Senior leaders and partners from across Sefton gathered in early February for an event designed to shape the borough’s next Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Milestone

Held at The Lake House, Waterloo, the workshop marked a significant milestone in a year‑long programme of research, consultation, and partnership development aimed at improving health outcomes and tackling long‑standing inequalities.

Due for publication in June 2026, the new five‑year Health and Wellbeing Strategy will cover the period 2026–2031. Developed through a robust multi‑agency partnership led by the Council’s Public Health Team, the strategy will reflect the shared priorities, collective expertise, and joint commitment of partners across the system.

Three‑month consultation

The new Strategy is being built on an extensive foundation of evidence, including a comprehensive policy and research review completed in June 2025. Also, a three‑month consultation led by Liverpool John Moores University’s Public Health Institute took place between July and November 2025

There has also been targeted engagement with residents - particularly those in low‑income households. Frontline organisations working directly on health, housing, education, and community support have also been consulted.

As a designated *Marmot Community*, Sefton is committed to addressing the social determinants of health and embedding fairness, inclusion and equity into strategic decision‑making. Ongoing equality impact assessment work to ensure the strategy meets the needs of all residents

Around 60 stakeholders attended the February workshop, representing the Council, NHS, voluntary and community organisations, the police, and acute sector partners.

Priorities

During the session, participants reviewed the three core priorities that emerged from the consultation. These are:

• Improving outcomes for children and young people
• Enhancing housing, environment, and community wellbeing
• Expanding education, employment, and training opportunities

They also considered the two cross‑cutting priorities for the Strategy, which are Reducing health inequalities and Tackling racism, discrimination, and inclusion.

The resulting strategic principles for each priority area will guide how partners design services, allocate resources, and measure impact over the next five years.

Participants emphasised the importance of making the priorities ‘clear, relatable, and actionable’. This will help the Health and Wellbeing Board to champion the Strategy locally and to ensure that all related plans across health, social care, housing, and community services connect back to a shared vision.

Strong foundation

Cllr Mhairi Doyle, Sefton Council’s Cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “This month’s workshop built on the strong foundation of work completed throughout 2025 and early 2026.

“This included a large‑scale resident and stakeholder consultation and the work led by Liverpool John Moores University which has provided us with fresh insights into the experiences of those Sefton communities most affected by inequality.

“As a result of the recent workshop our Public Health team will be we will be refining the strategic principles of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy for presentation to the Sefton Health and Wellbeing Board.

"When it is produced in June, the Strategy will provide a unifying framework for local partners, ensuring that all future plans, programmes, and policies across Sefton collectively drive improvements in health and reduce inequalities.”

You can find out more about the Sefton Health and Wellbeing Board here.