Introduction
About the strategy
The Kirklees Health and Wellbeing Strategy (KHWS) 2022 to 2027 is a high level strategy that sets out the vision, values, ways of working and priorities for action that the Kirklees Partnership will be focusing on. This will be to improve the health and wellbeing of people of all ages who live, work or study in Kirklees. Further detail is in the plans and strategies for specific issues that sit underneath this top-tier strategy, all of which are covered within each of the 3 key priorities.
We have had a Health and Wellbeing Strategy in place since 2014. After a review of the progress against the outcomes and commitments initially set out, it provided the starting point for this new strategy.
There are many aspects of the original Health and Wellbeing Strategy that are still relevant. Such as focusing on the outcomes that are important to people, prevention and tackling the underlying causes of health and wellbeing issues; addressing inequalities in outcomes and access; personalisation of services; adopting strengths and asset-based approaches and working with people to find solutions. It also identified specific issues for health and social care that still resonate such as; coordination of care, integration of systems and resources, a robust health and care workforce and the crucial role of informal carers.
Changes since the previous strategy
We have updated the rainbow model of health and wellbeing as part of us making a difference, which was at the heart of the previous strategy to reflect the changes in what we now know are important influences on people's health and wellbeing. With further public analysis we have created a new vision and identified further deliverables that weren't reflected in the previous strategy,
Some of the most notable, that were not reflected in the previous Strategy, were:
- the Covid pandemic
- the 'cost of living crisis'
- recognition of the climate emergency
- changes to the partnership landscape, particularly the creation of the West Yorkshire, Kirklees and locality health and care partnership arrangements.
In addition, there is now much wider recognition of the importance of:
- the impact of poverty and housing on health and wellbeing
- tackling inequalities and promoting inclusion
- recognising, understanding and working with the distinct communities that make up Kirklees
- working with communities and individuals and enabling more people to directly shape their local place, rather than just doing things to or for them
- the potential of digital technology for improving health and wellbeing.
However, it is important to remember that there are a very wide range of other things that make a difference to our health and wellbeing. We have updated the 'rainbow model of health and wellbeing' that was at the heart of the previous Strategy to reflect the changes in what we know are important influences on people's health and wellbeing.
The vision, values, ways of working, priorities and the factors that we need to take into consideration when planning and taking action to deliver these, have been identified by:
- analysis of the Kirklees Joint Strategic Assessment, the Director of Public Health's Annual Reports and other local and national intelligence
- engagement with a wide range of local partners who are working on improving health and wellbeing
- what people who live, work or study in Kirklees have told us.
This information has been gathered from a wide range of sources, including:
- Feedback local partner organisations have gathered from people who use or may use their services about what is important to them, their families and friends
- The 2021 Currently Living in Kirklees (CLiK) survey results (over six thousand residents took part)
- Local area 'Place Standard' survey feedback.
- And the 2021 to 2022 Healthwatch Kirklees surveys of people who live, work and study in Kirklees about what is important and makes a difference to their (and their family and friends') health and wellbeing.
Top-tier partnership strategies
The Kirklees Health and Wellbeing Strategy along with the other three top tier strategies set out the partnership's broader ambitions and priorities for Kirklees and are key to local accountability. To deliver their ambitions all the top tier strategies will be supported by a range of specific strategies and plans. For example, the Kirklees Health and Care Partnership's plans will have a key role in shaping the health and care services to deliver the KHWS.
We have a shared vision for Kirklees. For it to be:
"a district that combines a strong, sustainable economy with a great quality of life - leading to thriving communities, growing businesses, high prosperity and low inequality where people enjoy better health throughout their lives".
This vision is supported by eight shared outcomes, and we recognise changes in any one of these outcomes impacts others. For example, a population that is healthier and well means a stronger workforce and a more sustainable economy, and a sustainable economy means more disposable income to help children to have the best start in life. The health and care sector is already a major employer in Kirklees and West Yorkshire - but we need to attract more people to work in the sector. There are countless other examples.
Likewise, we have a shared commitment to tackling inequalities, where outcomes for local places and communities are unfair and unequal.
Our four top tier strategies are partnership-led. These are the Kirklees Health and Wellbeing Strategy Inclusive Economy Strategy, and Environment Strategy while the Inclusive Communities Framework provides an approach to working with communities for these strategies, supporting activity in all areas to contribute to more inclusive communities and a sense of belonging. They explain where we are at in Kirklees - what our opportunities and challenges are, what we most need to do to improve, and the role partners can play to make this happen. Like our outcomes, success in one strategy depends on the others. With a shared sense of purpose, we can bring our collective insight, expertise, and resources together to achieve greater impact and make our local places even better.
To ensure that we are making the most of the inter-relationships between the top-tier strategies we are mapping the key contributions and impacts.
To support the roll out of the KHWS and the other 3 strategies we will have:
- a summary of each of the top-tier strategies
- a map of the top interdependencies between each strategy
The key interdependencies between the KHWS and the Inclusive Economy Strategy will include:
- Tackling poverty
- Learning and skills development
- Careers and local jobs (including in health and care)
- A good place to live and work
- Digital skills and tools
