Working together

Our principles

While it is necessary to have some local flexibility it has been agreed, both in the development of the LOMP and the proactive and reactive response to a COVID-19 outbreak, that it is also important to be consistent.

The South West Regional Directors of Public Health have agreed to the following working principles:

1. We will work together as a public health system, building on and making use of the existing close working relationships we have between the local authority public health teams and Public Health England (PHE). We will try to ensure we make the best use of the capacity and capability of the regional public health workforce.
2. While recognising local sovereignty, we will use a common language to describe the local governance arrangements:
   • COVID-19 Health Protection Board
   • Local Outbreak Management Plans
   • Local Outbreak Engagement Board
3. We will work to an agreed common set of quality standards and approaches in the management of local outbreaks making use of and building upon already agreed approaches such as those defined within the Core Health Protection Functions MoU.
4. We will take a continuous learning approach to the planning and response to COVID-19 outbreaks, sharing and learning from one another to ensure we provide the most effective response we can.
5. We will ensure that there is an integrated data and surveillance system established, which alongside a strong evidence-base, will enable us to respond effectively to outbreaks. It is Proposed that a COVID-19 Regional Data and Intelligence Framework is developed which will enable directors of public health (DsPH)  to have access to the necessary information to lead the COVID-19 Health Protection Board.
6. We will commit to openness and transparency, communicating the most up-to-date science, evidence and data to colleagues, wider partners and the public.
7. We will ensure that within our planning and response to COVID-19 we will take the necessary actions to mitigate and reduce the impact of COVID-19 on those most vulnerable, including black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
8. We recognise that DsPH have a system leadership role in chairing the COVID-19 Local Health Protection Board. We commit to engaging with key partners, including all levels of government (upper, lower-tier local authorities, towns and parishes and wider partners and communities), key stakeholders including the community and voluntary sector to ensure a whole system approach.
9. We accept that we are currently working in a fast-changing, complex environment. DsPH are having to respond to changing evidence, national guidance, demands and expectations. We will commit to working proactively and always to public health first principles.
10. We will make sure that our LOMP includes a strong focus on prevention and early intervention to ensure the most important settings, for example, care homes and schools, as well as high-risk locations and communities, identify and prioritise preventative measures to reduce the risk of outbreaks.

Governance

Working in partnership is crucial to help prevent the spread of the virus and swiftly respond to local outbreaks.

While the response to outbreaks will be led by the local DsPH, success will require a co-ordinated partnership response.

This will involve numerous agencies, some of whom are mentioned above, working together.

The agencies involved will often depend on where an outbreak occurs, but it is critical that all organisations understand the plan, role and actions they are expected to take in a response.

Managing outbreaks in workplaces, specific settings such as schools and care homes and within the community is not new and is a core function of public health and environmental health.

It is therefore important that the creation of any new arrangements to manage local COVID-19 outbreaks build on existing plans, for example, the Care Homes Resilience Plan and link in with existing structures and arrangements such as the Health Protection Sub-Committee of the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) and are able to fulfil any reporting requirements by other bodies.

The following governance arrangements will support the LOMP and are described diagrammatically in appendix 1.

Devon and Torbay COVID-19 Health Protection Board

This Board will be chaired by Dr Virginia Pearson, the Director of Public Health for Devon County Council with the vice chairs being Caroline Dimond, the Director of Public Health for Torbay Council and Steve Brown, Devon County Council Deputy Director of Public Health.

This Board is an executive-level partnership board and will have the following responsibilities:

• Local Outbreak Management Plan and resource deployment.
• Data and intelligence (with JBC).
• Leading the local public health response with PHE (and NHS test and trace).
• Assurance and reporting to the Local Engagement Outbreak Board and the LRF.

Membership will include:

• PHE
• the Clinical Commissioning Group
• the police
• unitary and district councils (environmental health officers/housing)
• the fire and rescue service
• public protection
• social care
• schools and colleges
• higher education
• economy, enterprise and skills
• business and tourism
• military liaison
• prisons
• communities

As well as the above, in an advisory capacity, membership will include consultants in public health/public health intelligence, a communications lead and the Devon County Council Equalities Officer.

Team Devon Local Outbreak Engagement Board (LOEB)

This Board will be chaired by Cllr John Hart, the Leader of Devon County Council and will have the following responsibilities:

• Political oversight of the local delivery of plan and response.
• Communicating and engaging with residents and communities.

Membership will include:

• the Health and Wellbeing Board Chair
• the CCG Chair
• District Council Leader
• portfolio holders
• the police
• higher education
• the Devon Association of Local Councils (town and parish councils)
• the voluntary and community sector/equality and diversity – working on a ‘hub and spoke’ basis with communities.

As well as the above, in an advisory capacity, membership will include the DPH and a communications lead.