To agree the Minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 9 November 2016, as a correct record

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Board held on the 9 November 2016 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Any interests not already registered.

No additional declarations of interest were made.

There were none.

With the Board’s agreement the Chairman brought forward consideration of agenda items 6 and 5.

The Housing Advice Team Leader presented a report and gave a presentation updating Members on the work of the Housing and Homelessness advice service and how it’s work contributed to the health agenda. The Housing Advice Team Leader advised that by integrating the Housing and Health services the Council provided a holistic preventative service based on individual needs. He updated Members on how the Council was responding to challenges of implementing the benefit cap. The Benefit Cap was affecting over 116 households in in the district with the loss of income ranging from £5 to £146 per week. The HERO (Housing, Energy and Retraining Options) Officers, Housing and Healthy Living Officers, were working to address the wider determinants of health such as housing, debt, employment, training, mental wellbeing, ill health prevention, local environment and social isolation.

The Housing Advice Team Leader informed the Board that a new 6 month pilot initiative would be running shortly in partnership with St. John’s Medical Centre in Sevenoaks; to provide patients registered with the practice one-to-one advisors to support them with lifestyle, housing, financial  and  mental wellbeing advice. He outlined three case studies of service users in the district who had benefited from HERO’s integrated approach to providing care. The first case involved a 64 year old widower who was struggling with alcohol dependency, health problems and poor housing conditions. By working closer with the GP, the Council was able to intervene to prevent the situation escalating and the service user becoming homeless.

In second case study the involved a 24 year old blind man with visual impairments, autism, literacy problems and living in poor housing and under threat of eviction. By working closely with St. John’s Medical Centre the Council was able prevent the eviction, provide the service user with mental health supported housing and clear his arrears.

The last case study involved a 40 year old ex serviceman who couldn’t cope with life as a civilian suffering from mental health difficulties, alcohol problems and debts. In this case the HERO Officer was able to help with debt advice, supported him  into a 1 bedroom flat and provided him with a referral to ‘Combat Stress’ who diagnosed him with PTSD. Although the service user was still classified as unfit to work, he was involved in a volunteering scheme and had markedly improved.

Members noted that ex servicemen were particularly vulnerable to mental health and social wellbeing problems and discussed how the Council could be more proactive in servicing their needs.

The Housing Advice Team leader informed Members that a Hospital Discharge 9 month pilot scheme with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council and Maidstone Borough Council was underway and a Housing Co-originator was working as part of the Hospital Discharge Team at Tunbridge Wells Hospital to help with non-medical issues to get people home quicker.

In response to questions the Housing Advice Team Leader advised that St. John’s medical centre was being used as the pilot as they had shown  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

The Healthy Living Project Officer gave a presentation on the Council’s involvement in the Dementia Friendly Communities Project and older people’s activities The Healthy Living Project Officer advised that the Council was working with a range of partners including Kent Country Council’s Public Health Team to deliver a range of subsidised activities for older people and to raise awareness of mental health issues including dementia friendly communities.

It was hoped that the, ‘shop safe, stay safe’ scheme which was launched in May 2016 would help bring communities together to raise awareness of dementia and vulnerable people in general. Residents would be given key fobs so they could be identified. So far 60 key fobs had been given out to vulnerable people and those suffering with Dementia.  It was a growing scheme and to be successful it required more business to sign up. The Council were working with West Kingsdown and Enysford to become Dementia Friendly Communities.

The Healthy Living Project Officer informed the Board that Taxi Drivers were being given the opportunity for dementia awareness training, with 30 Taxi drivers and 20 community volunteer drivers now trained as Dementia Friends. Members were advised that as part of KCC Public Health funding the Council continued to run free or low cost physical activity programmes in local communities which included: falls prevention, yoga, health walks, older people’s lunch club and the Kent Shed for retired men to develop their woodwork skills.

The Healthy Living Project Officer advised that there would be a Fundraising event; run, walk or push against dementia to help raise money to support local people who were affected by dementia on 14 May 2017.  

In response to questions, the Healthy Living Projects Officer advised that if Members wanted to contact him with suggestions for other transport organisations he would look into contacting them.

Members discussed Dementia awareness training and whether this was something that could be offered to Members again.

Action: For Healthy Living Projects Officer to email the dates of Dementia training to Members.

Resolved: That the report be noted.

Cllr. Dr. Canet reported that she had been working with the Senior Actions Forum on loneliness.

Cllr. McArthur reported that there was a formal consultation on a new medical facility.

Cllr. Mrs. Bosley reminded the Board that the Voluntary & Community ‘Making it Happen’ Awards 2017 were taking place on Wednesday 14 June and that nomination forms would need to be returned by Friday 14 April 2017. She also advised that there would be a Switch and Save event on 3 March in West Kingsdown.

The work plan was noted, Churches Together, Age UK and Rural Age UK  would be covered under Tackling Loneliness.  Licensing and how it contributes to the heath agenda would be moved to the meeting in Autumn 2017.