Proposals for a new ‘Bradford Observatory’ to Inform Local Planning and Provision in Health and Well Being

Any Voluntary Sector Organisation that has contracted with the local Primary Care Trust (PCT) or council understands the importance of demonstrating how they will improve, for example, the health of the local population. It is important, increasingly so, to understand the needs of the local population in planning service delivery. Currently it can be difficult to find the information needed and time intensive for organisations to do this. Often research won’t exist on the particular area that you are looking at or it won’t be in a format that is useful to Voluntary Organisations, it almost certainly won’t be in one place. Intelligence is collected and analysed by both the PCT and the council but not shared with the Voluntary Organisations that could make use of it to better inform their service delivery. We only see the final results of research findings in the form of targets in strategies and commissioning plans. There are plans for a new team, the Bradford Observatory that will provide reports and links to key intelligence about health and wellbeing in Bradford District. It will inform local decision making, needs assessment and service planning to improve health and well being. As an interim solution the Public Health Pages (http://www.bradford.nhs.uk/observatory/Pages/Default.aspx) will provide information whilst the main Bradford Observatory website is developed.

The purpose of the Observatory is to inform PCT and council planning but will hopefully as a web resource provide a useful source of information for the districts

Background
An Observatory is a place (virtual or otherwise) which collects, stores and shares data, information and intelligence. It should enable its users to access data and intelligence from multiple sources and for multiple geographies, and facilitate sharing of research studies. In addition, an effective Observatory is not just a website for exchanging data; its staff should be experts at interpreting and transforming information and data into meaningful health intelligence. These staff must also be able to engage Observatory users to help them understand what information is required to support their work programmes.

A network of 9 Regional Observatories and 12 Regional Public Health
Observatories currently provide a similar though higher-level function across the UK (http://www.regionalobservatories.org.uk,
http://www.apho.org.uk) and there are also local examples (e.g. Brighton - www.bhlis.org/). Bradford Observatory will supplement national and regional intelligence by consolidating and sharing data at much smaller sub-District localities or neighbourhoods. This will support the micro-management required to ‘narrow the gap’ between the least and most disadvantaged areas thereby meeting strategic objectives including the LAA and the JSNA.

Local and National Strategic Context
In 2004 the Government White Paper Choosing Health set out the key principles for supporting the public to make healthier and more informed choices about their health. These national priorities for action, and local priorities such as reducing infant mortality and increasing life expectancy, must be described in a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). The JSNA is the means by which the local PCT and Council will describe the future health, health care and well-being needs of local populations and the strategic direction of service delivery to meet those needs.

The Local Government White Paper ‘Strong and Prosperous Communities’ (DCLG, 2006), continued this momentum by setting a new performance framework for local authorities (working alone or in partnership) to deliver Local Area Agreements. It also reinforced local government’s ‘Place-Shaping’ role within local Districts at the same time as highlighting the important role that robust data and intelligence at the local level will play in identifying these local priority targets, and tracking performance against them. The legislation also prescribes that the longterm local vision for economic, social and environmental well-being should be set out in a Sustainable Community Strategy (‘The Big Plan’). Both the Big Plan and the JSNA, and the priorities therein, will be informed by accurate and timely local intelligence covering a range of health and well being indicators (see Local and Priority Indicators below). In anticipation of this, the Council had been building the capacity to support this role and in March 2007, the Community Strategy Delivery Group, approved the development of a prototype ‘Observatory’ to draw together the essential intelligence required to underpin the District’s Sustainable Community Strategy, the LAA and wider partner ambitions.

About the Bradford Observatory
Aims and benefits
The aims of the Bradford District Observatory are to:
Provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for intelligence about population of
Bradford District
Inform local decision making for reducing health and social inequality through needs assessment, service planning and community development.
Provide a systematic and efficient approach to providing key data and conducting analysis.

The Observatory will be a portal through which all partners will be able to access relevant and timely data and intelligence about the District. This will inform needs assessment and service planning and commissioning for Bradford, supporting the Local Area Agreement and including specific initiatives to reduce inequalities in health. Funding has been provided by Bradford and Airedale tPCT and Bradford Metropolitan District.

Local priority and indicator set
The priority areas for the Observatory will be based on the content and policies outlined in the following local and national documents:
−Joint Strategic Need Assessment (JSNA)
−Sustainable Community Strategy The Big Plan
−Local Area Agreement (LAA)
−PCT commissioning strategy
−BMDC Corporate Plan
−Every Child Matters

The Observatory team will initially prioritise key issues highlighted in the JSNA and LAA. From this, the following are suggested:

−Health and well being priorities
−Reducing health inequalities
−Reducing infant mortality
−Reducing mortality from CHD/stroke/cancer
−Reducing the numbers who smoke
−Tackling obesity (and malnutrition)
−Reducing harm from alcohol and encouraging sensible drinking
−Reducing drug misuse
−Improving sexual health and reducing teenage pregnancy
−Improving mental health & well-being
−Access to services for disadvantaged groups
−Diagnosis/control of hyper tension
−Improving quality and access to Primary Care
−Supporting vulnerable people
−Transforming urgent care
−Transforming learning disability and mental health services
−Dental and oral health and access to NHS dentists
−Children and Young People
−Emotional & Physical Well-being
−Tackling abuse and neglect
−Standards of educational attainment
−Access to further education
−Promote and celebrate achievement
−Safer and Stronger Communities
−Reduce overall levels of crime
−Anti-Social Behaviour
−Fear of Crime
−Safe neighbourhoods for older people
−Diversion and positive intervention.
−Road safety
−Involvement in Community Life
−Civic action
−Cultural Participation
−Fairness to all
−Community relations
−Economic Development and the Environment
−Changing Perceptions
−Shaping Quality Places
−Improve the Neighbourhood Environment
−Housing supply
−Financial Security
−Employment and Learning Opportunities
−Increase Employment Rates
−Cultural Economy
−Promoting business growth
−Congestion
−Transport and connectivity
−Air quality / climate change
−Resource efficiency