Long term systemic solutions to challenges in the South Tees area "remain elusive", according to an update on a health and wellbeing strategy that is being pursued. The strategy which was agreed last year by a South Tees health and wellbeing board, which has leaders from the health and care sector as well as councillor representatives in Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland, aims to empower residents to live longer and healthier lives.
Three broad elements are included - 'start well', ensuring that children and young people grow up in a community that promotes safety, aspiration, resilience and healthy lifestyles; 'live well', meaning people improve their quality of life through opportunities to achieve a healthier lifestyle; and 'age well' which aspires to have elderly residents leading independent lives where possible with appropriate support.
A 12 month update produced for the board considered the start well element with one mission being narrowing the attainment gap between children growing up in disadvantage and the national average, and improving education, training and work prospects for young people. It said: "The significant challenges we face today in South Tees are comprehensive, systemic and long standing.
"The challenges are often dynamic and unpredictable, with a lack of consensus on meaningful, long-term approaches across or within agencies. Poorly defined problems, lack of consensus and commitment across partners mean that long term, systemic solutions remain elusive."
It also said projects were often short-term and focused on "linear compartmentalised solutions", while the financial budgets of some agencies and only limited partnership working had made it "incredibly difficult to act strategically to address systematic challenges". The update said innovation, working together and aligning resources had a big part to play in driving large-scale change - "missions cannot be resolved by any single agency acting in isolation".
The report addressed efforts in Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland to reduce school absenteeism with solutions including mentoring, coaching and peer support. It said both local authorities were progressing with 'school readiness' strategies, while national charity Thrive at Five was working in both areas to deliver a 'hyper-local' approach in local communities.
Meanwhile, data analytics teams in both councils and Public Health South Tees were drawing up a pilot project to link child level education data, including census data, attainment and absence data with social care data. This is intended to help with identification of vulnerability and risk factors, stronger planning for demand pressures and support early intervention.
Selected families had also been identified with a 'reading for wellbeing' programme operating in Thorntree, Middlesbrough, and Loftus. This has seen about 130 families taking part in personalised one-to-one reading sessions since 2022, supporting parents to establish reading routines with their child, thus improving school readiness.
The update described goals in the form of extending offers of apprenticeships, training and work placements for young people to make the most of current and future local opportunities and eventually having no 18-25 year old NEETs (not in education, employment and training) in South Tees.
The report referenced a 'trailblazer' project in the South Tees area, which began in September last year using Government funding to offer young people aged between 18 and 21 a training and digital grant, along with three months paid work experience with an employer. It said in Redcar and Cleveland 28 young people were currently in a work placement and a further 26 undertaking the two-week employability training ready for work placements to start in January.
Schools needed to identify young people at risk of becoming NEET, including early assessment and tailored support, systems and data sharing, careers awareness and attendance management.
Another mission outlined in the strategy was improving mental health outcomes for young people by improving access to care and support. It said the concept of 'poverty proofing' - identifying and removing barriers that stop people from accessing services - should be introduced as standard practice with all service providers, giving the example of work that had taken place in the local maternity system with new mothers and pregnant women, which identified potential solutions.
The HeadStart programme offered across educational settings aims to improve mental health and make youngsters more emotionally resilient whether at school, home, in communities or online. It is now fully funded with a public health grant and looking to expand.
The Tees Mental Health Training Hub commissioned by pubic health also provides free training to increase mental health knowledge and skills. There was also continued Government national commitment for mental health support teams in schools with potential for expansion next year, and evaluation of current provision being carried out by the North East Integrated Care Board.
Both Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland rank highly for deprivation, with life expectancy lower than the England average, and face continued economic and employment disadvantages.