Agenda and draft minutes

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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 Agenda Item 1 as shown on the agenda front sheet, in respect of filming at meetings, and Members noted the information therein.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Pippa Connor.

None.

None.

None.

To agree the minutes of the meetings of 27^th March 2025 and 8^th April 2025.

The minutes of the previous two meetings were approved.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meetings held on 27^th March 2025 and 8^th April 2025 be approved as an accurate record.

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

13^th February 2025 – Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel

6^th March 2025 – Housing, Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel

11^th March 2025 - Climate, Community Safety and Environment Scrutiny Panel

31^st March 2025 – Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel

The minutes of the meetings of recent Scrutiny Panel meetings were noted and the actions agreed.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meetings of the following Scrutiny Panels were received and noted, and that any recommendations contained within were approved:

·         13^th February 2025 – Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel

·         6^th March 2025 – Housing, Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel

·         11^th March 2025 - Climate, Community Safety and Environment Scrutiny Panel

·         31^st March 2025 – Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel

To agree the Membership and Terms of Reference for Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the four Scrutiny Panels.

The Committee noted that, due to the need for the Overview & Scrutiny Committee (OSC) to focus more closely on finance issues in 2025/26, some areas of its previous remit would be allocated to the Panel previously known as the Climate, Community Safety and Environment Scrutiny Panel. The details of new draft remits were set out in the report. It was proposed that the name of the Panel be changed to the Culture, Community Safety and Environment Scrutiny Panel in order to more accurately reflect its new remit.

The Committee was informed that, due to a transposition error, the wording of paragraph 9.2 of the OSC protocol was not correct and should be replaced by the following wording:  

“A lead Committee member from the largest opposition group shall be responsible for chairing the Budget Scrutiny process and co-ordinating recommendations made by respective Scrutiny Panels and the Committee relating to the budget.”

The Committee was informed that Cllr Connor, as Chair of the Adults & Health Scrutiny Panel had expressed concerns about the wording of the remit for that Panel as it did not specifically state that it had responsibility for NHS-related health issues. The Scrutiny Officer stated that the wording was drawn exactly from the Cabinet portfolio for the Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Wellbeing and that all Scrutiny Panel remits were drawn from the Cabinet portfolios which they shadowed. However, it was noted that both the Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Wellbeing and the Adults & Health Scrutiny Panel both engaged with health issues and local NHS Trusts on a regular basis. The Scrutiny Officer also reminded the Committee that paragraph 1.3 (ii) of Part Four, Section G of the constitution states that:

“Scrutiny Review Panels will analyse submissions, request and analyse any additional information, and question the Cabinet Member(s), relevant Council officers, local stakeholders, and where relevant officers and/or board members of local NHS bodies or NHS funded bodies.”

On this basis, the Scrutiny Panels had the authority to scrutinise local NHS services, irrespective of the specific wording of the Panel remits.

The Committee concluded that the remit for the Adults & Health Scrutiny Panel should be amended to clarify its role on health issues but, as Cllr Connor was not present at the meeting, it was agreed that the specific wording should be delegated to the Democratic Services & Scrutiny Manager so that she could consult with Cllr Connor on this.

The Committee noted that each of the five Boroughs in North Central London (NCL) were entitled to appoint two Councillors each to the NCL Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee. It was proposed and agreed that Cllr Matt White and Cllr Pippa Connor be appointed to this Committee as representatives of Haringey Borough for 2025/26.

RESOLVED – That the Committee:

a) Established the following Scrutiny Panels for 2024/25:

·         Adults and Health;

·         Children and Young People;

·         Culture, Community Safety and Environment; and

·         Housing, Planning and Development.

b) Approved the remits and membership for each Scrutiny Panel for 2025/26 as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To seek formal approval of the appointment of two Parent Governor representatives as voting co-opted Scrutiny members.

Cllr White informed the Committee that, following a recent recruitment process, two new parent governors were proposed to be appointed to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and to the Children & Young People’s Scrutiny Panel.

RESOLVED –

-       That Camilla Borthwick-Fox and Christine Cordon be appointed as voting co-opted members to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2025/26, participating at meetings when educational matters are being considered.

-       That Camilla Borthwick-Fox and Christine Cordon be appointed to the Children & Young People’s Scrutiny Panel as Panel Members for 2025/26.

Report to follow.

Cllr White informed the Committee that a new process had been introduced for the appointment of non-voting co-opted members and that the report recommended two appointments. One appointment was to the Children & Young People’s Scrutiny Panel and one appointment was to the Adults & Health Scrutiny Panel. The proposed appointments had been endorsed by the Corporate Director for Children’s Services and the Director of Adult Social Care respectively.

RESOLVED –

-       That Amanda Bernard be appointed to the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel as a non-voting co-opted member for 2025/2026.

-       That Helena Kania be appointed to the Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel as a non–voting co-opted member for 2025/26.

To agree the overall approach for developing a work programme and to suggest agenda items for upcoming meetings.

The Committee noted the draft OSC work programme for 2025/26 which included four specific meetings for quarterly in-year finance and performance monitoring. The Committee’s schedule had also been expanded with two new meetings added since the original schedule was approved by Full Council in May 2025. This was to provide more time to consider non-finance items, including items arising from the Scrutiny Café consultation event, given that much of the time in the original schedule was required for finance and performance items.

Cllr Small emphasised that the ability of Scrutiny to focus on a full range of issues was likely to be impacted by the additional focus on finance issues. Cllr White agreed that this was a concern but highlighted the important role of Scrutiny in the process of putting the Council on a sustainable financial footing. He added that he had also been arguing strongly for more resource for Scrutiny.

Cllr Lawton expressed concern about the limited time that each Scrutiny Panel had, with only five meetings per year, to effectively scrutinise a wide range of services and queried how feasible it would be to establish additional Scrutiny Panels. Cllr White said that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee had the power to establish additional Panels under the Constitution but noted that the main constraint would be having the officer resource to support them.

The Committee noted that the agenda items for the next meeting on 22^nd July 2025 would include a report on the 2024/25 Provisional Financial Outturn report and Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) update and also a Question & Answer session with the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive.

·         Tues 22^nd Jul 2025 (7pm)

·         Thurs 18^th Sep 2025 (7pm)

·         Mon 20^th Oct 2025 (7pm)

·         Thurs 27^th Nov 2025 (7pm)

·         Thurs 11^th Dec 2025 (7pm)

·         Mon 19^th Jan 2026 (7pm)

·         Thurs 12^th Feb 2026 (7pm)

·         Thurs 12^th Mar 2026 (7pm)

·         Tues 22^nd Jul 2025 (7pm)

·         Thurs 18^th Sep 2025 (7pm)

·         Mon 20^th Oct 2025 (7pm)

·         Thurs 27^th Nov 2025 (7pm)

·         Thurs 11^th Dec 2025 (7pm)

·         Mon 19^th Jan 2026 (7pm)

·         Thurs 12^th Feb 2026 (7pm)

·         Thurs 12^th Mar 2026 (7pm)