To receive a report from the Director of Public Health.

The Director of Public Health took item 7 and 8 of the agenda together and introduced the plans for the Health Protection and Public Engagement Boards that had been created as part of the Outbreak management plan. The Health Protection Board reported into the Gold Command structure and was and internal facing Board that looked at what the organisations needed to do to reduce the risks of COVID 19. The Public Engagement Board was an external facing Board looking at the communication and engagement needed to keep the population safe and reported directly to the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Councillor Brophy asked whether the structures were new structures that had been set up in response to COVID 19 or whether they had already been planned to be created. The Director of Public Health responded that these were two new boards set up in response to COVID 19 but fitted into existing structures. Trafford had been looking to increase public engagement prior to the COVID 19 pandemic and a lot of the learning around public engagement that had come from the pandemic would help to shape Trafford’s approach going forward.

A 10 point action plan had been developed for August and September to ensure that all involved were focused on the 10 key priorities during that time. The plan covered a wide range of actions and under each one of the points were a set of actions that needed to be completed. The director of Public Health went through the 10 point plan and added additional detail to each point for the Board.

Following the overview of the Board and the 10 point plan Board Members were given the opportunity to ask questions. Councillor Brophy noted that the national government had stated that to open schools and colleges there may have to be additional restrictions elsewhere. Councillor Brophy asked the Director of Public Health where those additional restrictions might be. The Director of Public Health stated that Trafford were still working to keep schools open during the pandemic. So far it seemed as though the levels of transmission between children attending school appeared to be quite low and the impact of the virus among that age group was also low. Work was ongoing around how adults interacted to control the spread of COVID 19 and while workplaces had been set up to reduce the risk of infection it was the social interactions around work, for example car sharing to and from work or going for a drink after work, where there were concerns about possible spread. It was hoped that through the measures that were in place and by people acting in accordance with the guidance that infection rates would remain low. However, if the levels of infection started to increase to unmanageable levels then decisions would need to be taken as to which parts of society were essential and needed to stay open and which would be closed.

The Executive Member for Adult Social Care raised concern around people who were in poverty and could not afford to take time off work due to illness and the importance of getting the message out to people around support that was available to them. Trafford also had to consider what steps could be taken to provide further support to people in poverty at this time.  The Director of Public Health responded that the pandemic had highlighted the impact that poverty and inequalities had on people’s health and wellbeing. The Board were informed that parents in the more affluent areas of Trafford had been more willing to send their children back to school than those in the deprived areas, which had the potential to increase the inequality gap, and it was important to spread the message that schools were safe.

The Chair of HealthWatch Trafford raised the issue about welfare rights and the fact that so many people were not claiming the benefits that they were entitled to. They asked whether the Council could hold sessions for people to come and find out about what they were entitled to and aid them in claiming it. The second point the Chair of HealthWatch Trafford raised was around gaining feedback from the public. HealthWatch Trafford had sent out a survey to the public and had received a lot of feedback which would be fed into the Public Engagement Board and they asked Board Members to complete the survey and to inform others about it. The Corporate Director for Adult Services responded that the points made regarding accessibility and opening times were noted and would be added to the poverty strategy and another piece of work which looked at how to support people across all services.

RESOLVED:

1)    That the action plans for the Health Protection Board, Public Engagement Board and the Trafford 10 point plan be noted.

2)    That Board Members are to take part in the HealthWatch Trafford Survey and inform Trafford residents of it.

3)    That the points raised about accessibility and opening times be fed back into the Council’s Poverty Strategy and work around supporting residents.