Our Open Meeting 4 October Recap

We were joined by Martha Early, Corporate Head of Services, Public Health at RBK who came and spoke about the Cost of Living Crisis, The Health and Care Plan and Obesity in Kingston. 

1. Cost of Living Crisis

Kingston council cost of living support link: https://www.kingston.gov.uk/costoflivingsupport

Kingston Council held of Cost of living crisis Workshop on 12 July 2022. The workshop looked at four themes:

• Energy
• Food
• Income maximisation (money guidance and support)
• Employment 

From this workshop the council have picked up a number of actions, including:

• Further develop local information for residents, including mapping resources and ensuring effective communications (including potential for warm hubs and digital access)
• Share and raise awareness of the support and advice available in the borough and more widely and promote our webpage: kingston.gov.uk/costoflivingsupport
• Develop a collaborative approach to offer warm spaces for people to sit and have a hot drink 

RBK have highlighted the follwing support available:

Household Support Fund and Voluntary & Community Sector grants

https://www.kingston.gov.uk/covid-19-kingston/household-support-fund

Enquiries contact: householdsupportfund@kingston.gov.uk or telephone RBK’s contact centre on 0208 547 5000 requesting a call back from the Household Support Fund team.

Cost of Living toolkit from Citizens Advice in Kingston

https://www.citizensadvicekingston.org.uk/?portfolio=cost-of-living-crisis-2

Information and advice to help local people cope with the cost of living increases. Find out more information by calling 020 3166 0953.

Connected Kingston: Money Matters

https://www.connectedkingston.uk/results?category=9857fe1c-17dc-4994-819d-1977ea416633

GLA Cost of Living Toolkit

https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/communities/help-cost-living

Tony Laliashvili, Super Seniors Fitness

https://www.superseniorsfitness.com/

Better Health - NHS Get Active

https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/

2. Health and Care Plan and Q&A 

The Health and Care Plan is a system-wide plan recognising that we should work in an integrated way. Kingston’s refreshed draft of the Health and Care Plan 2022-2024 describes our vision, priorities and the actions we will work on together as partners to improve the health and wellbeing of Kingston’s residents.

The plan was first published in 2019 with the aim of key organisations working together on the following priorities: start well, live well, and age well.

The new two-year plan for 2022-2024 is a refresh of some of the existing priorities with a new focus on tackling health inequalities.

Four overarching themes, identified by the borough’s Health and Wellbeing Board:

• Recognising and supporting carers of all ages.
• Tackling inequalities in health to reduce disparities for those most disadvantaged (especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic).
• Tackling obesity in all ages, enabling people to live physically active and healthy lifestyles, at a healthy weight, to prevent ill-health and improve wellbeing.
• Promoting the mental health and resilience of residents to improve health and wellbeing their whole lives.

3. Obesity

Healthy Eating and Physical Activity  in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames:

The new two-year Health and Care Plan for 2022-202 will aim to work to tackle obesity.

RBK have taken a selection of Ambitions from “Every Child a Healthy Weight – 10 Ambitions for London”

Ambition 1: End child poverty in London

Ambition 2: Supporting breastfeeding for longer

Ambition 3: Skill up early years professionals

Ambition 5: Ensuring schools and nurseries are enabling health for life 

Ambition 6: Make Free London water availed everywhere

Ambition 7: Create more active playful streets, and public spaces