Agenda and minutes

Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. 

By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

The chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

The Chair referred Members present to item one on the agenda in respect of filming at the meeting and Members noted the information contained therein.

There were no apologies for absence. Kanupriya attended the meeting virtually.

There were no Items of Urgent Business.

In relation to agenda item 11, the Chair advised that he was a board member at the Haringey sixth form centre.

Cllr Simmons-Safo advised that she was a parent governor for two schools in Hackney.

None.

To approve the minutes of the meeting on 17^th March 2022.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting on 17^th March 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

To receive and note the minutes of the following Scrutiny Panels and to approve any recommendations contained within:

Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel – 3^rd March 2022

Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel – 15^th March 2022

Environment and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel – 3^rd March 2022

Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Panel – 7^th March 2022

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the following Scrutiny Panels were received and noted:

Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel – 3^rd March 2022

Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel – 15^th March 2022

Environment and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel – 3^rd March 2022

Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Panel – 7^th March 2022

The Committee received a report which established the four scrutiny panels and also set out the Membership for Overview & Scrutiny Committee and scrutiny panels for 2022/23. The report also included the terms of reference for OSC and the four panels. The report was introduced by Dominic O’Brien as set out in the agenda pack at pages 43 – 81.

• The Committee agreed to appoint Cllr Connor as a Haringey representative to the North Central London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2022/23. Cllr Bevan agreed to give some further consideration as to who the other Haringey representative would be.
• The Committee queried whether the Housing & Regeneration Scrutiny Panel should be renamed in light of a change in the name of the housing directorate in a perceived shift in emphasis from the administration away from regeneration. The Committee recommended that in light of this, the Panel should have its named changed ASAP. Officers agreed to provide a written response to this point outside of the meeting. (Action: Clerk).

RESOLVED

The Committee agreed to:

(a)  Note the terms of reference (Appendix A) and Protocol (Appendix B) for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and its Panels;

(b)  Endorse the draft Protocol (Appendix C) for non-voting co-opted Members on Scrutiny Panels;

(c)  Establish the following Scrutiny Panels for 2022/23: - Adults and Health; - Children and Young People; - Environment and Community Safety; and - Housing and Regeneration;

(d)  Approve the remits and membership for each Scrutiny Panel for 2022/23 (Appendix D); and

(e)  Appoint Cllr Connor and one other (TBC) Haringey representatives to the North Central London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2022/23.

The Committee received a report which provided a performance update against the 2019-23 Borough Plan. The Committee noted that, following the local elections in May, a new performance framework was being developed as part of the ‘Haringey Deal’ and to deliver and track the implementation of the Manifesto commitments The report was introduced by Margaret Gallagher, Performance Manager and Claire McCarthy, AD for Strategy, Communications and Collaboration as set out in the agenda pack at pages 83-94. The following arose as part of the discussion of the report:

1. The Committee sought clarification around the pursuit of London Living Wage (LLW) employer status for LBH and requested further details about how far this extended. The Committee questioned the extent to which the Council was requiring bodies with whom they held contracts, to provide LLW to their staff. How was this monitored? The Committee also sought clarification around the extent to which the Council still had legacy contracts that were not paying their staff LLW. The Committee was also keen to understand what the Council was doing to encourage other employers to sign up to the scheme. In response, officers advised that they would ask the service to provide a written response to these questions. (Action: Margaret Gallagher).
2. The Committee also sought clarification about the extent to which procurement and commissioning were ensuring that contractors were paying the LLW. Would, for instance, the Council refuse to use a particular contractor if they used zero-hour contracts. In response, officers advised that being a LLW employer was part of the procurement evaluation process and that this would be looked at in the round when awarding contracts.
3. The Committee sought clarification around the metric that showed Haringey having delivered 3005 new homes and whether this related to all homes delivered in the borough, rather than Council homes. In response, officers confirmed that this number related to the total number of homes delivered in the borough. Officers agreed to look at the wording of this going forwards. Officers advised that this metric formed part of the government’s housing delivery test.
4. The Committee noted concerns that the domestic violence metric was showing as green, despite being higher than the London average. Officers acknowledged this concern and advised that the metric was an answer to a specific question but did not give a complete view. Officers reiterated that this was the last time that they would be reporting on this package of metrics as they looked to refresh the performance framework going forwards.
5. In relation to a question about the citizen’s panel, officers advised that this was made up of a group of 1700/1800 residents who had agreed to be part of an engagement group for the Council. Some of these had been recruited on the street and others had been recruited online. The nature of the engagement to date had been largely based around surveys, but officers were looking at how best to take this forward.
6. In relation to a question around connected communities, officers advised that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 85.

Violence Against Women and Girls.

The Committee received a report a report which provided an update on a Scrutiny Review on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), which was started by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee in 2021/22. The Review was not completed due to resource limitations both within the Scrutiny team and the Public Health team. The Committee was asked to consider the extent of the evidence gathered through the Review so far and to determine the most appropriate route to complete (or discontinue) the Review in 2022/23.

After some discussion, the Committee agreed to complete the Review through the Overview & Scrutiny Committee with a revised terms of reference to provide a more focused topic for review. The Committee also agreed that undertaking this review should not limit the capacity of the Committee to undertake work in other areas and should not impact their ability to react to emerging issues of concern.

RESOLVED

That the Committee agreed to complete the Review through the Overview & Scrutiny Committee with a revised term of reference, subject to the Committee also undertaking other areas of scrutiny work as and when issues arise.

Gambling Related Harms

The Committee also received a report which provided an update on the Gambling Inquiry Day held in March 2022, in order to gather evidence on gambling-related harms in Haringey and what action could be taken to address this. The Committee noted that at the inquiry day, concerns were raised that national legislation limited the ability of local authorities to refuse licensing applications leading to the proliferation of gambling establishments in Haringey. After hearing the range of evidence submitted, the previous OSC Committee recommended that a funding source should be sought for additional local research on gambling harms, the greater use of education/prevention on gambling as a priority and the establishment of a ‘Gambling Harms Prevention Champion’ to lead any lobbying activity aimed at the government on this issue.

The Committee was asked to consider including gambling harms and the monitoring of progress against the Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s previous recommendations on this issue as part of the 2022/23 Work Programme.

In response to a question from the Chair, officers advised that the work on gambling-related harms would be part of a wider discussion around priorities and the work plan, that emerged from the proposed scrutiny café event in September. 

Members of the Committee clarified that the Committee had made some recommendations around gambling-related harms, and that the next step was for Cabinet to provide an update on those recommendations. Namely; whether there was funding available, whether a university could be engaged to undertake the research, and whether a Gambling Harms Prevention Champion should be established. Officers agreed to seek an update from on Cabinet’s response to the recommendations from the inquiry day and provide an update in writing to the Committee on this. (Action: Dominic O’Brien).

The Committee received a report, which set out how the foundations would be laid for targeted, inclusive and timely work on issues of local importance and where scrutiny could add value, through its work programme.

In relation to the proposed Scrutiny Café event on 9^th September, the Committee agreed to this provisional date and requested that, if possible, the event should take place at the Haringey sixth form centre. The Selby centre was also mentioned as a possible venue. The Committee also agreed to proceed with an online scrutiny survey. The Chair gave a steer that he would like to include some students from the sixth form centre in the event and that the easiest way to do this would be perhaps to have a table of students participating in the event alongside the wider community and VCS groups. It was suggested that the student body/student union should be approached to give a steer on which students would be best placed to participate and the most appropriate time of day to hold the session. (Scrutiny officers to note).

The Committee requested an update on the recommendations from the fire safety review at the July OSC meeting. (Action: Clerk).

Members to email the Chair with any further suggestions of possible agenda items for the July and October meetings. (Action: All). 

RESOLVED

1. That the Committee agreed the overall approach outlined at section 5 for developing a work programme for Overview and Scrutiny for 2022-24 for approval at its meeting on 13 October 2022;
2. That, pending commencement of the finalised work programme, the Committee agreed the provisional items for its meetings on 25 July and 13 October as set out in paragraphs 5.10 – 5.13 of the report.

N/A

·         25^th July

·         13^th October 2022

·         28^th November 2022

·         12^th January 2023 (Your Council – budget proposals)

·         19^th January 2023 (budget scrutiny)

·         30^th March 2023

·         25^th July

·         13^th October 2022

·         28^th November 2022

·         12^th January 2023 (Your Council – budget proposals)

·         19^th January 2023 (budget scrutiny)

·         30^th March 2023