Section 7: Recommendations
In my 2019 report I re-stated the Thrive pledge that 'putting people and families at the heart of everything we do was essential'. That is more important than ever as we work to support our communities who have been caught in the 'perfect storm' of welfare reform, austerity and now the COVID-19 pandemic. We must also focus on tackling inequalities so people have a fairer chance including ensuring the people of Gateshead have enough to eat, that they can participate in society and that they can keep a roof over the heads of their family.
Through our locality-based services we will work to ensure that nobody goes hungry, or cold.
We must continue to prioritise our work to challenge inequalities, we have started our journey, but we have not finished it, we will continue to strive to do the right thing.
Recommendation 1: Strategy implementation
We must continue to prioritise the implementation of the recommendations set out in the Health and Wellbeing Strategy (published February 2020). This should include a review of the arrangements for the Health and Wellbeing Board.
Recommendation 2: Understand and engage
We must strengthen our targeted support for our most disadvantaged citizens working with our partners to engage local communities and groups, to understand need, as experienced by our residents, and address the causes of inequality.
Recommendation 3: Tackle inequality
We must make sure that our resources, time, people and assets, are targeted and proportionate to the needs in our community. This means that people living in more disadvantaged positions will receive more. It is only if we do this that we will start to address the unacceptable inequalities we currently see across Gateshead.
Recommendation 4: Participatory leadership
We should continue to embed the MECC approach into all aspects of our work, empowering local people to own, understand and engage with their own peers, improve health literacy, build trusting relationships and facilitate a participatory leadership model.
Recommendation 5: The economy as a driver for well-being
Our work on economic recovery should focus on creating well-being. We must continue to focus on developing the Gateshead economy as we recognise the importance of good quality employment, training and development for all. We recognise the need for flexibility to allow people to make choices to support their wellbeing.
Recommendation 6: Equitable health and care
The Gateshead system leaders have recognised the need to work more closely and in the last year have laid the foundations to develop integrated services. It is essential that the transformation of public services is focussed on local need and meaningfully involves communities in development of the future arrangements. We must ensure that health equity is central to this and proactive action to address the entrenched inverse care law is a priority for all partners.
Recommendation 7: COVID-19 impact assessment
During 2020/21 we should, as partners across the public, community and business sectors, complete a fuller analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 in Gateshead. We must use this impact assessment to direct our future response to tackling inequalities.