Agenda item

To receive an update on the Council’s response to the recommendations of the ‘Living Through Lockdown’ report.

The report was published in August 2020 by the Joint Partnership Board and is provided in full in this pack.

Sara Sutton, Assistant Director for Partnerships & Communities, introduced this item by highlighting the focus on new initiatives and how the Living Through Lockdown report continued to influence the services delivered, approach to health inequalities and the relationships with partners three years after the first lockdown. She added that there had been a number of recommendations in the report that had now been implemented as ‘business as usual’.

Sara Sutton and Vicky Murphy, Service Director for Adult Social Services, and Cllr Lucia das Neves, Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Well-being, then responded to questions from the Panel:

• Cllr Opoku commented that she was aware of some community groups that found it difficult to distribute food to people who needed it through food networks and asked what more the Council could do to improve this. Sara Sutton explained that there was a Food Network Coordinator that the groups and individuals could contact to connect and coordinate with other members of the network. She acknowledged that there were challenges specific to the distribution of perishable foods. She added that the Council was working on a new Food Action Plan, the development of which was being supported by members of the Food Network. There would also be opportunities for community engagement as part of the development of the Action Plan. 
• Cllr Brennan highlighted challenges faced by carers including financial assistance for those who were struggling. Vicky Murphy said that funding from the Better Care Fund had recently been obtained to help enhance carer support. The aim was to create an environment where carers could meet each other and social care staff and help to reshape how services were delivered. This would begin with community meetings held in three localities in September/October which Councillors were welcome to attend. Sara Sutton added that the Household Support Fund, which was originally funded by Government to support people during the pandemic, was now used to support people during the cost-of-living crisis. The Council used a data-driven approach to target those most in need. There was also the local assistance welfare scheme known as the Haringey Support Fund which supported people in crisis, and the Here to Help campaign which assisted people in claiming benefits that they were entitled to. Cllr das Neves added that there may be some learning from the warm spaces initiative during the pandemic. Cllr Connor commented that the finance support team had provided good support with local casework issues and recommended that other Councillors make use of this resource. Cllr Connor and Cllr Brennan added that the Here to Help initiative provided excellent resources and recommended that the initiative’s section on the Haringey Council website be kept regularly updated and that this be highlighted to residents through the Council’s communications channels. (ACTION) 
• Asked by Cllr Brennan about digital exclusion, Sara Sutton said that resources were provided for a pan-London approach to digital exclusion through the London Office of Technology and Innovation and that there was coordinated activity across the Council to focus on this and promote digital inclusion in local communities.
• Cllr Brennan asked about the concerns regarding ‘do not resuscitate’ policies and extra parking for blue badge holders, as highlighted in the Living Through Lockdown report, and it was agreed that written responses on these points would be obtained from health and environment colleagues. (ACTION)
• Asked by Cllr Iyngkaran about the outcomes and value for money of the initiatives described in the report, Sara Sutton said that it was too early for evaluation and outcome monitoring, but that further feedback and evaluation was expected towards the end of the financial year. Cllr Connor recommended that this information could be reported to the Panel when it became available. (ACTION)
• Cllr O’Donovan asked whether the recommendations of the report would be fed into the London-wide and national debate on what could be done better in future. Sara Sutton said that the Council was actively participating in the Covid-19 enquiry through London Councils and the Local Government Association. This was still at an early stage, but the Council would be making submissions including details of learning from the experience of lockdown.
• Helena Kania requested further details of the extension of bereavement support referred to in paragraph 3.1.1 of the report. Sara Sutton explained that the details had not yet been finalised as discussions were ongoing with the Integrated Care Board and that further details could be provided to the Panel in due course. (ACTION)
• Helena Kania noted the activity through community networks described in paragraph 3.3 of the report and asked if the Eastern European community was being included in this. Sara Sutton confirmed that there was an active Eastern European network including voluntary and community organisations. Cllr das Neves added that there were Welcome Hubs across the borough, including one in Wood Green, that was run by members of the Eastern European community.
• Asked by Helena Kania for further details on the response to recommendations about parks, it was agreed that a written response would be obtained from environment colleagues. (ACTION)
• Asked by Cllr Connor about improving access to face-to-face GP appointments, Sara Sutton observed that the online appointments worked well for many people but that a balance had to be struck to ensure that face-to-face appointments were still available for people who needed it.
• Cllr Connor highlighted the importance of support for care home residents to be able to contact relatives, noting that this had involved initiatives with digital devices during the pandemic, but that this was still relevant for residents whose relatives lived a long distance away. Vicky Murphy explained that contact with relatives should be addressed as part of a resident’s care and support plan and that none of the digital equipment had been removed so she would expect the same methods of communication to be available. However, she would check that this was the case and report back to the Panel. (ACTION)
• Cllr O’Donovan highlighted the importance of the coordination group addressing racial equity in health and care, as described in paragraph 3.4 of the report and welcomed the work being done in this area.

Beverley Tarka, Director of Adults, Health & Communities, concluded by thanking the Joint Partnership Board for initiating the Living Through Lockdown report and for all the work carried out in co-producing the report and the recommendations.