Health: Children

(asked on 23rd July 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage health and wellbeing boards to measure and monitor children's subjective well-being as a key outcome in their local area.


Answered by
Caroline Dinenage Portrait
Caroline Dinenage
This question was answered on 29th July 2019

Health and Wellbeing Boards in England bring into one forum representatives from health, social services and the local community to decide what the main public health needs of the local population are, and to determine how best to meet them in an integrated and holistic manner. Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to produce Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for their area. Based on the needs identified the Board produces a Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS). Both the JSNA and JHWS must be taken into account by local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and NHS England when preparing or revising commissioning.

We believe that local leaders are best placed to make decisions as to the need of the population they serve, including for children and young people’s wellbeing. Places such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority have produced a dedicated Children and Young People Health and Wellbeing Framework for 2018-2022.

As health is a devolved matter in Wales, it would therefore be the responsibility of the Welsh Government to decide how to monitor children’s wellbeing.

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