Agenda and minutes

To be notified of the appointment of Substitute Members.

Pursuant to the Council's Constitution, the appointment of the following substitute members was reported:

Cllr L Bones for Cllr L Arkley

You are invited to declare any registerable and/or non registerable interests in matters appearing on the agenda, and the nature of that interest.

You are also invited to disclose any dispensation in relation to any registerable and/or non-registerable interests that have been granted to you in respect of any matters appearing on the agenda.

Please complete the Declarations of Interests card available at the meeting and return it to the Democratic Services Officer before leaving the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To Confirm the minutes of the meeting held on

Resolved:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 1 July 2021 be confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

To receive a Covid update presentation covering public health and adult social care.

The Sub-committee received a Covid 19 update covering public health and adult social care.

It was noted that Covid rates had stabilised across the country and the North East rate was similar to the rate for England.  The number of deaths were low and the Delta variant remained the dominant type.

The rates in the Borough were 690 cases in the last 7 days predominantly in the 50 years and under age group, with the lowest rates in the over 65 years age group.

In relation to the vaccine roll out, 90% of adults in the borough had received a first dose of the vaccine and 82% had received two doses. 

Members highlighted concerns about a possible increase in Covid rates when children returned to schools in September 2021.

Young people aged 16-17 years had been invited to book a Covid vaccination and it was noted that an announcement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) was expected on whether to vaccinate young people in the 12-15 age group. 

It was explained that plans were being put in place to deliver a booster Covid vaccine and also the Flu vaccination programme in the autumn.

Although there were a significant number of positive cases of the Delta variant, many people had mild symptoms and the vaccination was offering some protection against serious illness, hospitalisation and death.  Most patients in hospital with Covid continued to be unvaccinated. 

The Sub-committee then received an update in relation to adult social care and the upcoming work to support Care Providers.

There were recruitment and retention issues of staff in a range of social care service areas.

The Council were working with North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Primary Care Networks (PCN’s) and Northumbria Trust to support the booster vaccination programme and vaccinations were mandatory for Care Home Staff who needed to be fully vaccinated with first and second vaccinations.

There was a requirement on registered managers to be assured of compliance for people working in care homes in employed and volunteer roles and for visiting professionals, registered managers would still want to see confirmation of vaccination before allowing into the care home.  Other infection control measures and PPE would still apply

The majority of Care Home staff in North Tyneside had been vaccinated and staff were working hard to encourage the small minority of staff who were vaccine hesitant to have the two doses.  There was some discussion on whether staff had left Care work due to the vaccination process and it was noted that this would be a concern for the domiciliary care sector.

The Chair thanked the Director of Public Health for the informative presentation.

To receive a report on Suicide Prevention in North Tyneside, including the impact of Covid on suicide rates and the suicide prevention strategy.

The Sub-Committee considered a report and presentation on the key findings of the 2021 North Tyneside Suicide Needs Assessment and ongoing suicide prevention work and action plan.

The Key findings from the 2021 North Tyneside Suicide Needs Assessment included the following:

-  There had been a significant increase in suicide nationally since 2017

-   North Tyneside’s current suicide rate was similar to the England rate and similar to the rate  of the other 11 North East local authority areas

-   Early analysis of national real-time suicide surveillance (RTSS) and monitoring of local RTSS indicated that there has been no evidence of a large rise in suicides due to COVID

-   Male suicides accounted for approximately 75% of all suicides both nationally and in North Tyneside

-   Suicides peak in middle-age nationally and in North Tyneside

-   ‘Hanging, strangulation, and suffocation’ was the most common method of suicide in both males and females, followed by poisoning nationally and in North Tyneside

The refreshed Suicide Prevention Action Plan for North Tyneside had been developed using national suicide prevention policy and guidance, tailoring this to the needs of the borough identified by the 2021 Suicide Health Needs Assessment. The key driver of suicide prevention work in England was the National Suicide Prevention Strategy published in September 2012 by the Department of Health. The strategy outlined two main objectives:

 1. to reduce the suicide rate in the general population in England; and

 2. to provide better support for those bereaved or affected by suicide.

This strategy also outlined seven key areas for action for suicide prevention work:

1. Reduce the risk of suicide in key high-risk groups

2. Tailor approaches to improve mental health in specific groups

3. Reduce access to the means of suicide

4. Provide better information and support to those bereaved or affected by suicide

5. Support the media in delivering sensitive approaches to suicide and suicidal behaviour

6. Support research, data collection and monitoring

7. Reduce rates of self-harm as a key indicator of suicide risk

The refreshed Suicide Prevention Action Plan provided an outline of the wide range of suicide prevention activities being undertaken by the multi-agency Suicide Prevention Task Group.

Progress on the key actions from the previous 2020-2021 action plan included:

-       An updated Suicide Health Needs Assessment that considers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide in the borough

-       Continual monitoring of real-time suicide surveillance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and onwards.

-       The roll-out of a range of suicide prevention training courses through Tyneside and Northumberland MIND to over 100 frontline workers across the system who support a range of vulnerable groups across our communities.

-       Awareness raising and outreach to encourage residents of North Tyneside to reach out to those around them and offer an ear to those who may be struggling during mental health awareness week and World Suicide Prevention day.

-       COVID-19 Grassroots Grants for VODA ‘Little boxes of hope’ and Helix arts grants

-       Ongoing engagement with regional suicide  ...  view the full minutes text for item ASCH18/21