Title: Gwent Marmot Region Programme Update Paper

Paper sponsor:

Dr Sarah Aitken, Executive Director of Public Health and Strategic Partnerships, ABUHB

 

Paper authors:

Richard Lewis, Principal Public Health Practitioner, PHW

Stuart Bourne, Consultant in Public Health, ABUHB

 

Date: 29th September 2022

                                                                                                           

1. Introduction

1.0    At its meeting on 10th March 2022, Gwent Public Services Board (PSB) formally agreed to become a ‘Marmot Region’, and to work in partnership with the Institute of Health Equity (IHE) to address the social determinants of health. 

 

1.1    The purpose of this paper is to up-date Gwent PSB partners on progress in establishing the Gwent: Marmot Region programme since the meeting of the PSB on 30th June 2022.

    

 

2. Background

2.0    Under the leadership of the Director of Public Health (DPH), Aneurin Bevan Gwent Public Health Team (ABGPHT) is co-ordinating the implementation of the Gwent: Marmot Region proposal.  The proposal paper agreed by the PSB on 10th March 2022 can be accessed here: https://www.gwentpsb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/03-Proposal-Gwent-Becoming-a-Marmot-Region.pdf

2.1    Development of the implementation plan is being undertaken in consultation with Gwent PSB members, Gwent: Marmot Region Programme Leadership Group, Gwent Strategic Well-being Action Group (GSWAG), Gwent PSB Engagement Group and PSB Secretariat.

2.2    On 7th December 2021, the PSB agreed to adopt the six Marmot Principles as the framework for action to reduce health inequalities across Gwent as part of the forthcoming five-year Gwent PSB Well-being Plan. On 30th June 2022, the PSB agreed to include the two additional Marmot Principles into the framework. The full eight Marmot Principles are:

 

1.   Give every child the best start in life

2.   Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives

3.   Create fair employment and good work for all

4.   Ensure a healthy standard of living for all

5.   Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities

6.   Strengthen the role and impact of ill-health prevention

7.   Tackle racism, discrimination and their outcomes

8.   Pursue environmental sustainability and health equity together

 

2.3    The framework for the Gwent Well-being Plan is on the 29th September PSB agenda for approval separately.

 

2.4    Also on 30th June 2022, the PSB agreed to the establishment and terms of reference for a Gwent: Marmot Region Programme Leadership Group, and the principles for the Gwent: Marmot Region communications and engagement strategy.     

 

3.      Gwent: Marmot Region Programme Leadership Group

3.0    The Group has formed and held its first meeting on 1st August 2022, when it discussed partner agencies’ commitment to Gwent becoming a Marmot Region. At this meeting a terms of reference, timeline, risk register and communications plan were discussed. It was also agreed to reach out to the wider PSB leadership to check the ambition for this work across all Gwent partners. The next meeting is scheduled for 27th September 2022.   

 

4.      Gwent Marmot Region Programme Governance

4.0    The (fixed-term) programme team within ABGPHT has now been recruited:

 

·       Programme Manager: Anna Pennington - started 15th August

·       Senior Public Health Practitioner: Caroline McDonnell - started 19th September

·       Public Health Practitioner: Liam Williams - started 19th September

 

4.1    Richard Lewis, Principal Public Health Practitioner, is supporting the team during the handover period.

  

4.2    The programme team are up-dating the core programme management documents, including the timeline, communications and engagement plan, and risk register, for the next meeting of the Gwent: Marmot Region Programme Leadership Group.            

 

5.      Gwent: Marmot Region stakeholder workshops

5.0    The programme team are working with the Chair of the PSB’s Engagement Group to identify dates and venues, and build the invitation list to support the stakeholder workshop events in Gwent (in November 2022). Led by the IHE, one workshop will be delivered in each local authority area, together with one Gwent-level virtual session. Further details will follow shortly.   

 

6.          Gwent Marmot Region branding for communications

 

6.0    As part of the communications and engagement strategy, branding is being developed to visualise and communicate Gwent PSB’s strategic intent on becoming a Marmot Region. ABUHB’s Strategic Head of Communications, Population Health has commissioned a creative agency to deliver this work, and will present options for consideration to the next meeting of the Gwent: Marmot Region Programme Leadership Group.

 

7.          Recommendations

 

Gwent PSB is asked:

 

7.0    To NOTE the series of Gwent: Marmot Region up-dates in this paper:

 

·       Programme Leadership Group (Section 3)

·       Programme Governance (Section 4)

·       Stakeholder workshops (Section 5)

·       Branding (Section 6)