Ambition 1 Helping our people live healthier and more independent lives

We’ll ensure that the environment we grow, live, work and age in promotes good health and wellbeing. We’ll use the planning and transport system, along with economic planning, licensing and policy decisions, to create places that do this. This will also help to reduce health inequalities and benefit the environment, for a better quality of life.

We will deliver our Best Start Strategy [PDF], so that all children in Nottinghamshire, wherever they live, grow up to enjoy the best health possible, are protected from harm, and have access to education that enables them to reach their potential and boost their future life chances.  

We’ll work with partners to improve emotional and mental health in Nottinghamshire, recognising the extra strain caused by the pandemic and the challenges faced by young people and people with additional needs.

We will:

• use our influence and powers to ensure the places in which we grow, live and work promote good health
• make it easier for people to access the right mental health and wellbeing support at the right time
• coordinate support with our partners through our shared Mental Health Strategy [PDF] and work together to prevent suicide
• develop and continue to improve services specifically for children and young people through Integrated Commissioning
• expand the Nottalone website, which supports children, young people, parents, carers and professionals
• offer people with long term social care, mental health needs, learning disability and autism, timely support closer to home
• ensure relevant staff are properly trained in supporting people’s mental and emotional health.

We’ll provide services that support people in improving their health and wellbeing. These will address the biggest causes of ill-health – smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, being overweight, harmful alcohol use and substance misuse.  While these will improve the health and wellbeing of everyone in Nottinghamshire, we’ll focus on where the need is greatest. We’ll also address the social and environmental factors that cause differences in people’s health. Finally, we’ll support other organisations to deliver services which better prevent poor health, loss of independence and unnecessary hospital stays.

We’ll work with people to enable them to live healthy and independent lives and support  people to find their independence and confidence again after a time of ill-health.  We’ll take a personalised approach to finding the right care and support for individuals and act early to prevent more costly and intrusive care later on.  With the help of our health colleagues, new local area coordinators and local community resources, we’ll talk to people about their strengths, assets and skills, and support them to live the best life they can.  And, when people need it, we’ll offer a range of care opportunities, close to where they live.  

We’ll use Council land to supply new homes that meet the needs of people of all abilities in Nottinghamshire and help them to live independently.

We’ll work with partners to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and help people to return home as soon as they are well.

We’ll also work in partnership with the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System to deliver the proposals outlined in the Health and Care Bill 2021. This will help us deliver more joined-up services, so care is better allocated and health and care professionals can work together more easily, which in turn will prevent poor health and benefit people's wellbeing.

We’ll work in partnership to ensure there are good arrangements to protect people from outbreaks of infectious diseases and non-infectious environmental hazards, focusing on protecting those most at risk of harm. We’ll also continue to deliver Nottinghamshire’s COVID-19 Local Outbreak Management Plan [PDF].