Agenda item

The Service Director for Commercial Delivery presented the report on services available at the Jubilee 2 leisure centre (J2) to reduce child excess weight.

Members raised questions and responses were provided as follows.

Cllr Wright wondered about how the outcomes would be measured.

– There was a list of measurable outcomes provided by the County Council and the Active Life Referral Programme included an hour consultation to go through the person’s health and medical background. Reports were then issued over the year and going back to the County Council.

Cllr Fox-Hewitt asked about the Active Life Programme referral process.

– People could self-refer through the website and about 25 groups were signed up to guide them and/or directly proceed with the referral including the Primary Care Network, the hospital, GP surgeries, school nurses, and mental health prescribers.

Cllr Fox-Hewitt enquired about criteria and costs to join the programme.

– Children could join for free and some parts were chargeable for adults depending on whether they were a member or not and based on national prescription charges. A wide range of health conditions qualified encouraging a maximum of people to join in regardless of weight concerns.

Cllr Whieldon commented that from her experience as a teacher one swimming lesson a week was not enough to make a child fitter as excess weight had more to do with a poor diet; this was a delicate topic to address with parents which could be perceived as too intrusive.

– Once signed up children could come as many times as deemed appropriate and not just once a week and the classes were designed for people to also share their experiences and thus benefit from peer support.

Cllr Northcott wished to follow up on the former comment and asked if there were any mentions of educational programmes targeting parents in discussions with the County Council.

– A District led taskforce gathering participants from different agencies was working on an action plan to best advise parents on food choices for their children along with reviewing meal options in schools.

Cllr Fox-Hewitt enquired about provisions for children with disabilities.

– A chair had been purchased to enable access to the swimming pool and one to one sessions were available to help children struggling with specific activities.

Cllr Jones asked about children with complex mental health needs.

– Charities were involved focusing on walking in water to make people feel comfortable in the environment as a first step and then moving on slowly to swimming sessions at quiet periods.

Cllr Whieldon wished to pass on personal thanks to people in charge of warming up the smaller pool which had made a difference for her when she was recovering from a broken back and hip operation.

The Chair asked about swimming lessons at J2, if these were at full capacity and if there was scope to increase the provisions for schools.

– These were not at full capacity yet as some schools had replaced these with having a pool in the school yard in the summer months, one of the obstacles being the cost of transports coaches.

Resolved:    That the information provided on the County Better Health Staffordshire programme be reviewed and any recommendations be made to the Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Heritage.

Watch the debate here