Needs assessments and further resources

Local needs assessments

Strategy document

Each Health and Wellbeing Board has a statutory duty to produce a Health and Wellbeing Strategy, providing a commitment to improving health and wellbeing by setting out priorities for where members of the Board will
work together in planning and delivering local services.

In 2019, the HWBs for Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham took the decision to develop a shared Health and Wellbeing Strategy with the
NHS Integrated Care Board to make even more improvements in health. 

This Strategy has been developed by working closely with local partners from health, social care, local authorities and the voluntary sector
along with residents of the three areas.

Strategy document

The Wokingham Health and Wellbeing Strategy into Action determines the priorities for focus within the Borough governed by the Wokingham Wellbeing Board. This Strategy into Action is guided by the overarching principles within the Berkshire West Health and Wellbeing Strategy. 

This Strategy into Action sets out the residents’ voice, as represented in the Berkshire West public engagement, and the local need in Wokingham under these five priorities. It summarises the Wokingham-specific priorities that will drive work to improve the health and wellbeing of residents and the governance structure to ensure accountability and reporting of this work.

This Strategy sets out strategic priorities for the next 10 years, however it will remain responsive with review points overseen by the Wokingham Wellbeing Board and with yearly review of action plans.

Health visiting and school nursing needs assessment

The Health Visiting and School Nursing Needs Assessment guides conversations with partners on how we can best use the health visiting and school nursing service, who are leaders of the Healthy Child Programme, to improve the health and wellbeing of children, young people and families in Wokingham Borough. The needs assessment will also be used to inform the service specifications and commissioning of the service.

Past needs assessment:

Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Vaping Needs Assessment

This needs assessment brings together quantitative and qualitative data and insight which describes how the population of Wokingham Borough Council is affected by alcohol, drugs, tobacco and vaping (ADTV). It covers the life course from children to adults, recognising that the needs and issues experienced by different ages, ethnicities, communities and other sub-populations are varied.

Past needs assessments:

Eat Well Be Active Needs Assessment

The aim of this needs assessment is to show the weight profile and levels of physical activity for children, young people and adults in Wokingham Borough alongside data on food systems and nutrition. The evidence and recommendations will inform planning and decision-making locally to support all residents to be active, eat well and maintain a healthy weight. This meets the council’s wider ambition to support all residents to thrive and the Health & Wellbeing Board’s ambition to improve healthy life expectancy.

Past needs assessment:

A Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) is the statement for the needs of pharmaceutical services of the population in a specific area. It sets out a statement of the pharmaceutical services which are currently provided, together with when and where these are available to a given population.

Supplementary statements record minor changes to the availability of pharmaceutical services during the 3-year term of the PNA that are relevant for the granting of pharmacy applications by NHS England. Once issued, the supplementary statement(s) become part of the PNA.

PNA 2025-2028

PNA 2022-2025

Map of local pharmacies

This map of local pharmacies shows  addresses, opening hours, and the services they provide.

Autism Needs Assessment

The Autism Needs Assessment details the local picture of autism in Wokingham Borough, using local data where possible, and inferring from national data when not. It will be used alongside insight from stakeholders and people with lived experience to inform Wokingham Borough’s All-age Autism Strategy.

Falls Prevention Needs Assessment

This assessment looked at local data around falls incidence and risk factors, and what the current evidence tells us about what works to prevent falls. There is a focus on primary primary prevention centred around strengthening the building blocks of health and wellbeing.  Its purpose is to identify priorities for future planning around falls prevention.

Mental Health Needs Assessment

Wokingham Borough’s Mental Health Needs Assessment provides a robust summary of the mental health experiences of the local population. This information and analysis can inform strategies and policies to improve the mental health of the population. The assessment primarily focuses on the mental health needs in adults.

Executive Summary
Chapter 1 – Introduction
Chapter 2 – Common Mental Health Disorders
Chapter 3 – Severe and Enduring Mental Health Illness
Chapter 4 – Suicide and Self-harm
Chapter 5 – Substance Use and Addiction
Chapter 6 – Living with Dementia
Chapter 7 – Mental Health Needs in the Vulnerable Groups and Inequalities
Chapter 8 – COVID-19 and Mental Health

Public Health Annual Report

Our 2021/22 Public Health Annual Report focuses on food and how we can help tackle climate change, one meal at a time

Air Quality Monitoring Annual Status Report

A report is published each year providing an overview of air quality in Wokingham Borough. The Public Protection Partnership undertakes air quality monitoring in the borough. The major source of air quality pollutants in the borough is road transport.

Biodiversity Annual Monitoring Report 2022

Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre report for this year regarding habitats and species of principal importance and local wildlife sites in Wokingham Borough.

Local Websites

Plans, Policies and Strategies

Wokingham Borough Council’s published plans, policies and strategies, including the Community Vision and Council Plan; and service-level strategies across adult and children’s services.

Evidence studies

Evidence collected and used to inform Wokingham Borough Council’s plan-making process.

Find My Nearest

Map data to locate useful pinned facilities and services within the local area in Wokingham Borough.

Public rights of way

An interactive map to view public rights of way, along with the location of features including benches, gates and stiles.

Wokingham Health and Wellbeing Board

Setup to coordinate the health and wellbeing activity in our borough, according to its terms of reference.

Each of the three Local Authorities in Berkshire West has its own Observatory site; there is also a site covering all of Berkshire. These can be accessed using the links below:

The Berkshire Observatory

The Reading Observatory

The West Berkshire Observatory

National websites

  • Census 2021 website: It features topic summaries on various themes; as well as interactive maps that explores data down to neighbourhood level, and a summary on how life has changed in Wokingham since the last census.
  • Local Deprivation Explorer: This allows users to look up data from the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2025 for their area, explore comparisons across England using an interactive map, and download data, with the option to view and download data for specific postcodes.
  • Nomisweb: Published by the Office for National Statistics to give statistics on population, society and the labour market at national, regional and local levels. A local authority report on Wokingham is available. Users can also search for local area reports which go down to smaller geographical areas.
  • LG Inform: A benchmarking tool produced by the Local Government Association which allows you to access, compare and analyse data at local authority level.

  • Green Infrastructure Web Portal: Published by Natural England containing information and a mapping tool that shows information about the natural environment.
  • Sewage in Rivers map: Published by the Rivers Trust showing where the sewerage network discharges treated sewage and overflows of untreated sewage and storm water into rivers.
  • Green Space Index: Fields in Trust’s barometer of publicly accessible park and green space provision. Published annually it takes stock of the nation’s quantity of local parks and green spaces and provides analysis on their impact.
  • Place-based Carbon Calculator: A tool produced by the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions which estimates the per-person carbon footprint for every Lower layer Super Output Area in England.