Issue - meetings

Motion Q (2008/09)

Councillor Peacock has given notice that she will move in the following terms:

Mobility Benefits for Blind Residents

“This Council Notes:

1.      That blind people experience significant barriers to independent mobility

2.      That blind people are often isolated and find it difficult to access basic services without mobility assistance

3.      That blind residents face additional costs as a result of their impairment, such as using taxis or private hire vehicles

This Council further notes:

1.      That blind people are not entitled to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance

2.      Loss of usable sight clearly causes significant independent mobility problems and incurs significant additional and unmet costs

This Council resolves:

1.      To ask the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, the Rt Hon. James Purnell MP, expressing these concerns

2.      To ask the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council to write to our local MPs asking that they sign up to EDM number 1982 and write to the Secretary of State expressing these concerns

3.      To support the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s (RNIB) campaign on securing the higher rate mobility component of DLA for blind people”.

Motion R (2008/09)

Councillor Engert has given notice that she will move in the following terms:

This Council notes

• The importance of effective scrutiny to ensure the best service to our residents
• The criticism of Haringey Council’s scrutiny of Children’s Services in OfSted’s Joint Area Review, in particular

“Arrangements for scrutinising performance across the Council and the partnership are insufficiently developed and fail to provide systematic support and appropriate challenge to both managers and practioners.”

“Current management arrangements within the Council and across the partnership do not facilitate sufficient independent challenge on safeguarding matters.”

Further notes

• That the approach to scrutiny of the JAR response has limited public involvement and does not include an opportunity for the Full Council to debate and express a view prior to the response going to the secretary of state.

Therefore, this Council resolves to,

• Ensure that the Joint Area Review response formally notes that the timetable demanded by the Secretary of State has prevented effective public engagement or Full Council discussion on this vital issue.
• Establish a permanent Children’s Services scrutiny committee to focus on safeguarding issues, chaired by an opposition member. The purpose of this committee is to tackle the shortcomings of scrutiny in the Council, provide robust challenge to services that protect our most vulnerable children and provide public involvement in the scrutiny of their services.
• Furthermore, this Council believes that these measures are essential for the recovery of Haringey's Children's Services and for the restoration of public confidence in the service.

Motion S (2008/09)

Councillor Wilson has given notice that he will move in the following terms:

This Council notes;

• Thousands of Haringey residents rely on public transport, and deserve high standards of safety and service
• Recent threats to staffing at stations in Haringey by  ...  view the full agenda text for item 112

Motion R (2008/09)

It was movedby Councillor Engert andseconded byCllr Alexander that:

This Council notes

• The importance of effective scrutiny to ensure the best service to our residents
• The criticism of Haringey Council’s scrutiny of Children’s Services in OfSted’s Joint Area Review, in particular

“Arrangements for scrutinising performance across the Council and the partnership are insufficiently developed and fail to provide systematic support and appropriate challenge to both managers and practitioners.”

“Current management arrangements within the Council and across the partnership do not facilitate sufficient independent challenge on safeguarding matters.”

Further notes

• That the approach to scrutiny of the JAR response has limited public involvement and does not include an opportunity for the Full Council to debate and express a view prior to the response going to the secretary of state.

Therefore, this Council resolves to,

• Ensure that the Joint Area Review response formally notes that the timetable demanded by the Secretary of State has prevented effective public engagement or Full Council discussion on this vital issue.
• Establish a permanent Children’s Services scrutiny committee to focus on safeguarding issues, chaired by an opposition member. The purpose of this committee is to tackle the shortcomings of scrutiny in the Council, provide robust challenge to services that protect our most vulnerable children and provide public involvement in the scrutiny of their services.
• Furthermore, this Council believes that these measures are essential for the recovery of Haringey's Children's Services and for the restoration of public confidence in the service.

An amendment to the Motion was moved by Councillor Reith and seconded by Councillor Bull as follows:

Delete all after ‘further notes’ in second paragraph and insert

• That a special public meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee was held on 17 February at which key partners were present to answer questions submitted by the public and members. A number of points made by members of the Committee have now been incorporated into the plan

• The draft Action Plan has been available on the Council website and the Scrutiny Committee itself was webcast. In addition the Action Plan will be going to the Cabinet tomorrow and the HSP on Thursday. Both meetings are open to the public.

This Council welcomes:

• The setting up of a cross-party Children Safeguarding Policy and Practice Panel. The Panel will be charged with examining the effectiveness of the Council’s policies and practice relating to the safeguarding of children and will look at both quantitative and qualitative performance information. In addition the Panel will consider the effectiveness of the arrangements for co-operation on child protection matters between partner agencies. The Panel will be assisted by an independent professional with experience in child protection.

• The replacement of the Children and Young People’s Consultative Committee by a Corporate Parenting Committee with new terms of reference which focus on improving the experiences and outcomes for young people in care.

• The forthcoming consultation with young people in care about how they want a ‘Children in Care Council’ to operate in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 112