About us - Public Health Dorset
About us
What we do
Our aim is to protect and improve health and wellbeing and to reduce health inequalities.
Councils have a legal requirement to fulfil this duty, and Public Health Dorset delivers this as a shared service across both Dorset Council and BCP Council.
Our focus is to have an impact at a whole population rather than individual level.
We commission and provide public health services funded from the public health grant received by local authorities. This includes:
- Drug and Alcohol treatment services
- LiveWell Dorset
- NHS Health Checks
- Sexual health services
- Children’s public health nursing
We have an annual business plan which is monitored by the Joint Public Health Board (JPHB), a committee comprising members from BCP Council and Dorset Council. The JPHB has a role in overseeing how we spend the Public Health Grant and monitoring our performance. We also support two health and wellbeing boards – Dorset and BCP.
Our work is guided by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and the Annual Director of Public Health Report which monitors progress and identifies key challenges in the year ahead.
Partnership working
We work with partners to influence the development and delivery of wider prevention work, including the NHS Long Term Plan ambitions on smoking, alcohol and healthy weight in NHS settings.
We play a key role in the new Integrated Care System, supporting the development of a new strategy, continue to work on the NHS health inequalities programme, and deliver an effective Joint Strategic Needs Assessment process for our Health and Wellbeing Boards.
Within the councils, we work closely with teams responsible for improving physical activity through active and sustainable travel, better housing and ensuring access to improvements like insulation and heating, as well as important initiatives to reduce the prevalence of suicide and increase awareness of steps people can take for better mental health. We also work with colleagues in children's and adult's services to ensure a best start in life for children and families and promote greater independence and wellbeing in older life.