A joint strategic needs assessment looks at the current and future health and care needs of the local population to inform and guide the planning and commissioning of health, well-being and social care services within a local authority area.
Who the JSNA is for
The main audience for the JSNA are health and social care commissioners who use it to plan their services. It can also be used as an evidence base for preparing any funding bids and business cases by:
- the voluntary and community sector to ensure that community needs and views are represented
- service providers to assist in the future development of their services
- the public to scrutinise local health and wellbeing information, plans and commissioning recommendations
The JSNA in North Somerset
JSNA guidance encourages flexibility to enable local areas to focus on their priorities and present information in a way that is most relevant to them. JSNA documents in North Somerset include:
- a North Somerset overview
- a data dashboard giving detailed data for North Somerset
- ward profiles
- a series of topic specific spotlight reports
- where available, any detailed needs assessments or qualitative research
The North Somerset Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy and action plan is informed by the JSNA.