Ambition 1 Helping our people live healthier and more independent lives
We know health and wellbeing is essential for everyone and helps our County to grow and flourish. But people's health and wellbeing varies across Nottinghamshire.
Those in our most disadvantaged areas have lives which are on average 7.5 years shorter than people in our least disadvantaged areas. As well as living lives which are shorter, they will also spend 14 years more living in poor health. Some of our population are particularly affected. Women in our most disadvantaged communities can expect to live on average one third of their lives in poor health.
Access to health and care services is important but only forms a small part of our health and wellbeing. Factors like housing, employment, education, food, transport, air quality and community networks play a big role. These are also areas where our residents experience inequalities. That's why we'll work alongside other organisations to make sure the places we grow, live and work improve health and wellbeing for all — especially in those areas where the need is greatest. But we’ll also improve our services, so they have the biggest impact for local people. Our ambition is that people in every community enjoy healthier, happier lives and remain independent for longer.
The Big Notts Survey
- 2 in 5 (41%) people named their own or others’ mental health as one of their top concerns during the pandemic. This remains a top concern for the near future.
- Over 1 in 4 (27%) said good health was their top goal over the next 10 years, with this rising to 1 in 2 (52%) for the over 65s.
Over the next four years we will:
Use our influence to create healthy and sustainable places
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.
Give our children the best start in 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.
Promote good mental health and wellbeing for everyone
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.
Support individuals to improve their health and wellbeing
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.
Support people to live independently in their own homes for longer
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.
Create homes in which everyone can live and age well
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.
Strengthen partnership working across the local health and care system
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.
Protect people from existing and emerging threats to health
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].
In 2024-25, to achieve this, we will deliver the following actions:
Implement the carers strategy with all Integrated Care System (ICS) partners, including the ongoing development of the Carers Hub service, which involves ongoing co-production with peer led carer support groups.
We will also continue to review and develop Short Breaks options for carers, simplifying the process for people to access short breaks and ensuring we have a broad and flexible range of short breaks options available. So that carers are supported to care for and support their loved ones, that they have access to advice, guidance, support and signposting and that less crisis intervention is required.
Deliver on the Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Smoking & Tobacco Alliance’s long-term vision to help vulnerable groups quit smoking, ensuring effective regulation of tobacco and vaping products, reducing exposure to second-hand smoke and increasing focus on prevention and engagement with children and young people.
So that we make the harms of smoking a thing of the past for our next generation, so that all of those born in 2022 are still non-smokers by their 18th birthday in 2040, and that smoking amongst adults reduces to 5% or lower by 2035, across Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City.
Deliver on the aims of the Nottinghamshire Food Charter, working with local partners to adopt a Joint Food Plan.
So that we address the causes of poor nutrition and food insecurity, improving residents’ access to affordable healthy food in Nottinghamshire. This will improve the local food system for better health and wellbeing, as well as improved environmental and economic outcomes.
Work with the Integrated Care System partners and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to expedite Nottinghamshire’s ambition to extend the benefits of water fluoridation to everyone across the county.
So that oral health for all of Nottinghamshire’s residents is improved.
Implement the County Council’s Housing Strategy, in partnership with local District and Borough Councils.
So that healthy and sustainable places are created, housing needs in Nottinghamshire are met, people can live and age well in their own homes and safe homes are provided for the most vulnerable in our communities
To find out more about what we’ve got planned for the current year, you can read our full Annual Delivery Plan 2024-2025 [PDF].