1. NHS ISLINGTON JSNA PILOT PROJECT Working with the community and voluntary sector 26 th November 2009 Presented by Rachel Maan

2. SETTING THE SCENE FOR ISLINGTON NHS Islington at a glance: - Inner London borough covering 14.86 km2 - 13, 155 persons per km - Total population of 195, 489 - 8 th most deprived borough in England - 44% of the population aged 20 to 39 - 26% of the population from a BME background - 32% of residents born outside the United Kingdom The 2008 JSNA - strong on the use of evidence, partnership working with the LA and quantitative information. The major area for development was around more effective and sustainable engagement with the community and voluntary sector.

3. PROJECT AIMS AND OUTCOMES Recognised as a long term project, with the pilot element as the first step Ultimate aim is to develop strategies for more effective community and voluntary sector engagement through: - fostering greater local ownership of the JSNA process and outcomes - engaging with and listening to the third sector - empowering local people to voice their needs - maintaining on-going local engagement in the JSNA cycle The outcomes include: - priorities that reflect the needs of the local population - increased relevance of services for local people - improved uptake, quality and sustainability of services - stronger relationships with the local community and the third sector

4. PILOT PROJECT AIMS To raise awareness of the JSNA and improve understanding of the JSNA process within the voluntary and community sectors To build relationships with the voluntary and community sectors around the JSNA To improve our understanding of health needs from the voluntary/ community perspective To improve our understanding of the voluntary and community sector structure

5. PROJECT APPROACH: WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO Assimilation of existing engagement activity Third sector call for information on health needs Citizens panel questionnaire based on health Used to form a body of knowledge on the health needs of Islington from the community perspective Informal consultation on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the JSNA (planned for Feb/March 2010) – opportunity to test our findings Outcomes used to inform 2010 JSNA development

6. PROJECT APPROACH: WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO cont. 1.Third sector call for information - template sent to a wide network of organisations during summer 2009. Broad inclusion and exclusion criteria set. 2.Assimilation of existing material – collated and analysed outcomes from relevant engagement activities undertaken since 2006 within the PCT and Local Authority. 3. Citizens panel – questionnaire sent to 1187 residents focusing on perceptions of health and healthy lifestyles, health behaviours, barriers to achieving a healthy lifestyle and recommended actions to facilitate health improvement.

7. PROJECT OUTCOMES: WHAT WORKED WELL The shift to a more qualitative focus for the JSNA was embraced by Local Authority, PCT and third sector partners Progress has been made with promoting awareness and understanding of the JSNA in the voluntary and community sectors Relationships are building with some of our key stakeholders such as the Local Involvement Network and Islington Voluntary Action Council We have a baseline set of information and knowledge of where gaps exist – a platform from which to move forward

8. PROJECT OUTCOMES: WHAT WORKED WELL cont.. 1. Third sector call for information – useful exercise in understanding the structure / capacity of the third sector. Identified some useful information and more importantly some of the gaps we need to address 2. Assimilation of existing engagement material - made the best use of available resources and brought together engagement activities in a way that hadn’t been done before. Common themes identified. Helped inform future focus for engagement. 3. Citizens panel – 54% response rate. Provided valuable insight and helpful in informing future strategy and service provision.

9. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS Active and well structured voluntary sector with good channels of communication and receptive to engagement New Head of Communications and Engagement – opportunity to raise the profile of the JSNA, better engage with commissioning and to offer expertise to support the engagement processes History of strong partnership working with the Local Authority – support at senior levels in taking the JSNA forward Willingness to share resources and support the engagement agenda across the PCT and LA

10. WHAT DIDN’T WORK WELL AND LESSONS LEARNT The response to the third sector call for information was not as fruitful as anticipated. Some organisations struggled to understand the JSNA and therefore the purpose of the request. Process was labour intensive. This technique tended to favour larger, better resourced organisations. Having an early active dialogue with key stakeholders to test plans for engagement is important. Existing PCT / LA engagement material was available at the corporate level but harder to get hold of at the individual service level. Information tended to be patchy – useful in supporting but not defining priorities. Identifying champions in different organisations and departments is useful to help collate information. Coupling existing information with an active dialogue is important to identify and prioritise health needs.

11. WHAT DIDN’T WORK WELL AND LESSONS LEARNT Timescales and capacity – resources were diverted away from the JSNA during the first wave of the flu pandemic resulting in delays and timing becoming out of sync with commissioning processes. Joint working with commissioning and having shared milestones/ deadlines is key. Engagement elements were undertaken in parallel to chapter writing making it difficult to pull the quantitative and qualitative aspects together. Where possible have the outcomes from engagement ahead of JSNA chapter writing so they can be used to inform recommendations. JSNA project group set up was delayed. Identify project structures early and get sign off. Use alternative methods for engaging with stakeholders in the interim.

12. KEY MESSAGES TO SHARE Know your local landscape in terms of the voluntary and community sector and then decide how it can best be served. Emphasise what the JSNA can do for your voluntary / community partners - it isn’t just a one way process. An enhanced understanding of local population health needs can help organisations to better serve their communities It is important to manage expectations when engaging with communities. The JSNA is a cyclical process and part of a wider mechanism to inform priority setting. Input needs to be seen in this context.

13. Test your plans for engagement with the voluntary/ community sectors early Feeding back to individuals/ organisations on how their input will be utilised not only builds good relationships but makes involvement in the future more likely Balancing active dialogue with the utilisation of existing information is key to achieving an informed perspective on community views of health needs KEY MESSAGES TO SHARE