Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs), which Directors of Public Health, Adult Social Services and Children’s Services have a joint duty to prepare, are the evidence base for Health & Wellbeing Strategies.
JSNAs must consider all the current and future health and social care needs in relation to the area of the responsible authority – needs which are capable of being met, or affected to a significant extent, by the local authority, clinical commissioning group or NHS England functions.
In preparing the JSNA,
“JSNAs must assess current and future health and social care needs within the health and wellbeing board area and it is important to cover the whole population, and ensure that mental health receives equal priority to physical health. This includes health protection, and upstream prevention of ill health; and it could include looking at the role of personal budgets and universal advice.”
(Statutory Guidance on Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies, Department of Health, March 2013)
Further information on the role of Health and Wellbeing Boards in relation to Health & Wellbeing Strategies and JSNAs can be found here.
HUDU can assist with the preparation of JSNAs and particularly with highlighting the importance of population growth and change, health infrastructure requirements and the role of the planning system in helping to improve health.