Health, Social Care & Wellbeing Strategy
The
Health Social Care & Well-being Strategy 2008 -2011| describes the actions that will be taken to improve health and well-being for the people of Torfaen. It is part of a long term policy programme where every 3 years, a Strategy document is produced that sets out the priorities for that period of time and the direction we will take to make improvements.
Torfaen County Borough Council and Torfaen Local Health Board are required by the Welsh Assembly Government to have a joint Health, Social Care and Well-being Strategy. Health improvement is not just about health and social care services; it relates to every area of public services - education, employment, housing, community safety and tackling crime, local environments, income and tackling poverty, healthy lifestyles, transport and accident prevention. It is everyone’s business and our partners in the Strategy include Torfaen Voluntary Alliance, Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust and Gwent Heddlu Police.
To make any plan or strategy, we need information from lots of areas and the Needs Assessment from the National Public Health Service is the main source of facts and figures about the health of people in Torfaen, the gaps in services and what needs to be done to make improvements. There are other sources of information - from services already being provided and from the public telling us through consultation and various forum networks, what it is they need.
Background information for this second document is in the
Technical Paper|, the
Needs Assessment| which has been updated during 2006/07 and the
Stakeholder Summary and Consultation document| where members of the public and people working in the various services had their say on what we need to do to continue making improvements locally for the health and well-being of people who live and work in Torfaen.
The shared partnership priorities for 2008 – 2011 are:
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Education, skills and training – the acquisition of basic skills; enhancing the Healthy Schools programme.
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Substance misuse - reduce the misuse of alcohol, tobacco (all ages).
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Healthy living - reduce and support prevention of heart disease, obesity, and teenage pregnancy.
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Vulnerable adults and carers - promoting good mental health/preventing depression; supporting carers.
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Promoting independence and choice - older people, living healthily, safely and independently at home; reducing delayed transfers of care; agreeing the best pathways between services.
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Long term limiting illness - promoting self care/self management (heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, blood pressure).
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Inequalities - tackling poverty and deprivation and maximising income in the poorest parts of Torfaen.
Work will not be exclusive to these areas but they will have the highest focus for resources. The implementation plan for the strategy is currently being developed and will include developing Health Challenge Torfaen which will in its turn direct most health improvement activities.
Torfaen County Borough Council, Torfaen Local Health Board and partners welcome comments on the Health Social Care and Well-being Strategy at any time.
Written comments can be sent to:
Mrs Sue Browne
Health & Well-being Development Manager
Torfaen County Borough Council
Floor 5
Civic Centre
Pontypool
NP4 6YB