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Castle Point & Rochford Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-28

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Our three year strategy is detailed below and in the related content section. A PDF version of our strategy is available to view on partner websites - please visit CAVS to view this

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Introduction

We are pleased to introduce our refreshed Castle Point and Rochford Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The strategy sets out our three-year plan to improve the health and wellbeing of residents in Castle Point.

It outlines the work that we will do and the key areas we will focus on, as well as the principles and approach we intend to take. We are working together at a grass-roots level to make the biggest difference in our communities. The strategy has been co-produced by Board members and builds on what we have learned from the last strategy. The process began in June 2024 where a workshop was held with local partners to gain feedback and to share local insight. Since then, we have reviewed what we agreed before and we have worked together to develop the thinking and narrative for our priorities.

In developing this new strategy, the Health and Wellbeing Board has considered:

  • Health and wellbeing outcomes in Castle Point and Rochford
  • What needs have emerged because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the cost-of-living pressures
  • Progress made against our last strategy
  • Other local strategies and plans
  • New data and insight from our health and wellbeing partners
  • Feedback from residents

A refreshed action plan will sit alongside the strategy to show how we are implementing it. It will detail the work we are doing and the outcomes we will measure to monitor our impact and progress.

Our Strategy vision

Castle Point and Rochford will be inclusive places where everyone is empowered, informed, and supported to live healthy lives.

Our Health and Wellbeing Board

Castle Point and Rochford have a joint Health and Wellbeing Board. It is a partnership of local organisations working together to promote wellbeing across Castle Point and the Rochford District. The Board is chaired by Cllr Julie Gooding and is made up of people from:

We are committed to working together to deliver the right help and support for our residents. We want to enable them to live healthier and happier lives.

Our Board has the following aims and objectives:

  • To address the health needs and challenges within our local communities
  • To deliver our strategy and review our progress each year
  • To share information, resources, and best practice
  • To look at new ways of working to create a connected and sustainable offer for the people of Castle Point and Rochford

Our Strategy Principles

We have also based our strategy on 10 key principles that underpin its delivery:

  1. Early intervention and prevention. This means stopping problems from happening, where possible, and dealing with them at an earlier stage when they do so that they don't get worse
  2. Helping people to be resilient. This means having the knowledge, skills, and confidence to manage their health and be able to bounce back from tough times
  3. Supporting people in a wholesome way, taking account of their individual needs and circumstances. We call this a person-centred approach. 
  4. Working together to build, strengthen, and maintain relationships and trust, and join up better with services
  5. Reducing health inequalities by tackling the social factors that affect health
  6. Being able to adapt and respond to ever-changing needs, mobilise resources quickly, and scale up when needed
  7. Sharing information to make it easier to know who does what and where so that we all know what is available near where we live
  8. Clear communication. Spreading messages in different ways. This means we can reach more people and makes it easier for them to find, access and connect into the help they need  
  9. Making best use of our assets. These can be things like our buildings, but also knowledge and resources
  10. A place-based approach. Creating opportunities, as well as the right environment for people to live well

Strategic Context

We have designed our approach with the aims and strategic plans of our Health and Wellbeing Board partners in mind. This strategy supports and is aligned to numerous local plans and strategies, as well as those on a wider footprint, such as:

*Currently still in development and / or being refreshed.

The South East Essex Alliance

This is a partnership of organisations from across Castle Point, Rochford, and Southend – collectively, South East Essex. The Alliance partners are committed to working together, and with residents and communities, to make support available closer to where people live.

Nationally, GP practices have come together in groups of five or six to form what we call Primary Care Networks (PCNs). Here in Castle Point and Rochford there are four PCNs. These are sat in four locality areas – Benfleet, Canvey, Rayleigh, and Rochford.

The aim is to develop services around people and places, in these four areas, to create a more joined up way of working. One that unites us all in the journey to improve health and wellbeing.

Understanding the wider determinants of health

A snapshot of Castle Point and Rochford

89,600 people live in Castle Point.1 It has four towns: Benfleet, Canvey, Hadleigh and Thundersley. Castle Point has areas of great wealth alongside some of the most deprived areas in England. Yet there is a strong sense of community within the Borough. Its many assets are valued and have brought new opportunities to the area, such as Hadleigh Country Park. This hosted the Mountain Biking during the London 2012 Olympics and has since been developed into a world class sports facility offering a range of sports activities, walking, and cycling trails. Despite its dense urban nature, there remains large areas of public open space, marshland, and woodland.

85,600 people live in the Rochford District.1 It has several major towns including Rayleigh, Rochford, and Hockley, together with smaller parishes. It is of a more rural nature compared to Castle Point, with around 14% of people living in rural town and fringe, village, or hamlet and isolated dwellings. The District has vast areas of green space and is home to the RSPB Wallasea Island Nature Reserve.

There are many commuters living in Castle Point and Rochford. Two separate train operators serve the area which connect to the city of London in less than an hour.

Castle Point Rochford
Life Expectancy at birth (males)1 80.5 years 81.9 years
Life Expectancy at birth (females)1 84.4 years 85.4 years
% 16 - 64-year olds Equality Act Core disabled2 23.2 14.6
% pupils receiving SEN support3 18.4 14.7
% pupils eligible for free school meals3 18.1 15.5
% of pupils achieving a good level of development4 73.1 79.3
No. of Universal Credit Claimants5 6,659 5,589
No. of households receiving a statutory homelessness service6 288 282
No. of adults physically active (at least 150 mins per week)7 53.8 64.4
No. of children physically active (at average of 60 minutes or more per day)7 37.6 51.6

Although the overall picture for Castle Point and Rochford is relatively good in terms of health, it is not the same for everyone everywhere. Some people are more likely to experience poor health because of their circumstances, and this is where we need to target more of our resources.

For example, since 2007 Castle Point has seen a rise in deprivation, particularly on Canvey Island. Here, some electoral wards are among the most deprived in England. On the other hand, people living in the more rural areas of the Rochford District may not have easy access to green space, leisure centres, sports, and social groups because they are not available near to where they live. They might also be difficult to get to on public transport. These are all factors that can affect health and wellbeing.

Understanding the wider determinants of health

Our health is determined by a range of factors. These include:

  • Age and genetic factors
  • Health behaviours (e.g. diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol use)
  • Socio-economic factors (e.g. education, income, and employment)
  • The built environment
  • Clinical care

The social, economic, and environmental factors are known as wider (or social) determinants of health. These influence our health more so than other factors. Researchers say that socio-economic factors are the biggest influencer (40%) of a person’s health and wellbeing. This is more than health behaviours (30%), clinical care (20%) and the built environment (10%).

The social, economic, and environmental factors are known as wider (or social) determinants of health. These influence our health more so than other factors. Researchers say that socio-economic factors are the biggest influencer (40%) of a person’s health and wellbeing. This is more than health behaviours (30%), clinical care (20%) and the built environment (10%).

The differences in the care that people receive, and the opportunities they have to lead healthy lives, can lead to differences in health outcomes - we call these health inequalities.

Our Priorities

We have used data and insight to identify the main health challenges and opportunities we see in Castle Point and Rochford. From this we have agreed our four priorities:

  • Mental health and wellbeing
  • Physical health and wellbeing
  • Ageing well
  • Community resilience

Priority 1 - Mental health and wellbeing

Everyone has mental health, which means it is everybody’s business. One in four of us will experience a mental health need each year in England.

Mental ill health can affect anyone and factors such as poverty, poor housing, unemployment, social isolation, and traumatic events are linked to mental health problems.

In Castle Point and Rochford, it is estimated that 13.5% of residents over the age of 16 have a common mental health disorder (CMD) where CMD is defined as any type of depression or anxiety.

Our action plan will aim to:

  • Create a local network of mental health champions in the community.
  • Build capacity in the mental health and wellbeing system, particularly in terms of prevention and recovery.
  • Improve the way we engage with residents.
  • Inform system change to improve routes into mental health services by working together to identify and address gaps and inequity.

Priority 2 – Physical health and wellbeing

We want to support and empower our residents to lead healthier lifestyles and help more residents achieve a healthy weight. This can help to achieve better health outcomes and prevent long-term conditions from developing.

67.3% of adults in Castle Point and 69.8% of adults in Rochford are classified as overweight or obese.

In Castle Point 21.6% of reception aged pupils and 32.6% of Year 6 pupils are classed as overweight or obese.

In Rochford 17% of reception aged pupils and 30.5% of year 6 pupils are classed as overweight or obese.

Our action plan will aim to:

  • Improve referrals into commissioned weight management programmes through Essex Wellbeing Service.
  • Develop existing and deliver new interventions in workplaces, schools and communities that improve the nutritional quality of meals, limit access to unhealthy snacks, and encourage inactive residents to be physically active.

Priority 3 – Ageing well

Ageing well does not just apply to older people. Looking after our health during our younger years is crucial to having the best chance of staying well as we get older and remaining independent for as long as possible. We aim to support, enable, and empower people to age as well as possible, regardless of their circumstances. We encourage them to also plan and prepare for the later stages of life from an earlier age.  

Nearly 23,000 people over the age of 65 are estimated to be living with dementia in Essex. This is set to increase 33% by 20301.

Those living with frailty are at an increased risk of falls. Falls can also be a symptom of undetected frailty.

There is a higher emergency hospital admission rate in Castle Point due to falls over the age of 65

  • England: 1,933 per 100,000
  • Castle Point: 2,093 per 100,000
  • Rochford: 1,927 per 100,000

Our action plan will aim to:

  • Encourage and support more people to be physically active and maintain activity levels as they age.
  • Bring services out into the community to reduce loneliness and social isolation.
  • Address cognitive and physical frailty including falls prevention.
  • Encourage palliative and end of life care planning

Priority 4 – Community Resilience

This priority is about a community-led approach to health and wellbeing. It's about working closer and smarter together with our communities to:

  • use our collective skills to reach a common goal - we can all contribute to create more connected communities
  • make use of local resources and know where to go for help when it's needed
  • bounce back from adversity

Whilst our communities have needs that are complex and interlinked, they also have assets that can make them more resilient. It is important that we use these resources well - they might be skills and knowledge, buildings, or green spaces.  

We aim to encourage residents to support and empower each other. This will include cross-generational and inclusive working; everyone can contribute something to someone, regardless of age or background.

Our action plan will aim to:

  • Improve the way we engage with residents.
  • Improve the way we communicate funding opportunities.
  • Increase capacity to deliver engagement events and outreach.

Overarching Themes

  • Cost of living pressures
  • Communication

The overarching themes are current and topical issues that are relevant to everyday life of residents and need to be taken into consideration when planning and ensuring the long-term priorities are met.

The themes have been selected to allow subgroups and their action plans to address health inequalities.

The Health and Wellbeing Board are working in partnership with the subgroups and wider partners to address these themes

Implementation

Our vision is that Castle Point and Rochford will be inclusive places where we are empowered, informed, and supported to live healthy lives. This strategy sets out the four interlinking priorities that we will focus on to achieve our vision:

  • Mental health and wellbeing
  • Physical health and wellbeing
  • Ageing well
  • Community resilience

However, to commit to a vision and set of priorities is just the starting point and therefore a detailed action plan will sit alongside the strategy to show how we are implementing it, detailing the work we are doing and the outcomes we will measure to monitor our impact and progress. This will be reviewed yearly.

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