Agenda and minutes

The Chair wished attendees a Happy New Year and welcomed them to the meeting.

The Chair reported that Pete Thorpe would no longer be attending meetings of the Board. It was noted that El Mayhew, the newly appointed Corporate Director for Children and Young People’s Service, would join the Board going forward. The Board was advised that El Mayhew had submitted her apologies for this meeting.

The Board were informed that Damian Henderson was attending the meeting, representing North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

The Board were also informed that Matt Sandford may be late to the meeting due to other commitments.

Apologies were received from Amanda Bloor.

Resolved

a)    That the minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2025 are approved as a correct record.

No declarations of interest were made.

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice and provided the text to Democratic Services (democraticservices.central@northyorks.gov.uk) no later than midday on Friday, 9 January 2026, three working days before the meeting takes place. Each speaker should limit themselves to three minutes on any item. 

If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Chair who will instruct those taking a recording to cease whilst you speak.

No public questions or statements were received.

Adrian Green, Independent Chair of the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB), introduced the report, outlining that, in accordance with the requirements of the Care Act 2014, the SAB must publish an annual report and present it to the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB). The HWB were reminded that the SAB’s legal remit only covered adults who have care and support needs.

Adrian outlined that the priorities for 2024–25 had focused on reconnecting with communities, ensuring best practice, strengthening partnership working, and adapting to change. He advised that the new priorities are to enhance engagement with practitioners, communities and the public, to establish prevention as a distinct focus area, and to support professional competence and learning. The Board received an update on the work of the three existing subgroups. It was noted that for the forthcoming year, new subgroups will cover the following areas: Connect, Prevent, Confident Practice, Quality Assurance, and Safeguarding Adult Reviews.

Several figures and comments from the report were highlighted ahead of the subsequent discussions.

·         It was queried whether the emerging themes on page 17 of the papers were new or recurring. Adrian said they were emerging from recent SARs, with some being long‑standing issues. The rising number of self‑neglect cases were noted.

·         Concerns were raised about the resources available to address hoarding and it was queried how housing partners could support prevention. Adrian explained that hoarding is a lifelong condition that is challenging to manage but easy to recognise. He highlighted the importance of maintaining contact with affected individuals and the need for compassionate, safety‑focused intervention. The key role of the fire service was emphasised, and it was noted that legal action may be necessary where the safety of the individual or neighbours is at risk. Adrian noted that individuals declining access to their homes out of embarrassment may indicate hoarding and emphasised the need for professional curiosity in such cases. The need for a senior escalation route was also highlighted and it was suggested that local plans could play a greater role in safeguarding.

·         Regarding hoarding, it was also queried how neighbourhood health work might assist. The importance of improved information sharing between housing, social care and the police and the value of wider stakeholder discussions was emphasised. The need to strengthen awareness so that safeguarding is understood as a shared responsibility was stressed.

Resolved

a)    That the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Board 2024-25 Annual Report is noted.

Louise Wallace, Director of Public Health, introduced the report and highlighted the key actions taken in the last six months. She said that she hoped it gave the Board assurance that work is being done to deliver priorities laid out by the Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

The Board raised the following points during the discussion.

·        It was queried whether there were any priorities that the Board should be concerned about. Louise advised that nothing specific stood out but noted that Members should raise any concerns. The Chair noted the forthcoming changes to ICBs and the need for a continuing focus on the ‘place’ of North Yorkshire in order to delivery the Strategy.

·        The size and varied nature of North Yorkshire was highlighted, and it was noted that this would make delivering ‘place’ outcomes more challenging. The importance of engaging with and understanding community issues was emphasised.

·        It was noted that the health system often focuses on secondary care and performance targets, which can overlook wider health and wellbeing and create longer‑term pressures. However, it was felt that the Strategy successfully avoided doing this.

·        Satisfaction was expressed with the Ambitious for Health programme, which is helping to drive the strategy through its focus on neighbourhood health, healthy people and healthy places. The Board recognised the importance of shared understanding of neighbourhood health, supported by the realignment of resources to enable delivery.

·        The Board stressed the importance of continuing to view this work as wider than just the NHS.

·        From a Healthwatch perspective, the emphasis on people and communities was welcomed, as it aligned with feedback previously provided and demonstrated that the system was listening to residents and the voluntary sector.

·        It was suggested that any specific areas where a small amount of resource could have a significant impact should be identified and brought forward for discussion.

·        The value of the mid‑year report was noted, as it prompted reflection on progress and ensured alignment with the strategy during a period of major change.

The recommendations within the report were noted and endorsed.

Resolved

a)     Members agreed to promote the Strategy and share updates within their organisations and sectors to promote collaboration and alignment.

b)     That Members propose topics for spotlight sessions, supporting a sharper focus on a few key priority areas within the Strategy.

c)     That the measures of impact are to be reviewed as part of the annual update on the Strategy at the 5 June 2026 meeting.

d)     That the Strategy more explicitly informs the Board’s work programme, with report authors identifying how matters considered contribute to the Strategy.

e)     That the mid-year report is noted.

Louise Wallace, Director of Public Health, introduced the report and noted that it had previously been considered by the Executive at its meeting on 16 December 2025. She outlined the links between the Annual Report and the priorities set out in the Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy and reported that she had selected the overarching theme of ‘working together for North Yorkshire.’ The report reflects on the work of the wider partnership, highlighting the importance of partners like Healthwatch and the voluntary and community sector working alongside statutory agencies despite financial and organisation challenges. It was highlighted that the annual report intentionally focuses on opportunities to promote health and wellbeing. Attention was drawn to the review of the previous year and the recommendations for the year ahead, before Louise gave thanks to her team.

The Chair reminded the Board that the Annual Report is an independent report rather than an action plan, but noted that it was helpful to see reflections on previous recommendations alongside the recommendations for the coming year.

Resolved

a)     That the Director of Public Health Annual Report for 2024/25 is noted.

·         Joint Committee and sub-groups

·         HNY ICB update

·         NYC update

·         WY ICB update

A verbal update was provided by Mark Bradley, North Yorkshire Place Director for the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership; Richard Webb, Corporate Director of Health and Adult Services (NYC); and Nic Harne, Corporate Director of Community Development (NYC).

It was reported that a Joint Committee meeting had taken place on 18 December 2025, with strong attendance from members representing a range of stakeholders. The meeting was positive, with agenda items being led by all partners. Items covered included the following topics.

·        The vision for community services, alignment with neighbourhood health, the core offer, best practice, and transformation.

·        Embedding the right culture to support neighbourhood health.

·        Health on the high street, specifically exploring how best to support the Mayor in identifying opportunities.

·        A discussion regarding healthy people, where existing work programmes and health inequalities funding was reviewed. Lessons from the first two years of investment were discussed and a further report would be brought back.

·        Feedback on the ongoing Role of the Health and Wellbeing Board review.

The following below updates were also provided.

·        It was reported that neighbourhood plans were expected to be available between March and May and would be brought to the Health and Wellbeing Board.

·        It was noted that the Directors’ Group was now fully operational and working effectively alongside the Health and Care Management Team.

·        From a commissioning intentions perspective, it was reported that ICB and provider plans were expected to be submitted in February, although several key documents were still outstanding and national guidance had not been issued.

·        An update was provided on the H&NY ICB restructure. The consultation had closed, and it was confirmed that the ICB remained committed to the importance of ‘place’ and to continued representation on key bodies. The final structure was expected in the first week of February. The Joint Committee had discussed the potential impact of the changes and the need to maintain momentum.

·        It was reported that the Council was progressing through its budget-setting process, with consideration by the Executive on 20 January and Full Council on 13 February. The provisional finance settlement had been received, with no major changes expected. It was viewed as unfavourable for North Yorkshire, York and similar authorities, with reductions across most funding streams, a small increase for adult social care, and limited recognition of higher rural costs.

·        Advanced planning is underway for the care and support hubs in Harrogate and Scarborough, with planning applications expected in June and the project currently at RIBA Stage 3 or 4. Appreciation was expressed to NHS Trusts and Dementia Forward for their contributions.

·        It was noted that a new structure within Adult Social Care, involving approximately 800 staff, had recently been implemented and was progressing well, despite ongoing pressures.

·        The recruitment process for the new NYC Corporate Director of Health and Adult Services was continuing, with final interviews scheduled for the week commencing 2 February.

·        A further consultation on planning reforms had been announced, including new regulations intended to accelerate the development  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69.

The Chair highlighted that the Board had held a workshop on the role of the Health and Wellbeing Board and explained that there would be an information discussion on the report which has been produced. He thanked those that attended the workshop.

The Chair reminded Board Members that they may wish to suggest future items for the work programme.

Resolved

a)    That the work programme is noted.

Any other items which the Chair agrees should be considered as a matter of urgency because of special circumstances

The Chair thanked Richard Webb, Corporate Director of Health and Adult Services, for his work on the Board over the last 12 years, noting that he was moving to a new position outside of North Yorkshire Council.

Friday, 20 March 2026 at 10:30am on Microsoft Teams.

Friday, 20 March 2026 at 10:30am on Microsoft Teams.