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Political Oversight Group for Health and Social Recovery: Establishment of Group

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A decision made on 20 September 2021

Decision Reference:  MD-TR-2021-0082

Decision Summary Title:

Establishment of the Political Oversight Group for Health and Social Recovery

Date of Decision Summary:

08/09/2021

Decision Summary Author:

Head of Public Health Policy

Decision Summary:

Public or Exempt?

Public

Type of Report:

Oral or Written?

Written

Person Giving

Oral Report:

N/A

Written Report

Title:

Establishment of the Political Oversight Group for Health and Social Recovery

Date of Written Report:

08/09/2021

Written Report Author:

Head of Public Health Policy

Written Report:

Public or Exempt?

Public

Subject: Establishment of the Political Oversight Group for Health and Social Recovery

Decision(s):

 

The Chief Minister approved the attached report and requested the establishment of the Political Oversight Group for Health and Social Recovery (POG) as soon as possible.

Whilst COVID has caused direct harm through infection and disease, the measures required to control spread have themselves caused discrete COVID harms through disruption to people’s lives and incomes. Our recovery response must be focussed on those Islanders most impacted and where recovery to independent and sustainable living would be slowed or have significant longer term negative outcomes should we not intervene now. The POG will support and provide oversight to this work.

 

Resource Implications:

There were no additional resource implications arising from this ministerial decision.

Action required:

To establish the Political Oversight Group for Health and Social Recovery as set out in the attached report.

Signature:

Position:

Senator John Le Fondré

Chief Minister

 

Date Signed:

 

Date of Decision:

Hide report
Political Oversight Group for Health and Social Recovery: Establishment of Group

Health and Social Recovery

Political Oversight Group

 

     

 

 

TERMS OF REFERENCE

 

Introduction
 

  1. In response to the COVID-19 crisis the Government of Jersey has adopted a breadth of recovery measures including the Economic Recovery Allocation. In addition, a Health and Social Recovery Allocation has been proposed in the Government Plan 2022 to provide support and resources to address the wider impacts that the pandemic has had on our Islander’s wider health and social wellbeing.

 

  1. Oversight for approved health and social recovery projects interventions exists through the normal mechanisms of Executive Leadership Team, Individual Ministers, and the Council of Ministers and, as appropriate, to the States Assembly.
     
  2. To provide coordinated political direction and assist with the research, planning and delivery of health and social recovery for Jersey, the Chief Minister wishes to create a Political Oversight Group in this area. This will deliver a political governance structure that produces coordinated outcomes (and also aligns with, and overlaps, the structures provided for the Economic Recovery Fund in the interests of efficiency and coordination).
     

Formation

 

  1. The Chief Minister created the Health and Social Recovery Political Oversight Group (“the Group”) by Ministerial Decision (Ref: MD-C-2021-0082)
     
  2. The Group will comprise Ministers and external invitees with relevant Government officials ‘in attendance’.  
     

Purpose

 

  1. The core purpose of the Group is to champion and drive health and social recovery of those Islanders most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to consider proposals for projects with the purpose of supporting recovery and determine which projects will be allocated funding.  

 

Scope
 

  1. The Group will provide direction and challenge to the health and social recovery programme within Government including the development, funding and monitoring of approved health and social recovery projects.

 

  1. The Group will have the ability to assign project funding from the Health and Social Recovery allocation to relevant Ministers, government departments and to the appointed Accountable Officer to ensure investment outcomes are achieved.

 

  1. The Group will ensure close coordination with concurrent plans and programmes, in particular the Political Oversight Group for Economic Recovery.

 

  1. The Group will receive and consider reports and presentations from Departments across Government which aim to address specific COVID harms and can demonstrate the following criteria:
  • Temporary, timely and targeted
  • Evidence based investment
  • Emphasis on prevention and potential for invest to save
  • An immediate service need exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic impacts
  • Credible impact on improving Islander’s experience of their community and their Island
  • Or potential to make long term improvements to Islanders wellbeing or mental health

 

  1. The expected scope of work includes:
    • Identification, evaluation and prioritisation of projects that meet the criteria for health and social recovery to deliver improvements that support recovery outcomes
    • Identification and consideration of future challenges that longer term harms caused by the pandemic might have on health and social outcomes.
    • Review of available population and service data and consideration of new metrics and intelligence that improves actionable insight to support better decision-making.

Membership of the Group

Chair: Chief Minister

Minister for Health and Social Services

Minister for Treasury and Resources

Minister for Education/Children

Minister for Social Security

Minister for Home Affairs

Minister for Housing and Communities

Minister for International Development

Non-Executives as agreed by the Chair or Chief Minister.

 

Process

  1. Meetings will ordinarily be chaired by the Chief Minister (Chair) or his designate.
  2. Secretariat for the Group will be provided by the Ministerial Office / Public Health Directorate.
  3. Meetings will take place once every month / quarterly
  4. Where possible, agenda and papers will be circulated at least three working days before meetings.
  5. Progress reports will be provided as required to the Council of Minister; and the States Assembly, Scrutiny and PAC where appropriate.
  6. If a Board member is unable to attend a meeting their nominated and approved deputy may attend on their behalf
  7. If a member of the Board (or their deputy) is unable to attend for three consecutive meetings the Board will consider their continued membership or replacement
  8. The Board may invite stakeholders to attend for, or to present, specific items as appropriate.

Quorum

  1. A quorum for conducting any business of the Group shall consist of:
    • at least three Ministers, one of which must be the Chair or his designate (see 10. above)
       

Working groups
 

  1. The Group may appoint working groups and/or sub-groups on topic specific issues as it thinks necessary.


 

 

 

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