Tuesday 02 July 2019
The Committee for Health & Social Care has published its first Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) today for people over 50.
This will be the first in a series of Joint Strategic Needs Assessments which were mandated in the Partnership of Purpose policy letter, approved on the 9th December 2017. A JSNA considers the needs of a local population and to what extent those needs are being met, whilst identifying gaps in service provision.
This JSNA provides a strong evidence base, enabling us to understand the needs of the over 50s in Guernsey and Alderney, and recommends a number of projects to improve service provision. Many of these focus on prevention and early intervention, enabling people to stay independent for as long as possible. Some of the identified projects include expanding community services, improved data sharing and development of a programme of social prescribing.
The project team spoke with over 250 people during this process, from a wide cross-section of Guernsey and Alderney. Although central, health and care issues were not the only topics that were discussed, with many people talking about issues surrounding transport, signposting, housing and how to maintain meaning and purpose in their lives as they get older.
Heidi Soulsby, President of the Committee for Health & Social Care said:
"This report allows us to better understand our current services, as well as provide information on what older people feel is missing. We are committed to improving outcomes through prevention and early intervention, and partnership working between the States of Guernsey, other health and care professionals and the third sector, will help us achieve this."
Heather Ewert, Public Health Programme Manager said:
"Stakeholders' views, particularly the views of older people, are central to this JSNA. To ensure that these were clearly represented two project prioritisation days took place for the community to prioritise the projects they had all assisted in identifying. The first prioritisation day took was in Alderney on the 23rd November 2018 and the second in Guernsey on the 4th December 2018."
Dr Joanne le Noury, from Public Health Services added:
"This report illustrates not only the Committee for Health & Social Care's dedication to prevention and early intervention but also to the community. Most of the identified projects look to improve preventative services for older people, allowing them to remain happy, healthy and independent for as long as possible."
Dr Nicola Brink, Director of Public Health said:
"We are now going to focus on an implementation plan to ensure as many of the identified projects are completed as possible. This will be a joint venture between the Committee for Health & Social Care and other States of Guernsey Committees, together with different Health and Care providers and Community and Voluntary organisations, with regular updates on what projects have been completed."
David Inglis, Chairman of Age Concern Guernsey, said:
"Members of Age Concern Guernsey draw comfort from the clear evidence identified in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment publication, that there is a desire to act in a manner that reflects the urgency, awareness and needs of our community. Whilst workstreams are being developed, specific data within the report should direct resources and manpower cost-effectively, ensuring assistance to the most vulnerable people in our society earlier, thereby supporting the 'Partnership of Purpose' and the needs of people over 50."
Judy Hayman, who represented service users on the steering group, said:
"It has been a huge privilege to represent the older members of our community on this steering group and to witness the hard work and enthusiasm of the civil servants and to be reassured that our findings will not just be consigned to a dusty shelf but will be monitored to check progress on the Join Strategic Needs Assessment's recommendations."
The full report can be read at www.gov.gg/publichealth/jsna
