Agenda and minutes

Please note: This meeting may be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council's internet site - at the start of the meeting the Chair will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed. The images and sound recording may be used for training purposes within the Council.

Generally the public seating areas are not filmed. However, 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 for webcasting and/or training purposes.

If you have any queries regarding this, please contact the Committee Clerk

at the meeting.

We were informed that due to technical difficulties, the meeting would not be webcast.

There were no such apologies.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of urgent business. (Late items will be considered under the agenda item where they appear. New items will be dealt with at item 13 below. New items of exempt business will be dealt with at item below).

None received.

A member with a personal interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered must disclose to that meeting the existence and nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration, or when the interest becomes apparent.

A member with a personal interest in a matter also has a prejudicial interest in that matter if the interest is one which a member of the public, with knowledge of the relevant facts, would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice the member's judgement of the public interest.

There were no such declarations.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on:

i)                    28 February 2005

ii)                  13 March 2005

RESOLVED:

1. That the minutes of the special meeting held on 28 February 2006 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

2. That the minutes of the meeting on 13 March 2006 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

3. That the Clerk provide to the committee more detailed information to that laid out in Appendix B to the minutes of the meeting of the 28 February 2006.

To consider any requests received in accordance with Standing Orders.

There were no such items.

Councillor George Meehan, Leader of the Council

The written answers to questions to the Leader are given in Appendix One.

The Committee received the Leader’s report on the Executive’s priorities for 2006/7.  The Committee noted the key priorities for Haringey and further noted that a full four year plan was currently being drafted.

The Committee noted Council’s aim to achieve excellent services across the board for all residents.  The Committee noted the desire to bring Community Leadership to all public services, and also the desire to increase people’s involvement in the shaping of their services through events such as the Residents’ Conference.

It was noted that the Executive believed that continued improvements revolved around the following elements:

-          Delivering savings for Gershon and Value For Money, linked to the investment strategy

-          Delivering community strategy and local area agreements through the Haringey Strategic Partnership and the Council’s partners

-          Embedding – values and the service improvement agenda

Other top priorities for the new leadership were given stated, those being community safety, children and young people and financial stability.

Members raised concerns over the health inequalities between the East and West of the borough.  The Leader of the Council stated that discussions with the Primary Care Trust were ongoing, and it would be inappropriate to comment until discussion had concluded taking place.

In response to Member queries about Pay and Display and CPZ consultation, the Leader of the Council assured Members that the CPZ was being delayed to allow ward Councillors to be involved, and gave the assurance that ward councillors would asked to comment on future CPZ proposals.

The Leader responded to Members’ concerns over the Tech Refresh project, stating that it was a collective failure on the part of the Council and that he was personally overseeing the current I.T. project.

Members requested that lobbying take place to gain Haringey an improved grant settlement for the next municipal year.  The Leader assured Members that it would. 

In light of the further duties being placed upon the Overview & Scrutiny committee, Members requested information on the resourcing of the committee.  The Leader offered to talk to partners to discuss their potential making a contribution to funding.

RESOVLED:

1. That the Committee note the report and Executive priorities.

2. That the Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s active participation in research and policy development through its formal Reviews and consideration of the Forward Plan be confirmed.

Dr Ita O’Donovan, Chief Executive

The Committee received an address from Dr Ita O’Donovan, Chief Executive of the Council outlining the corporate priorities for the Council in the year ahead.  The importance of a robust performance management system, the development of the corporate plan and the use of the HSP stream boards, the community strategy and partnership working were all seen as important priorities in the authority’s pursuit of ‘Excellent’ status.  It was noted that strengthening the rôle of the Overview and Scrutiny committee would also enhance the Council’s performance.

Members enquired as to the issue of homelessness, and under whose responsibility it came.  The Chief Executive stated that portfolio allocation was a Member issue, but would raise the issue with the Executive Member for Housing. 

Members additionally enquired as to the impact on Planning matters were the council to refuse to endorse the UDP.  We noted that the London Plan would take precedence, greatly limiting the Council’s ability to control development within the borough.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Chief Executive’s report be noted.

2. That Members clarify which Executive portfolio holder is responsible for homelessness.

(Report of the Director of Social Services and Housing)  To present Health Overview and Scrutiny with an overview of health and social care in Haringey.

This report was received to present an overview of health and social care in Haringey.  We noted that the NHS had had a number of financial and structural challenges in the recent past which has had an inevitable impact upon Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust and Haringey Council.  Officers informed Members that both the Council and the Trust were committed to a culture of dialogue, engagement and consultation.

RESOLVED:

1. That we note the report.

2. That a representative of the Health Authority be invited to the Special Meeting of 12^th July.

(Report of the Overview & Scrutiny Manager)  To follow 

The Committee received the report on the consultation process that had been agreed in respect of the savings proposals made by the Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust.  Members  welcomed representatives from the Primary Care Trust to discuss the proposals.  The Trust management team welcomed the growing partnership with the London Borough of Haringey, and outlined their desire that the difficult decisions that an unexpected budget deficit through up should be within the framework of robust discussions with the borough.

The Committee received from the Primary Care Trust an outline of the budget situation.  The requirement to top-slice 3% of the PCT budget to the London fund had led to the need to make alterations in other areas, whilst attempting to minimise the impact on frontline services.

Members of the public raised concerns over the proposals, and it was noted that those relating to the restructuring of the Family Planning Service, and the reorganisation of Greentrees, the rehabilitation ward at St Ann’s hospital, were to be considered in further detail at the Special meeting of July 12^th.  Although there was concern about the impact of all of the budget reductions proposed by the PCT, only the proposals relating to the Family Planning Services and Greentrees were considered to constitute ‘substantial variations’ to services as defined by Section 7 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 and therefore subject to statutory consultation.  This did not, however, preclude the committee from making comments on other areas, although there would be no power of referral to the Secretary of State.  In light of public concern over the future of Hornsey Central Hospital, it was agreed that this should be placed on the agenda for the September meeting of the committee.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Committee endorse the recommendations of the report

2. That the alterations to the Family Planning

3.  Service and Greentrees be examined in detail at the meeting of 12 July 2006.

4. That the issue of Hornsey Central Hospital be examined at the September meeting of the committee.

(Report of the Chief Executive)  To review 2005/06 service performance against the Council's basket of key indicators and to present proposed performance targets for the period 2006/07 to 2008/09.

The Committee received this report to review 2005/6 services performance against the Council’s basket of key indicators, and to present proposed performance targets for the period 2006/07 to 2008/09.  Council performance was measured against 105 indicators, mainly those used by the Audit Commission in the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) and those included in Haringey’s Local Public Service Agreement with some key local measures.  The report set out the areas on which Haringey has made significant improvements in the previous year, together with laying out priorities for the current one.

RESOLVED:

1. That the recommendations of the report be endorsed.

2. That officers provide a written response to Cllr Bevan in respect of the rent collection indicator, and the linkage of that figure to the government target.

(Report of the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee) To identify suitable topics for scrutiny review and to commission from the list of prioritised topics, those to be initially carried out as scrutiny reviews this municipal year.

The Committee received the report of the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to identify suitable topics for scrutiny review and to commission from the list of prioritised topics those to be initially carried out as scrutiny reviews this municipal year.

The topics commissioned from the priority list of potential review topics were as follows:

-          Strategic Commissioning

-          Extended Schools & Extra Curricular Activities

-          Fly Tipping

-          CCTV and Community Safety

-          I.C.T. Strategy / E-Government Strategy

-          Access to Health Services for People with Disabilities

-          Homelessness and Allocations Policy

It was acknowledged that the work programme was a rolling one, with more reviews to be commissioned, resources permitting, as soon as possible. 

RESOLVED:

1. That the programme be agreed.

2. That all recommendations in the report be adopted.

3. That Members of both party groups be encouraged to be involved in Scrutiny Review Panels.

There were no such items.