidence to address health inequalities. The HDRC governance processes will ensure EIA screening is undertaken for appropriate research projects and activities. |
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Will the proposal have a significant effect on how other organisations operate? (e.g. partners, funding criteria, etc.). Do any of these organisations support people with protected characteristics? Please explain why you have reached this conclusion. |
The HDRC will be a collaboration between NYC and the Universities of Hull and York. We will also work in partnership with VCSE organisations and with Public Involvement groups. We are proposing a partnership with a number of existing Public Involvement groups across the region, to enable improved research engagement with our communities through a coordinated approach.
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Decision (Please tick one option) |
EIA not relevant or proportionate: |
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Continue to full EIA: |
ü |
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Reason for decision |
As part of the HDRC, we would be engaging with residents, including those with protected characteristics, with the aim of undertaking research to address the inequalities they face. Therefore, whilst we do not foresee any adverse impact, we feel it would be most appropriate to complete a full EIA.
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Signed (Assistant Director or equivalent) |
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Date |
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Appendix B – Equality Impact Assessment
Equality impact assessment (EIA) form: evidencing paying due regard to protected characteristics
(Form updated April 2023)
Title: North Yorkshire Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC)
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If you would like this information in another language or format such as Braille, large print or audio, please contact the Communications Unit on 01609 53 2013 or email communications@northyorks.gov.uk.
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Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) are public documents. EIAs accompanying reports going to County Councillors for decisions are published with the committee papers on our website and are available in hard copy at the relevant meeting. To help people to find completed EIAs we also publish them in the Equality and Diversity section of our website. This will help people to see for themselves how we have paid due regard in order to meet statutory requirements.
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Name of Directorate and Service Area |
Health and Adult Services, Public Health
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Lead Officer and contact details |
Katie Needham
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Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA |
Rachel Murphy, Service Manager HAS Susan Symonds, Public Health Manager Josh Wood, Public Health Officer
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How will you pay due regard? e.g. working group, individual officer |
Opportunities to promote equality will be ensured through the HDRC Governance processes, the HDRC planning group and ongoing Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) representation.
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When did the due regard process start? |
January 2023, when the HDRC bid writing commenced.
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Section 1. Please describe briefly what this EIA is about. (e.g. are you starting a new service, changing how you do something, stopping doing something?)
The proposed submission of a funding bid will enable the development of a research infrastructure at North Yorkshire Council to create a Health Determinants Research Collaboration. The infrastructure will support the Council to both utilise and engage in research more regularly to reduce health inequalities and improve the health outcomes of residents. This supports the vision of the Council plan 2023-2027 “supporting a good quality of life for all”.
Section 2. Why is this being proposed? What are the aims? What does the authority hope to achieve by it? (e.g., to save money, meet increased demand, do things in a better way.)
We propose submitting a funding bid to the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), to access £5,000,000 over 5 years, to create a Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC).
This is a collaboration between North Yorkshire Council (NYC), the University of Hull, University of York, and a number of PPIE and Voluntary and Community Sector organisations (VCSE’s).
The aim of the HDRC is to develop a research infrastructure within NYC, to embed a Council-wide research culture, and to engage in research to address the wider determinants of health and improve health outcomes for our residents.
The long-term ambition of the HDRC is to better direct Council funding by making services more cost effective and efficient through the utilisation of research and evidence to aid decision making.
As part of the HDRC, we would be engaging with residents, including those with protected characteristics, with the aim of undertaking research to address the inequalities they face.
Section 3. What will change? What will be different for customers and/or staff?
NYC will become part of a Health Determinants Research Collaboration, in partnership with the Universities of Hull and York, and with VCSE and PPIE groups in the region. There will be a core HDRC staff team, comprising of NYC staff and academics, who will work to deliver four council-wide work packages. These are intended to increase research capacity and capability across the workforce and to embed a research culture in which NYC generate and utilise evidence to inform decision making.
Within the HDRC structure will be an Engagement Hub, which will link together the existing PPIE organisations in the region around the topic of research. These organisations are already engaged with people from undeserved communities, and who have protected characteristics. We have built a specific full-time role into our HDRC structure, for a PPIE Officer who will link and coordinate with the existing PPIE organisations, building on their good practice and engagement work, to ensure a fully inclusive approach to the HDRC research activity.
NYC staff will benefit from opportunities for learning and development, and improved opportunities to engage in research to inform service delivery.
North Yorkshire residents will benefit from increased opportunities to shape the services of the Council, through connected systems for engagement and participation in research. We will work with residents to shape the prioritisation and direction of the research that the HDRC undertakes and ensure that they are active coproducers of meaningful research. We will work with our academic partners and community links to understand where and how we can build capacity within communities to support residents to be able to truly co-produce research, ensuring reciprocity.
Section 4. Involvement and consultation (What involvement and consultation has been done regarding the proposal and what are the results? What consultation will be needed and how will it be done?)
For the HDRC bid development, we have engaged with a number of different PPIE organisations in the region. Representatives from these organisations have been involved in shaping the HDRC plan and the PPIE aspects of our proposal.
Representatives from some of the PPIE organisations also participated in a collaborative research development workshop, in which representatives from the different organisations that will be involved in the collaboration met to discuss priorities and strategies for research activity. One clear message from our engagement events has been that members of the public do not want to keep repeating their stories and providing their input to different research projects, with little feedback. The Engagement Hub would ensure a coordinated approach towards PPIE in NYC research, with the HDRC promoting coproduction and subsequent dissemination of outputs, in accessible formats for our residents.
We have planned the involvement of a range of specific PPIE groups to ensure that the HDRC reaches a wide range of marginalised groups, however we acknowledge that there may be differences in the levels of experience and ability to engage each group. We will work with any additional appropriate organisations that may be required to ensure that all marginalised groups are considered and involved in directing the HDRC, taking account of all aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion.
Once established, the HDRC will submit further funding bids to undertake specific research projects to address priority areas of health inequality. We will utilise our partnerships with the existing PPIE organisations to ensure that this research is coproduced with our residents, that underserved communities are involved, and that our activity is fully inclusive.
Section 5. What impact will this proposal have on council budgets? Will it be cost neutral, have increased cost or reduce costs?
This proposal will not increase costs to the Council. It will bring in grant funding which is allocated specifically to the delivery of the collaboration, and any associated costs to the Council have been factored into the proposal.
One of the long-term ambitions of the HDRC is to better direct Council funding by making services more cost effective and efficient through the utilisation of research and evidence to aid decision making.
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Section 6. How will this proposal affect people with protected characteristics? |
No impact |
Make things better |
Make things worse |
Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc. |
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Age |
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x |
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A person’s age can lead to discrimination and make a person more likely to experience inequality. This is a concern within North Yorkshire. For example, 25% of our North Yorkshire population is aged over 65, compared to 18.5% nationally, and this continues to rise. There are many inequalities and adversities experienced by an ageing population, including social and digital exclusion, loneliness and isolation. The future research of the HDRC is likely to address the health inequalities faced by an ageing population, as this is a key priority for NYC.
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Disability |
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Disability is a key health inequality, including within North Yorkshire. For example, for those aged 18-64, the gap in employment between those who are in receipt of long-term support for a learning disability and the overall employment rate is 73.7% in North Yorkshire, compared to 70.6% in England. The potential long-term benefit of a HDRC could include research activity that leads to a reduction in the health inequalities that people with disability face in North Yorkshire. In addition, we will ensure that reasonable adjustments are made so that our engagement and coproduction is fully inclusive of disabled people.
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Sex |
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x |
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A person’s sex can lead to discrimination and make a person more likely to experience inequality.
The potential long-term benefit of a HDRC could include research activity that helps us understand and address health inequalities that people face due to their sex in North Yorkshire.
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Race |
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x |
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A person’s race can lead to discrimination and make a person more likely to experience inequality. The most current population data indicates that the black and minority ethnic (BAME) population of North Yorkshire is around 3.3%. North Yorkshire’s minority ethnic population is very diverse with no one minority dominating the BAME population. As such, the engagement and coproduction work of the HDRC will need to be attentive to ensuring the inclusivity of people of all minority races. We are already aware from our HDRC consultation events that engaging people from BAME communities can be difficult for PPIE organisations, and this is something that we would aim to develop and achieve. The potential long-term benefit of a HDRC could include research activity that leads to a reduction in the health inequalities that people face due to their race.
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Gender reassignment |
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x |
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Whilst we know gender reassignment can make a person more likely to experience health inequality, there currently exists a lack of data around gender reassignment for people within North Yorkshire. This therefore presents a knowledge gap that the HDRC has the potential to address through its research activity. By building our understanding and evidence base we would aim to reduce the health inequalities that people with this protected characteristic may face.
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Sexual orientation |
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x |
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A person’s sexual orientation can lead to discrimination and make a person more likely to experience inequality. In North Yorkshire, around 2% of our population are LGBTQ+. During the HDRC consultation events, LGBTQ+ populations were recognised to face challenges in accessing some aspects of health support in North Yorkshire. It was agreed that this may be an area that we undertake future research into, to reduce the health inequalities that people with this protected characteristic may face.
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Religion or belief |
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x |
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A person’s religion or belief can lead to discrimination and make a person more likely to experience inequality. For example, due to people’s beliefs there may be a different approach required to their health and social care, which if not fully understood, could reduce the standard of care that they receive. We would aim for our Engagement Hub to reach people from all communities and populations and would take appropriate measures to support the involvement of people from all religions and beliefs. The potential long-term benefit of a HDRC could include research activity that leads to a reduction in the health inequalities that people face due to their religion or belief.
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Pregnancy or maternity |
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x |
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The implementation of the Engagement Hub will provide opportunities for all residents to become involved in research, with special considerations and adjustments made for those who are pregnant or nursing a baby. Furthermore, as 12.2% of women smoke in early pregnancy in North Yorkshire, this may be an area that the HDRC undertakes future research into, to try to improve health outcomes for this specific population.
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Marriage or civil partnership |
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x |
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Discrimination on grounds of marriage or civil partnership is covered in the Equality Act 2010. Whilst we do not currently have evidence to demonstrate that marriage or civil partnership status results in health inequalities (although civil partnership status could be linked to discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation), we will remain aware of this protected characteristic and include in our research design where appropriate. A person’s marriage or civil partnership status can lead to discrimination and make a person more likely to experience inequality. The potential long-term benefit of a HDRC could include research activity that leads to a reduction in the health inequalities that people with this protected characteristic may face.
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Section 7. How will this proposal affect people who… |
No impact |
Make things better |
Make things worse |
Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc. |
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..live in a rural area? |
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x |
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Most of North Yorkshire (85%) is classed as super-sparse, with less than one person per hectare living in super-sparse areas. In addition, population density in North Yorkshire is more than five times lower than the England average. The national average number of people per square-KM in England is 430 compared with just 76 for North Yorkshire and as low as 36 in Ryedale. Such sparsity can lead to isolation, a lack of social connections, digital exclusion through poor connectivity, transport challenges, and difficulty in accessing health and care services. The potential long-term benefit of a HDRC could include research activity that leads to a reduction in the health inequalities that people who live rurally face.
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…have a low income? |
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x |
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A person’s/household’s income can affect their quality of life and subsequent health outcomes. For example, 12% of children in North Yorkshire are in low-income families. Children living in poverty are more likely to have poorer health outcomes including low birth weight, poor physical health, and mental health problems. The potential long-term benefit of a HDRC could include research activity that leads to a reduction in the health inequalities that people of low-income household's face.
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…are carers (unpaid family or friend)? |
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x |
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Carers are twice as likely to suffer from poor health compared to the general population, primarily due to a lack of information and support, finance concerns, stress and social isolation. For example, only 31.6% of adult carers in North Yorkshire have as much social contact as they would like.
The potential long-term benefit of a HDRC could include research activity that leads to a reduction in the health inequalities that people who are carers face.
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Section 8. Geographic impact – Please detail where the impact will be (please tick all that apply) |
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North Yorkshire wide |
✔ |
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Craven district |
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Hambleton district |
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Harrogate district |
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Richmondshire district |
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Ryedale district |
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Scarborough district |
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Selby district |
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If you have ticked one or more districts, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below. |
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Section 9. Will the proposal affect anyone more because of a combination of protected characteristics? (e.g. older women or young gay men) State what you think the effect may be and why, providing evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.
Yes, it may potentially, due to the HDRC having a countywide focus. It is acknowledged that people with a combination of protected characteristics experience greater health inequalities and barriers to engagement.
For example, we are a rural county with an ageing population and this combination of factors can greatly increase the likelihood of experiencing poor health outcomes.
The potential long-term benefit of a HDRC could include research activity that leads to a reduction in the health inequalities that people with protected characteristics may face, including those with a combination of protected characteristics.
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Section 10. Next steps to address the anticipated impact. Select one of the following options and explain why this has been chosen. (Remember: we have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services and work for us) |
Tick option chosen |
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1. No adverse impact - no major change needed to the proposal. There is no potential for discrimination or adverse impact identified. |
✔ |
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2. Adverse impact - adjust the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We will change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, or we will achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people. |
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3. Adverse impact - continue the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We cannot change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, nor can we achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people. (There must be compelling reasons for continuing with proposals which will have the most adverse impacts. Get advice from Legal Services) |
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4. Actual or potential unlawful discrimination - stop and remove the proposal – The EIA identifies actual or potential unlawful discrimination. It must be stopped. |
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Explanation of why option has been chosen. (Include any advice given by Legal Services.)
The HDRC will seek to both conduct and utilise research to understand and address issues and improve the delivery of Council services to reduce health inequalities and improve health outcomes for residents including those with protected characteristics.
This option has been chosen as there is no adverse impacts or discrimination resulting from seeking to achieve the above.
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Section 11. If the proposal is to be implemented how will you find out how it is really affecting people? (How will you monitor and review the changes?)
If successful with the funding application, one of the proposed work packages is titled “Learning & Evaluation” and seeks to monitor the impact of the HDRC, including its impact upon the Council and its residents. This will be actioned in part through the proposed partnership between VCSE and PPIE groups in the region.
Additionally, the findings of any specific research projects that arise from the HDRC will also seek to understand the implications upon residents.
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Section 12. Action plan. List any actions you need to take which have been identified in this EIA, including post implementation review to find out how the outcomes have been achieved in practice and what impacts there have actually been on people with protected characteristics. |
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Action |
Lead |
By when |
Progress |
Monitoring arrangements |
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N/A
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N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
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Section 13. Summary Summarise the findings of your EIA, including impacts, recommendation in relation to addressing impacts, including any legal advice, and next steps. This summary should be used as part of the report to the decision maker.
We propose submitting a funding bid to the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), to access £5,000,000 over 5 years, to create a Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC). The HDRC will reduce health inequalities and improve the health outcomes of residents, which supports the vision of the Council plan 2023-2027 “supporting a good quality of life for all”.
The HDRC will have North Yorkshire wide impact. It will not increase costs to the council but will bring in grant funding.
Without due consideration to equality, diversity and inclusion, the HDRC could inadvertently fail to involve a group who are experiencing inequalities. However, through the Engagement Hub and specialist PPIE Officer role, we feel confident that we will reach our marginalised groups and will ensure a reciprocal approach to community involvement. Furthermore, the HDRC represents an opportunity, in the long term, to reduce health inequalities for our diverse communities, including people with protected characteristics.
The HDRC, through one of its work packages, will evaluate its impact upon the Council and its residents.
Undertaking the EIA, no actions have been identified.
No major change needed to the proposal.
Outcome of EIA:
Proceed as planned
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Section 14. Sign off section
This full EIA was completed by:
Name: Rachel Murphy Job title: Service Manager Directorate: HAS Signature:
Name: Sue Symonds Job title: Public Health Manager Directorate: HAS Signature:
Name: Josh Wood Job title: Public Health Officer Directorate: HAS Signature:
Completion date: 25.05.2023
Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature):
Date:
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Appendix C - Initial Climate Change Impact Assessment (Form created August 2021)
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Title of proposal |
North Yorkshire Health Determinants Research Collaboration |
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Brief description of proposal |
A funding bid is being submitted to the National Institute of Health and Care research (NIHR), to access £5,000,000 over 5 years, to create a Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC). This is a collaboration between NYC, the University of Hull, University of York, and a number of Public Involvement and Community and Voluntary Sector organisations. The aim of the HDRC is to develop a research infrastructure within NYC, to embed a Council-wide research culture, and to engage in research to address the wider determinants of health and improve health outcomes for our residents. |
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Directorate |
Health and Adult Services |
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Service area |
Public Health |
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Lead officer |
Katie Needham |
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Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the impact assessment |
Rachel Murphy Service Manager HAS Susan Symonds Public Health Manager Josh Wood Public Health Officer |
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Environmental factor to consider |
For the council |
For the county |
Overall |
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Greenhouse gas emissions |
Increases emissions |
Increases emissions |
Increases emissions |
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Waste |
No effect on waste |
No effect on waste |
No effect on waste |
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Water use |
No effect on water usage |
No effect on water usage |
No effect on water usage |
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Pollution (air, land, water, noise, light) |
No effect on pollution |
No effect on pollution |
No effect on pollution |
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Resilience to adverse weather/climate events (flooding, drought etc) |
No effect on resilience |
No effect on resilience |
No effect on resilience |
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Ecological effects (biodiversity, loss of habitat etc) |
No effect on ecology |
No effect on ecology |
No effect on ecology |
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Heritage and landscape |
No effect on heritage and landscape |
No effect on heritage and landscape |
No effect on heritage and landscape |
If any of these factors are likely to result in a negative or positive environmental impact then a full climate change impact assessment will be required. It is important that we capture information about both positive and negative impacts to aid the council in calculating its carbon footprint and environmental impact.
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Decision (Please tick one option) |
Full CCIA not relevant or proportionate: |
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Continue to full CCIA: |
✔ |
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Reason for decision |
Impact identified for greenhouse gas emissions.
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Signed (Assistant Director or equivalent) |
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Date |
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