Agenda item

The Mayor and Executive Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health and the Director of Public Health submitted a report that sought approval for delegated authority for the Director of Public Health to submit a bid to the National Institute of Health Research to look to secure a Health Determinants Research Collaboration function.

The report outlined details on the proposal to develop a research culture in Middlesbrough Council and Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council via the submission of a bid to secure a Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) from the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR).

If successful, the bid would be worth up to £1 million a year for five years with potential for the funding to be made long term pending a review in year four. Discussions were ongoing as to whether the bid covered Middlesbrough Council only or South Tees (with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council) including which of the two Local Authorities would submit the application.

The proposal was that a bid would be submitted to host a NIHR HDRC in conjunction with Teesside University.

Securing a NIHR HDRC would be positive for Middlesbrough Council and the University in many ways. It had the potential to significantly raise the profile of Middlesbrough Council. The Council would be at the forefront in improving the use of evidence to inform decision making. Officers would collaborate more and secure research monies to ascertain what was working and what was not working. The Council could use the HDRC to attract the best talent to the Local Authority, the University and the wider system. The opportunities that the HDRC would bring would help the Council to develop and retain staff. The extra monies that would be secured would create more local jobs.

Other potential options/decisions include:

OPTION 1

Continue as we are – this is an option although it does not achieve the benefits mentioned above.

OPTION 2

Attempt to implement the culture change without the HDRC resource – this is an option but would unlikely achieve an impact without significant investment of officer time.

ORDERED:-

The decision asks that delegated authority is granted to the Director of Public Health to submit a bid to the National Institute of Health Research to look to secure a Health
Determinants Research Collaboration function.

REASONS:-

The decision was supported for the following reasons:

1.     Securing a NIHR HDRC will be positive for Middlesbrough Council and the University in so many ways.

2.     It has the potential to significantly raise the profile of Middlesbrough Council. We will be at the forefront in improving the use of evidence to inform our decision making. Our Officers will collaborate more and secure research monies so that we know better what is working and what isn’t working. We can use the HDRC to attract the best talent to the Local Authority, the University and the wider system. The opportunities that the HDRC will bring will help us to develop and retain our staff. The extra monies that we will secure will create more local jobs.