Bradford is a partner in West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership – a first-wave integrated care system (ICS). This case study forms part of our integrated care system (ICS) resource.
Bradford Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) provides leadership and oversight for improving health and wellbeing, reducing inequalities and promoting integration.
The HWB has become the ‘senior strategic partnership’ for the city, focused on tackling the wider determinants of health and coordinating the work of the other strategic partnerships. These include the economic partnership, stronger communities, the children’s trust and community safety.
Bradford is a partner in West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership – a first-wave ICS. The HWB oversees the work of the Integration and Change Board, which was set up to progress Bradford District and Craven towards becoming an integrated care partnership – extending joint commissioning and integrated delivery as set out in the area’s ‘Happy, healthy at home’ plan.
The membership of the HWB has been extended to reflect the focus on the wider determinants of health, and the intention over time is to create one strategic place plan for the city. This is an ambitious venture with great potential for making a major impact on people’s health, wellbeing, prosperity and inclusion.
“Good health and inclusive economic growth go hand in hand. That’s why it’s critical that our health and wellbeing board is focused on the big picture, acting on all the factors that influence our wellbeing. This works well because our broad coalition of partners from all parts of public life collaborate on shared goals. Our logic models are key. They connect actions today with outcomes tomorrow; and they help us stay on track, driving the changes that really matter.” Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader, Bradford City Council and Chair, Bradford Health and Wellbeing Board
To help manage the complexities of cross-sector working, Bradford has developed a logic model which draws plans together and illustrates the causal connection between long-term outcomes and the actions needed to achieve these. The model allows leaders to track progress, take remedial action if needed, and inform commissioning and investment decisions.
Bradford has a history of effective partnership working, including integrated discharge arrangements, resulting in one of the lowest and most sustained levels of delayed transfers of care in the country. Building on such work, local commissioners and providers from all sectors have signed a strategic partnering agreement (SPA) which sets out the roles, responsibilities, leadership and decision making in the integrated care partnership.
An important principle of the SPA is to devolve decisions as close as possible to where support takes place. Bradford has a focus on planning and delivery at locality level and has 13 community partnerships made up of primary care, social care, the VCS and local communities. Community partnerships have developed organically in response to local issues, and will continue to do so, but a priority for the HWB will be to explore the potential for alignment with primary care networks and other mechanisms such as local area committees, bringing together clinical, political and community leadership in neighbourhoods.
Contact
James Drury, Programme Director, Bradford Integration and Change Board
[email protected]