Gateshead Health and Wellbeing Strategy (Draft update)

Our health and wellbeing is influenced by where we live and the communities and homes we live in. Using place-shaping approaches, our vision is that Gateshead will be a more prosperous, attractive and sustainable place to live with improved quality of life and thriving communities. 

Our residents feel safe and secure and supported in their communities. Gateshead has connected local communities, with healthy neighbourhoods and high streets, strong community networks, local assets and access to services. Our residents feel proud of where they live. 

The action we will take

We will:

• develop policies, with a Health and Wellbeing in all Policies approach, embedding use of health impact assessment, to reduce the scale and impact of climate change and health inequalities  

• support the development of quality community activities, prioritising neighbourhoods with greatest need, remove barriers to community participation and support people to be involved locally   

• focus on enabling community safety and prevention of crime and anti-social behaviour 

• ensure all residents are able to access vibrant, active, social local communities and benefit from their local environment and connections, with access to cultural and creative opportunities  

• improve access to healthy environments and local centres with the facilities needed for our residents to live healthy lives and reduce exposure to harmful environments to make it easier to be healthy  

• ensure the provision of good quality, affordable homes, offering housing choice to residents and meeting current and future housing needs  

• prevent homelessness and better understand its root causes and how we address them 

• make Gateshead accessible to all, achieving a shift to sustainable and active forms of travel 

We will deliver this through:

• Gateshead's Local Plan and Regeneration strategy  

• Housing Strategy 

• Neighbourhood health plans and community based support 

• North East Transport Plan 

• Gateshead Transport strategy (in development) 

• Licencing policy framework 

• Volunteering and local VCSE organisations 

• Strategic Housing Board 

• Homelessness and Rough Sleeping strategy 

• Culture strategy (in development) 

• Domestic Abuse Board 

• Youth Justice Board 

• Communities, Neighbourhoods and Localities Teams 

We know we will have made a difference when:

• local communities and social networks are strong 

• there is strong sense of pride in place  

• social connections are improved for groups in need 

• all residents have access to a secure, high quality and affordable home 

• no one is sleeping rough or living in unsuitable accommodation 

• Homelessness is a rare occurrence and where it does occur, there are positive outcomes for people 

• all communities have access to good quality environments 

• Gateshead has low levels of crime and anti-social behaviour