To receive a presentation from Richard Rogers (Strategic Engagement Partnerships Manager) and Caroline LeQuesne (Area Board Delivery Officer). Topics to include:
· How to access the information
· A discussion on the findings
Minutes:
The Area Board received a presentation from Richard Rogers (Strategic Engagement Partnerships Manager). The presentation covered the following matters:
· Once a year the Area Board renews its local priorities, with this next set to be done in May. One of the ways in which this is done is to consider local data available, to assess what areas are doing well and not so well.
· A significant part of this data is the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and Community Area Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (CAJSNA), which is a collection of data captured from Wiltshire Council services and partner organisations. This data is then formatted so that residents can understand it.
· The last JSNA was completed in 2020 and is completed every 4 years. In 2020 Covid heavily affected the data.
· An interim health and wellbeing recovery JSNA was completed in 2022 to recognise the affect which Covid had had on people and the economy, with the following three priorities identified from this:
o Ageing Population
o Mental and emotional wellbeing
o Cost of living
· It was outlined that the data could be accessed via the following website: Wiltshire Intelligence - Bringing Evidence Together
· It was stressed that data is not always entirely accurate, can go out of date and can be affected by significant events such as Covid.
· Statistics were provided from the following areas including:
o Young People and Children
o Environment and Transport
o Cost of living
· Reference was drawn to a QR code included within the presentation, which was for a survey, in which the results would be brought back to the next Area Board meeting to help decide the priorities.
· It was agreed that paper copies of the survey would be placed in the library.
After the presentation, there was time for a discussion of the following questions:
Given the data, what do you think are the most important challenges for the Melksham community area?
· The number of children self-harming and admitted to hospital was higher in Melksham than the Wiltshire average, this should be an area for consideration. Considerations could include what the route causes are and what can be done to help young people.
· One aspect identified within the data was the use of cars, which links into the lack of new employment land within the Melksham area, with all land being converted into housing there is no new employment land, causing people to commute.
· It was noted that Members had spoken to the Leader and Cabinet Members to obtain more employment land for Melksham with there being a number of businesses who would like to work operate in Melksham.
· Cllr Holder noted that this frustration was shared with employers and that there is a level of reliance on council tax to fund Wiltshire Council revenue, with 85% of all revenue spent funded from resident council tax. It was stated that the land south towards the railway line was already under auction for housing development, however Wiltshire Council had significantly invested in the land north of Lackham off of the A350. It was also explained that local landowners and farmers are taking out options for housing, with developers willing to wait on this option for 20-25 years.
· The issue of youth employment was also mentioned, for those struggling in education leaving with base qualifications with very few apprenticeships available.
· The need to understand the narrative of the data was stressed, with it questioned whether the data might have been skewed, with the significant amount of temporary accommodation in Melksham cited.
Where do you think we as the community can make the most difference?
· Obesity was cited as a problem, with it noted that previously the Area Board had funded the Healthy Schools Project, which could be considered again.
· It was noted that the Health and Wellbeing Group would look at the data and consider where to focus their effort. Mental Health had been identified as one area, with data for this area being considered regularly. The Area Board would consider the data for their priorities and then decide where to focus efforts to tackle those areas with high statistics.
· It was stressed that community groups should look at the data to consider how they might be contributing towards positive action.
· Regarding obesity, it was suggested that the Melksham Campus often had limited sessions which were hard to book and whether something could be done with specific health sessions for young people. It was suggested that conversations with the Campus manager would continue.
· In April a new children’s service delivery would begin across the county and in Melksham with Spurgeons moving into the Campus, which would have a remit of being a new family and children’s hub. This remit would involve working with children from minus 9 months to 19 years in order to provide a holistic approach.
· The investment from Wiltshire Council into Melksham was referenced, with examples of the Campus and Skate Park cited. The football and rugby clubs were also cited as being a long-lasting legacy, with a keen interest in providing for youth teams.
· It was suggested that the difficulty of booking sessions at the Campus was indicative of people using and valuing it however if there was a slicker way of operating then this should be considered.