- LGA experts worked with the Isle of Wight Health and Wellbeing Board over a three-month period
- One-to-one interviews and workshops were held covering how the board worked, neighbourhood health and working with communities
- Director of public health reports the support helped ‘lift the gaze’ of the board as it entered a crucial new phase
The Isle of Wight Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) invited the LGA in to provide support at a pivotal moment for the system. Responsibilities for neighbourhood health were coming into the HWB’s remit, creating a need for clarity about future roles and expectations. On top of this, in September 2025, the island gained its own dedicated public health leadership, having previously worked to a shared director of public health with Hampshire. This shift created both opportunity and pressure - a chance to reset relationships, strengthen system leadership and establish a clear direction.
Isle of Wight Director of Public Health Kate Harvey said: “Taking on public health leadership ourselves was a real moment. Hampshire is large and has its own priorities and challenges that are different to ours. At the same time, we realised we needed to shift towards genuine system leadership. The membership of our health and care partnership board and the HWB was very similar and we were seeing a lot of items coming forward purely for information rather than decisions. It made us question whether we were using the HWB’s role to its full potential. We needed to move from being a place where papers were noted to a place where system priorities were shaped.
Isle of Wight Council Chief Executive Wendy Perera said: “Working in health and care on the Isle of Wight is a very particular challenge. The isolation shapes everything - you can’t always look to the next system for support or capacity and that creates real pressure on the people who are here.
“Because everyone knows each other so well and works so closely, the culture is incredibly friendly. But it also means we may not always challenge each other as much as areas with bigger systems and more distance between teams. There simply aren’t as many strategic leaders. It’s a place full of commitment and goodwill, but the geography and scale create a set of constraints you don’t see elsewhere.”
Three months of intense work
The LGA experts all had experience of HWBs ensuring the Isle of Wight had access to the full breadth of experience needed - spanning the NHS, public health, elected members, the voluntary and community sector and senior local government. Together, they conducted a series of one to one interviews with HWB members in January to understand how the board was operating and where there were opportunities to strengthen its role. This was followed by three themed workshops - one on how the board worked, one on neighbourhood health and one focussed on partnership working with communities. The whole process, from initial scoping to final reflections, took three months from start to finish.
Kate said: “It was an incredibly busy and intense three months, but we wanted to really get some momentum to this. The support from the LGA genuinely helped lift our gaze. They created a safe, reflective space where colleagues felt able to speak openly about what was working, what wasn’t, and where we needed to be braver. The LGA carries real respect locally, and their involvement immediately signalled that this is an issue of importance and one we are committed to getting right.
“They also brought much needed extra capacity at exactly the right moment - we were able to move quickly, stay focussed and get through a significant amount of work in a short time. What really stood out was their deep knowledge of what works well elsewhere. They offered practical examples and constructive challenge that pushed our thinking in a positive direction.”
‘We’re ready to lead’
The first workshop on how the HWB was working saw members agree that it should act in a more strategic, system-wide way rather than falling into the trap providing a scrutiny function. A number of recommendations have now been approved by the HWB. Firstly, membership is being updated to include more executive-level members to aid strategic leadership and diversify the make-up of the board from the partnership board.
Coaching is also likely to be offered to aid neighbourhood health planning requirements and there are to be new templates and guidance for HWB agenda items and papers, including end of meeting reflection time to allow the board to assess whether it is meeting its requirements.
The neighbourhood health planning workshop included guidance from consultants Impower, which was providing support in relation to the Better Care Fund, focussed on how the island could ensure a “people and places” approach to neighbourhood health so that the agenda did not become too focussed on NHS services. A shared ambition was agreed to do things different for defined groups of people working closely with the town and parish councils. A neighbourhood health development group is in place and it was agreed the HWB would set out the governance, principles and project plan for the group.
Finally, the working with communities workshop facilitated by two of the LGA experts stressed the importance of the town and parish councils and local voluntary sector – both are represented on the HWB.
Kate added: “We’re in a really strong place now - there’s a great deal of momentum across the system and a clear sense of purpose. The neighbourhood health framework positions HWBs as the strategic conveners for developing local plans - and we feel well placed to take that role on. The work over recent months has given us clarity and collective direction. We’re ready for the future and ready to lead, ensuring the neighbourhood model is implemented well and genuinely improves outcomes for our communities.”