Agenda item

The Scrutiny Panel will receive information on the vision and key messages of the You’ve Got This programme, an overview of the community-focused work undertaken in Middlesbrough and details of how the programme aims to contribute to the broader ambitions of South Tees.

The Programme Director and the Programme Officer were in attendance to provide the scrutiny panel with information on the vision and key messages of the You’ve Got This programme, an overview of the community-focused work undertaken in Middlesbrough and details of how the programme aimed to contribute to the broader ambitions of South Tees.

 

The Programme Director provided the information detailed below:

 

·        The local You’ve Got This programme was one of twelve Sport England place partnerships, which explored innovative ways of enabling inactive people to become more active and increase population level of physical activity.

·        The local You’ve Got This programme was initially established in 2018.

·        The aim of the programme was to explore experimental approaches to achieving population level change by focusing on those individuals who were the least physically active.

·        The programme had a strong focus on applying insight (information gathered from partners and communities) and learning.

·        Learning from the place partnerships was central to Sport England’s new 10 year strategy, “Uniting the Movement”.

·        Locally, the programme formed part of Public Health South Tees, working through a wide collective partnership of organisations.

·        The programme supported residents of Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland.

·        You’ve Got This co-led one of Public Health’s five programme themes, the Health Environments Programme.

·        The vision for the You’ve Got This programme was Active Lives as a Way of Life.

·        A whole-system approach was taken, by the programme, to tackle inactivity.

·        The programme recognised that tackling inactivity was much more than individual changes, it required action to be built into all levels of the system.

·        The programme adopted a Test and Learn approach by focusing on gathering insight and learning, being open and honest about what approaches had and had not worked and exploring the “how” and “why”, not just the “what”.

·        The programme adopted Distributed Leadership, which recognised that to achieve positive outcomes, leadership and buy-in at all levels of the system was required.

·        The programme recognised that not one person or group of people was able to achieve population level change.

·        Collaboration was key and You’ve Got This involved working in partnership with over 70 organisations working together to address inactivity.

·        In developing the partnership approach, a common purpose had been established to increase physical activity.

·        Sport England encouraged the programme to develop and explore new ways of working.

·        In achieving population level change through a whole-system approach, the programme explored the following factors:

o   Individual - attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, needs and behaviour

o   Social environment - relationships, families, support groups and social networks

o   Organisations and institutions - schools, healthcare, businesses, faith groups, charities and clubs

o   Physical environment - built, natural and transport links

o   Policy - laws, rules, regulations and codes

o   Wider determinants - socio-economic considerations, poverty

·        It was acknowledged that Middlesbrough had high levels of poverty and research had identified that lower-income families were less likely to engage in physical activity.

·        Smoking cessation was a good example of developing a whole-system approach to achieve population level change, by preventing smoking in public buildings and making it less socially acceptable.

·        An example of relating insight work to the whole-system approach was provided in respect of the factors influencing bike usage:

o   Individual - self-confidence

o   Social environment - perceptions of safety

o   Organisations and institutions - access to bike repair services

o   Physical environment - infrastructure

o   Policy - driver behaviour

o   Wider determinants - bike theft

·        The key focuses of the programme were:

o   Insight, Learning and Evaluation

o   Policy and System Change

o   Collaboration and Partnership

·        Across the South Tees, the programme worked to promote physical activity into a number of different pathways, such as prehabilitation before surgery and the Type 2 Diabetes Programme. Work was also being undertaken to integrate physical activity and health into the planning of housing developments and transport provision.

·        The programme also had a more focussed approach, working across four wards, two in Middlesbrough (Brambles Farm & Thorntree and North Ormesby) and two in Redcar and Cleveland (South Bank and Grangetown), taking a community led approach and focussing on areas such as growing healthy foods and creating active greenspaces.

 

The Programme Officer explained that in terms of workstreams, You’ve Got This had worked with Public Health South Tees and South Tees NHS Foundation Trust in the delivery of Prepwell, prehabilitation before surgery. Prepwell had been designed to support patients by helping them to improve their fitness, health and wellbeing before major surgery. It was the first of its kind across the UK, whereby funding from Sport England had been utilised to support work with a hospital trust. It was commented that the work aimed to ensure that surgeries were a success and to speed up recovery and healing for patients. Members heard that after the funding for You’ve Got This ended, the South Tees NHS Foundation Trust would continue to deliver Prepwell. The scrutiny panel was advised that the insight work and learning, which had been fundamental in the development of Prepwell, was being utilised to inform the delivery of a new service entitled Waiting Well. It was commented that Waiting Well was a similar service, which supported people who had been added to long waiting lists for surgery.

 

You’ve Got This had developed a positive working relationship with the Local Authority, which had enabled the programme to support the delivery of the Holiday Activities Fund (HAF). Members were advised HAF was a grant fund provided to local authorities to coordinate free holiday provision for eligible children. HAF focused on providing a meal and enrichment for young people. Members heard that You’ve Got This had been developing a training model to empower those organisations who delivered HAF with the necessary confidence, knowledge and skills to deliver a suitable and inclusive physical activity program for young people. The work undertaken in respect of the delivery of HAF enabled You’ve Got This to work with the Local Authority to support wider health outcomes. By creating an inclusive environment, community organisations were able to create meaningful experiences for all participants, promoting physical and mental well-being.

 

It was explained that You’ve Got This worked closely with schools, particularly the primary education sector. Members heard that one school had monitored children’s activity levels and during an hour’s PE lesson, it had been identified that children were only active for 18 minutes of that hour. The scrutiny panel heard that a research model named Creating Active Schools (CAS) looked at supporting schools to understand and work towards increasing and improving physical activity across the whole school day and beyond (not just in PE lessons). It was commented that in its first year, the programme had been piloted in five schools across South Tees. In Middlesbrough, CAS had supported Easterside Academy and Breckon Hill Primary School. It was explained that whole school training, across the CAS model, had been delivered to over 100 school staff, ranging from teachers, senior leadership teams and lunchtime supervisors.

 

Members heard that You’ve Got This aimed to integrate physical activity and health into the planning of housing and transport developments. A pilot had been developed, by utilising funding, to support and advocate physical activity across the planning and transport departments of both Middlesbrough Council and Redcar and Cleveland Council. The pilot planned to coordinate the delivery of a whole-system approach to address the wider determinants of physical activity and health, with a focus on the role of the planning and transport departments across South Tees. A specific post had been created to lead the work with the local authorities. It was added that the post would be funded for the remainder of the pilot, following which it was anticipated that it would be embedded within Public Health South Tees as a way of creating legacy and sustainability.

 

It was advised that You’ve Got This had commissioned work to examine how open and green spaces were developed and to understand their uses and value in communities. The project aimed to work with communities to understand the barriers that deter residents from utilising local spaces. It was explained that the project planned to connect and bring together stakeholders, who influenced and worked with residents, to develop place-based plans and strategies. Members heard that the overall aim was to create better coordination and provide support to increase usage of open and green spaces.

 

Members heard that You’ve Got This had been supporting youth provision in the Brambles and Thorntree area, via Youth Focus North East. It was commented that the work with Youth Focus North East aimed to support community wellbeing, physical activity and engagement with open spaces.

 

Members heard that work had been undertaken to secure capital funding for Henry Street Field in North Ormesby. Those funds had been utilised to support Thirteen Housing and a community group to promote the use of that outdoor space and improve the community’s perception of it.

 

In terms of growing healthy foods and gardening, You’ve Got This had undertaken work with Community Ventures to create a community garden (Galloway Gardens) in Thorntree, where residents could connect in a supportive, friendly environment. It was commented that the development of the community garden aimed to empower residents to make healthier choices and lifestyle changes.

 

The scrutiny panel heard that You’ve Got This had undertaken work in respect of allotment regeneration. That work had involved designing and developing opportunities to improve the physical infrastructure of allotment sites across the local area. Furthermore, it aimed to upskill existing users to enable them to manage sites and encourage new users.

 

It was explained that You’ve Got This was able to allocate small grants to increase the value of physical activity in organisations. In phase one of the pilot, the programme had provided £100,000 of funding to facilitate the delivery of 28 different projects across South Tees. It was commented that over half of those projects would be delivered in Middlesbrough. It was highlighted that the second phase was currently open and two separate schemes of £200,000 were available. It was clarified that one fund would be open across South Tees, the other would focus on the four wards, which for Middlesbrough included Brambles Farm & Thorntree and North Ormesby.

 

The Programme Director advised that You’ve Got This had been initially funded up until March 2025 and that had now been extended to September 2025. It was commented however, that Sport England’s 10-year strategy: Uniting the Movement aimed to ensure the work undertaken by local delivery pilots, such as You’ve Got This, would continue. Members heard that work would be undertaken to ensure a continued focus on building the capacity of community organisations, embedding physical activity in services and ensuring positive collaboration and partnership work. It was commented that Tees Valley Sport had worked together with You’ve Got This on several projects to help communities across South Tees to become more active. It was also crucial that insight and learning continued to ensure effective ways of increasing physical activity, promoting wellbeing and influencing long-term change in local communities across South Tees.

 

A Member made reference to the lack of community facilities available, to encourage residents to engage in physical activity. In response, the Programme Director explained that You’ve Got This had been working with Tees Valley Sport and Redcar & Eston Schools Sports Partnership on a project entitled Warm Welcome. It was commented that the purpose of the project was to increase participation and opportunities by encouraging residents (particularly new residents) to engage with community activities. It was hoped that by increasing the number of residents participating in community activities, there would be an increased likelihood of those activities continuing. The importance of capacity building and leadership was highlighted. It was commented that You’ve Got This was able to provide small grants to enable the delivery of training, which aimed to empower residents to take on leadership roles.

 

A Member queried how the impact of You’ve Got This was measured. In response, the Programme Director explained that there were national indicators that applied and Sport England’s Active Lives Survey was undertaken on an annual basis, to assess how physically active residents were across each local authority area. For the period 2018 to 2025 more detailed data was being collected on the 4 focus wards and was being compared with other areas, with similar demographics, which had not been subject to intervention. It was commented that, to date, there had been a slight increase in the uptake of physical activity. It was explained that Sport England was particularly interested in stories and the positive impact of You’ve Got This on individuals and their wider network.

 

A Member queried how You’ve Got This proposed to achieve whole-system change, given that some areas were outside of the programme’s remit. The Programme Director explained that You’ve Got This worked in partnership with over 70 organisations. It was commented that, rather than implementing change, You’ve Got This focussed on being an enabler for population level, whole-system change. The importance of the physical environment and the planning system, in providing opportunities for everyone to be physically active, was highlighted. A Member commented that it would be useful for You’ve Got This to be consulted on the development of the Local Plan.

 

A discussion ensued in respect of the work undertaken with CAS and primary schools and Members commented on the importance of:

 

·        children being allowed to go to school in their PE kits when undertaking sports or physical activity; and

·        children being encouraged to walk or cycle to and from school.

 

The Programme Officer advised that schools were encouraged to assess and identify areas for improvement, that could be made throughout the whole school day. Members heard that working with CAS involved a research based whole-school behaviour change approach to increasing and improving physical activity in schools. It was commented that peer learning and insight work provided an evidence-base for change. 

 

A Member raised a query about secure cycle storage and shelters when shopping. In response, the Programme Director explained that a partner organisation was currently undertaking some research to encourage shops to allow bicycles inside. It was also commented that the location, security and design of cycle storage facilities were also being examined.

 

A Member raised a query regarding housing developments and cycle infrastructure design. In response, the Programme Director advised that a plan had been published by the Government entitled Gear Change: A bold vision for cycling and walking. It was commented that the plan set out new cycling design guidance to improve the quality of cycling infrastructure. Members heard that future work would be undertaken by You’ve Got This to provide an evidence base, locally, to outline expectations with an aim to ensuring new developments were easily and safely accessible and navigable by foot and bike.

 

A Member raised a query in respect of how the focussed wards were selected. The Programme Director advised that when submitting the bid for funding to Sport England, it had been proposed that You’ve Got This would primarily offer support to 2 wards in Middlesbrough (Brambles & Thorntree and North Ormesby) and 2 wards in Redcar & Cleveland (South Bank and Grangetown). It was explained that those wards had been selected as they were neighbouring wards, located in a disadvantaged area and within the boundaries of South Tees.  When developing the proposal, there was a need to be realistic with targets and ambitions. However, the Programme Officer advised that You’ve Got This was flexible in its approach and would continue to deliver projects that benefitted not only the focussed wards, but also the wider community of South Tees.

 

A Member raised a query about access to school facilities to promote physical activity and engagement with sports. In response, the Programme Officer explained that Sport England offered schools support and funding to open their facilities to the community during evenings, weekends and holiday periods.

 

A Member raised a query regarding the Prepwell programme. In response, the Programme Officer explained that the programme supported patients who were scheduled to undergo major, high-risk surgeries. It was commented that the South Tees NHS Foundation Trust had utilised funding from You’ve Got This to also focus on orthopaedic surgeries.

 

The scrutiny panel was advised that work was currently being undertaken to deliver a project with health professionals entitled Flipping Pain. The project focussed on examining ways in which professionals could offer support and advice to those people suffering with chronic pain, to help enable them to become more active with an aim to effectively alleviate and manage pain. The Director of Place Based Delivery from the ICB advised that part of the programme involved re-training professionals to think differently about pain and pain management to achieve cultural change.

 

The Director of Place Based Delivery advised that the Waiting Well programme focused on targeting a particular demographic within society, which meant that some residents would not be eligible. It was explained however, that advice and guidance could be accessed from those professionals who had re-trained.  Members heard that each GP practice should have access to a first contact practitioner that could offer additional physio support.

 

The Director of Place Based Delivery explained that Prepwell provided a good example of cultural change, not only at a population level but also in the health service. Prepwell aimed to achieve better outcomes by ensuring those scheduled to undergo surgery were fit and well. It was also added that there were patient reported outcome measures and surgery outcome measures, which aimed to evidence the tangible benefits of Prepwell.

 

AGREED

 

That the information presented to the scrutiny panel be noted.