Agenda item

To consider the Director of Public Health Annual Report. (25 mins)

Tessa Lindfield, Director Public Health presented Berkshire a Good Place to Work – the 2019 Director of Public Health report.

During the discussion of this item, the following points were made:

·         The Board were reminded that the Director of Public Health had a duty to produce an annual report.  A Berkshire wide report with a focus on workplace health and wellbeing had been produced.

·         The Board was informed of employment rates, including access to ‘good’ work, 2018/19, across Berkshire.  Employment rates were above the England average.

·         The majority of employees in the Wokingham Borough were employed by big businesses.  Councillor Clark commented that she felt that information on the percentage of workers who were in professional employment should be included earlier in the report.

·         Katie Summers asked how Berkshire compared nationally, and was informed that a higher percentage of people worked for big businesses in Berkshire. 

·         Local authorities were the second highest employer within the county. 

·         Tessa Lindfield stated that access to ‘good’ work was easier for some age groups than others.  Employment rates for younger people were poorer, for example.

·         Councillor Hare asked about the definition of poor health.  Tessa Lindfield stated that it was a formal definition from Public Health England which was comparable across the country. 

·         On average, women lived in poor health for longer and had a longer life expectancy.

·         Crowthorne had the highest life expectancy rate in the country.

·         With regards to the health of the working age population, it was noted that the workforce was becoming older and were more likely to have long term conditions that required management.

·         Sickness absence rates were on the increase and presenteeism had increased by up to three times since 2010.  Only 30% of managers had been identified as taking initiatives to identify the underlying causes of this.

·         Some of the main reasons for sickness absence included mental health issues and musculoskeletal conditions.

·         Tessa Lindfield emphasised that it was important that working environments supported employees’ health and wellbeing.  Some groups such as shift workers needed additional support.

·         Board members were informed of anchor institutions.  Local authorities, hospitals and universities were examples of anchor institutions.

·         Katie Summers indicated that the BOB STP ICS had had a good conversation with large employers about supporting the workforce.  She felt that improvements could be made in the NHS in particular.

·         The Board asked how the annual report would be taken forward, shared and adopted by other organisations.  Tessa Lindfield stated that the Royal Berkshire Hospital Foundation Trust would be looking at issues such as the food offer and staff mental resilience, in master planning of sites.  Graham Ebers commented that the Council’s Corporate Works Council considered sickness absence rates. 

·         Graham Ebers went on to emphasise that it was important to identify those businesses that were less effective in supporting their employees’ health and wellbeing.  Sarah Hollamby suggested that the Local Enterprise Partnership be contacted.

·         In response to a question from Nick Campbell-White, Tessa Lindfield asked Board members to go back to their organisations and to consider how the health and wellbeing of their staff could be improved, and also how the message could be disseminated to other organisations in the community.

RESOLVED:  That:

1)         the report be noted and the recommended next steps considered;

2)         it be celebrated that Wokingham Borough Council, as an employer, was included as a case study in this report;

3)         the links between the report and the Wokingham Health & Wellbeing Priorities – reducing social isolation, increasing physical activity and reducing inequalities, be noted.