Agenda item

To consider proposals in relation to the Sandwell Health Determinants Research Collaboration.

(1)  Receive the Health Determinants Research Collaboration proposal and supporting documents for consideration and comment (Appendices 1-3).

(2)  Approve receipt of funding up to £5 million and implementation of the proposed 5-year programme, subject to the pending bid being successful.

(3)  Approves the implementation of the following action points identified within the Strategic Investment Unit Appraisal Report to reduce any risk to the Council:

(a)  That NIHR’s terms and conditions of funding are passported to delivery partners in agreements with Sandwell MBC and include the following:

•       Procurement in accordance with Sandwell MBC’s own procurement requirements

•       Maximum funding allocation for each del

•       Evidence required to support grant claims

•       Grant claims paid in arrears

•       Repayment of grant in the event of non-delivery of outputs

•       Monitoring requirements

•       Responsibility for funding overspends on delivery of the project

(b)  That all estimated costs are reviewed with delivery partners to ensure that the outputs of the project can be delivered within available funding.

(c)   That agreed output levels are agreed with partners involved in the delivery of the project and monitored throughout the funding period.

(d)  That overhead costs are reviewed to ensure that defrayment can be evidenced in accordance with the funder’s requirements.

(e)  That the Risk Register is reviewed to ensure all risks relating to the project are identified and adequately mitigated.

(f)    That capital equipment purchased for the project is notified to Strategic Finance at the end of the financial year and is included on the council’s Asset Register and accounted for accordingly on the authority’s Balance Sheet.

(g)  That VAT/tax advice is received from the Council’s tax consultants and adhered to accordingly

Approval was sought for the Sandwell Health Determinants Research Collaboration proposal.

The Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) aim was to boost research capacity and capability within local government to embed a culture of always using evidence when making decisions. HDRC used research findings to understand how decisions impact on health and health inequalities.

Sandwell Council was the 12^th most deprived local authority in England and life expectancy was 2-3 years shorter than the national average. Inequalities had deepened by the pandemic, austerity and climate change, yet Sandwell’s superdiverse communities, industrial heritage and green spaces were key assets. A research needs analysis in 2021 found a strong culture of evidence-based decision making in the Public Health directorate, but this was weaker across the wider Council.

Reason for Decision

The funding would provide the Council with a unique opportunity to progress the service ambitions to use information and intelligence in a more strategic way to improve outcomes for Sandwell residents and reduce health inequalities over the longer term.

The HDRC would align to our Borough-wide Levelling Up Programme (LUP), which would invest in affordable homes, improved skills infrastructure, better leisure facilities, an improved public realm, active travel infrastructure, social value, local spend, and local employment opportunities. The HDRC would give the Council the means to ensure that the LUP and related work across the Council was informed by evidence and robustly evaluated.

Meeting the objectives of the proposed HRDC programme would lead to higher quality of the services the Council deliver and commission and more efficient investment to improve Sandwell as a place, including education, skills, employment, community cohesion, transport, housing, economy and the built environment – which were the wider determinants of health and the objectives of the Corporate Plan. Over the longer term, this would lead to improved health outcomes and reduced inequalities in both physical and mental health across the life course, contributing to the Vision 2030 of a thriving, optimistic and resilient community.

The HDRC would therefore have potential benefits across all Corporate Plan priority areas throughout the programme and beyond.

Alternative Options Considered

Without the funding, the Council would continue to attempt to achieve as much of these objectives as we can within existing resources and partnerships. However, what the Council can achieve in this way was severely limited as the Council do not have the capacity or infrastructure to achieve positive change at the scale and pace anticipated with the funding in place.

Resolved:-

(1)          that the Health Determinants Research Collaboration proposal and supporting documents be received;

(2)          that funding up to £5 million and implementation of the proposed 5-year programme be approved, subject to the pending bid being successful;

(3)          that implementation of the following action points identified within the Strategic Investment Unit Appraisal Report be approved to reduce any risk to the Council:

(a)          that NIHR’s terms and conditions of funding are passported to delivery partners in agreements with Sandwell MBC and include the following:

•                Procurement in accordance with Sandwell MBC’s own procurement requirements

•                Maximum funding allocation for each del

•                Evidence required to support grant claims

•                Grant claims paid in arrears

•                Repayment of grant in the event of non-delivery of outputs

•                Monitoring requirements

•                Responsibility for funding overspends on delivery of the project

(b)          that all estimated costs are reviewed with delivery partners to ensure that the outputs of the project can be delivered within available funding;

(c)          that agreed output levels are agreed with partners involved in the delivery of the project and monitored throughout the funding period;

(d)          that overhead costs are reviewed to ensure that defrayment can be evidenced in accordance with the funder’s requirements;

(e)          that the Risk Register is reviewed to ensure all risks relating to the project are identified and adequately mitigated;

(f)            that capital equipment purchased for the project is notified to Strategic Finance at the end of the financial year and is included on the council’s Asset Register and accounted for accordingly on the authority’s Balance Sheet;

(g)          that VAT/tax advice is received from the Council’s tax consultants and adhered to accordingly.