Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence are noted above.

Members of the Health and Wellbeing Board are asked to consider whether they have an interest in any of the matters on the Agenda, and if so, to formally declare that interest.

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

Questions are invited from members of the public present at the meeting on any matters for which the Board is responsible.

Approximately 30 minutes will be set aside for Public Question Time, if required.

There were no public questions asked at the meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 11^th November 2025 are attached.

It was agreed:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 11^th November 2025 be approved as a correct record.

There were no matters arising.

Sian presented an overview of the Homelessness Prevention Strategy, outlining the vision for homelessness to be rare, brief and non?recurring. She highlighted key targets including reducing the use of bed and breakfast accommodation, halving rough sleeping, improving supported accommodation pathways and supporting people into settled homes. She noted the wider national housing context, planned investment, changes to allocations policies and the strategy’s five?pillar prevention model.

Sian also summarised the pressures of the housing crisis, increased demand for temporary accommodation, and the impact of poor housing conditions on health. Links were made to the Child Poverty Strategy, and the Board noted the continued rise in both presentations to the service and rough sleeping.

The Board discussed the need to strengthen governance arrangements around homelessness.

Councillor Tariq welcomed the ambition and emphasised system?wide collaboration and alignment with public service reform. Jon confirmed the action plans could be brought together for Board oversight, and Will Blandamer highlighted the importance of connecting this work to locality boards and the Bury Partnership’s health inequalities agenda.

Councillor Arif asked about confidence in achieving the six?week B&B target; Sian reported improvements but noted ongoing challenges due to limited temporary accommodation, particularly larger homes. He also queried provision for disabled residents, and Sian confirmed accessible accommodation remained limited but was being developed.

The Board agreed that a future reporting mechanism should be developed, with Jon to explore how updates can feed into wider action planning. The discussion also acknowledged recent national research on temporary accommodation and ongoing work to strengthen safeguarding, communication, and practice.

It was agreed

·       The Chair thanked Sian for the presentation and the Board noted the update.

Rachael Strutz adult safeguarding manager provided the Committee with an overview of the Safeguarding Annual Report and reflected on the work undertaken throughout the year. She explained that the Partnership had continued to make progress following its commitment to strengthening the use of Adult Social Care Advanced Practitioners, who now play a more visible role in supporting practice and improving the quality of decision?making. In addition, she noted that the Partnership’s approach to data had been strengthened, with improvements in the way information is captured, analysed and compared both regionally and nationally. This has enabled a clearer understanding of safeguarding activity and how Bury’s performance aligns with wider trends.

Rachael confirmed that the actions identified in the previous cycle had been completed, but emphasised that the key question now was how the Partnership demonstrates the difference this work is making. She explained that the focus moving forward is on showing impact, strengthening strategic priorities, and ensuring that the learning identified is influencing future practice and partnership working.

Adrian Crook echoed Rachael’s comments and welcomed the continued improvement in safeguarding arrangements. He highlighted that under the leadership of Jeanette Richards, the overall quality of reporting and analysis presented to the Partnership has significantly improved. Reports now draw out learning more clearly, provide stronger evidence, and ensure that the implications for partners are well understood.

Adrian went on to expand on the mechanisms in place to support both delivery and scrutiny. He described how the Partnership now has a specific multi?agency group responsible for establishing actions, tracking progress and monitoring whether actions are being delivered effectively across the system. This group ensures that partners are not only agreeing to actions but also demonstrating how improvements are implemented in practice.

He also explained that an additional layer of scrutiny has been developed through the Partnership’s Scrutiny Group, which provides more robust challenge. This group tests whether partner organisations can evidence the improvements they report and holds them to account for maintaining safeguarding standards. Adrian stressed that this represents a shift towards a more rigorous and transparent assurance process. He also recognised the important contribution of Jan France, noting that her leadership and attention to detail have been invaluable in strengthening scrutiny arrangements.

It Was agreed

·       The update be noted

Jackie Veal, Head of Wellness provided a brief overview of the Culture Strategy and the key pillars within the accompanying slides. She outlined the role of culture in supporting wellbeing across Bury and highlighted ongoing work with cultural partners, primary and secondary schools, and SEND communities. She explained that although the strategy currently does not include performance indicators, work is underway to define what will be measured and how culture can be used as a vehicle to deliver health and wellbeing outcomes.

Councillor Tariq asked about the link between culture and health inequalities, particularly how the strategy aligns with the remit of the Health & Wellbeing Board from both adult and children’s perspectives. He emphasised the importance of engaging the older people’s network and understanding the lived experience of different communities. Jackie acknowledged these points, noting increased SEND engagement, and confirmed culture has a significant role in supporting this community.

Helen Tomlinson asked about the involvement of the VCFE sector in tackling health inequalities and suggested closer alignment with Live Well and the social cohesion sub?group. Jackie agreed and committed to linking with relevant colleagues, including Chris Woodhouse, to explore opportunities for cohesion?focused work. She noted that around 450 cultural and community groups are active across the borough, and the team is keen to support activity across all five neighbourhoods.

Adrian Crook welcomed the strategy and encouraged consideration of long?term, sustainable performance measures. He cautioned against short?term approaches such as arts?on?prescription without creating lasting participation. He stressed the importance of developing self?sustaining community assets that reduce inequalities over time. Jackie agreed and noted ongoing work to engage creative industries in partnership activity.

It Was Agreed:

·       The update be noted

Jon Hobday and his team were thanked for his ongoing work in relation to reducing health inequalities, an update on which had been circulated via email.

Jon Hobday, Director of Public Health provided a summary of the statutory Public Health Annual Report, explaining that its purpose is to spotlight key public health issues and drive system?wide action. This year’s report focuses on the commercial determinants of health and how the environments in which people live, work and shop influence health inequalities across the borough.

Jon highlighted how factors such as high concentrations of fast?food outlets, advertising, and targeted marketing disproportionately affect people living in poverty, making unhealthy choices more likely. He explained that 73% of ill?health is linked to non?communicable diseases, which are strongly shaped by wider environmental and commercial influences. The report outlines tactics used by industries and the importance of regulation and policy to create healthier environments, including national developments such as extended smoke?free zones for tobacco and vapes.

Jon stressed the need to shift away from narratives that blame individuals for poor health, recognising how industries influence norms, including through sponsorship, education materials and social media. He drew attention to increasing alcohol?related mortality, high levels of obesity, and rising food poverty locally. Work underway includes the Bury Food Strategy, transforming food procurement and catering, and the Healthy Stadia work promoting non?alcohol and healthier food options. Spatial planning work, including the Supplementary Planning Document, supports this approach in areas with high obesity rates. Smoking prevalence remains at 10%, supported by enforcement and prevention work.

Key recommendations include promoting healthy environments, regulating harmful practices, empowering communities and businesses, advocating for system change and ensuring fair taxation. Jon issued a call to action for the system to champion a whole?systems approach and align policy.

Councillor Tariq asked about alignment with the Marmot approach and the latest position on the Cabinet motion. Jon confirmed he would share the action plan with the committee and that the motion, including an enhanced equality impact assessment process, would be brought back with further detail.

Adrian Crook welcomed the structure of the report and highlighted the opportunity to track planning policy implementation and capture success stories that demonstrate impact. Jon agreed that building a portfolio of case studies would strengthen future reporting.

It Was Agreed:

·       The Board noted the update.

Jon Hobday, Director of Public Health, provided an update from the Greater Manchester Population Health Board.

It was agreed:

That the update be noted.

Any other business which by reason of special circumstances the Chair agrees may be considered as a matter of urgency.

There was no urgent business.