New central resource for Joint Strategic Needs Assessments - including revised core data set - now available from NHS Information Centre

A new, free resource to support organisations in producing an effective Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) is now available from The NHS Information Centre (NHS IC).

For the first time, data from the newly revised JSNA core data set have been brought together into one central JSNA resource, along with a completely new set of indicators, best practice guidance and wider information on how to address the health and social needs of a population.

The resource is available on The NHS IC's National Adult Social Care Intelligence Service (NASCIS) and includes:

  • the majority of data supporting the newly revised JSNA core dataset
  • a suite of 44 completely new indicators in addition to the dataset, drilling down to a locality level.
  • best practice examples of JSNA from nine local strategic partnerships NASCIS is an interactive service that allows users to benchmark information and select relevant indicators to compare against other, geographical areas or domains, and generate charts and graphs.

The service also includes 44 completely new indicators derived from existing datasets but available for the first time at locality level (alongside local authority and primary care trust level), developed by the Eastern Regional Public Health Observatory (ERPHO). Indicators cover a wide range of domains including:

  • Demography
  • Social and environmental context
  • Lifestyle and risk factors
  • Burden of ill-health
  • Services

The new JSNA resource also includes a suite of best practice guidance materials and examples examining the key elements that make a comprehensive JSNA, involving nine local strategic partnerships and in collaboration with the Association of Public Health Observatories.

NHS Information Centre chief executive Tim Straughan said: “Good quality, relevant information is the vital ingredient of an effective JSNA and is the only way organisations can clearly understand the health and social needs of their population.

“By providing health and social care information in one accessible place, The NHS IC aims to support organisations in developing a more integrated approach towards the services they deliver.

“This resource will not only be of use in developing a JSNA, but also in developing other local initiatives in health and social care that need to be based on good quality information.”

It is intended that the JSNA resource will continue to be developed with new, relevant data and information materials.

Users can access the indicators on NASCIS by registering for free at: http://nascis.ic.nhs.uk

For more information on the NHS IC's involvement with JSNA visit: www.ic.nhs.uk/jsna

ENDS

Notes to editors

  1. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care (The IC) is England's authoritative, central, independent source of health and social care information. It works with a wide range of health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researcher, regulators and policymakers in their work. The NHS IC also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.
  2. PCTs and local authorities are required to produce a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) of the health and wellbeing of their local community. This is a requirement of The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment looks at the wider determinants of health, working with PCTs, Local Authorities and third sector providers. A JSNA data set provides powerful indicators to establish current and future health needs of your local population. This in turn, supports better targeting of interventions to reduce health inequalities. For PCTs, last year's world class commissioning panel assessments showed that the JSNA is a vital component of the world class commissioning competencies. With PCTs producing a JSNA to a high standard, typically achieve highly across these competencies.
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