The council received commendation for its commitment to reducing health inequalities following a three-day review by a panel of Local Government Association (LGA) experts in September. The findings, detailed in a newly published report, indicate that the council is effectively fulfilling its public health responsibilities.
Cllr Lisa Denson, Cabinet Member for A Fairer Future, expressed pride in the council's work. "We were pleased to be the first council in the country to take part in this new process," she stated. "We’re really proud of the work we do to improve health and wellbeing for people in the borough – particularly trying to break down the inequalities we see across different areas in our borough."
She added, "There’s always more to do, and having that independent assessment of our work to help celebrate what we’re doing well, as well as help us to refine how we can improve, is vital to help us help our residents." The review focused on improvement rather than inspection, examining areas such as leadership, vision, partnership working, data utilisation, resources, and statutory responsibilities.
The report highlighted strong political leadership, commitment from senior officers, and effective collaboration across the organisation. Areas identified for future development include refining public health priorities, strengthening workforce planning, enhancing influence within the wider health system, and incorporating more resident feedback into decision-making.
This Public Health Peer Review is part of the LGA's broader public health improvement initiative and aligns with the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan for England, which mandates regular peer reviews for all upper-tier and unitary councils.
