Agenda and minutes

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at the meeting.

The meeting was webcast on the Council’s website.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Aitken and Councillor Basu. 

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 15 below. New items of exempt business will be dealt with at item below).

RESOLVED

That the Budget Scrutiny final report be considered under new items of urgent business (item 35 below).

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 judgment of the public interest and if this interest affects their financial position or the financial position of a person or body as described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct and/or if it relates to the determining of any approval, consent, licence, permission or registration in relation to them or any person or body described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct.

Councillor Adamou declared personal interests in agenda item 8, Cabinet Member Questions, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Wellbeing, and agenda item 12, Care Quality Commission Annual Performance Assessment – Adults, as she had a daughter that was a social worker

Councillor Adamou also declared a personal interest in agenda item 9, Performance Exceptions report, as she had a daughter that was a teacher.

To consider any requests received in accordance with Part 4, Section B, paragraph 29 of the Council’s constitution.

There were no such items.

RESOLVED

To vary the order of the agenda.  The minutes of the meeting will show items in the same order in which they appear on the agenda.

To approve the minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meetings held on:

i.          14^th September 2009

ii.         1^st October 2009 (Call-in)

iii.        21^st October 2009

iv.        26^th October 2009

i.          14^th September 2009

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 14^th September 2009 be confirmed as a correct record.

ii.         1^st October 2009 (Call-in)

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee Call-in meeting held on 1^st October 2009 be confirmed as a correct record.

iii.        21^st October 2009

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 21^st October 2009 be confirmed as a correct record.

iv.        26^th October 2009

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 26^th October 2009 be confirmed as a correct record.

Briefing and answers to questions from Councillor Basu, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Lifelong Learning.

The Committee received written responses to the advanced questions raised (tabled) and the Leader, Councillor Claire Kober, attended the meeting with Diana Edmonds (Assistant Director of Culture, Libraries and Learning) and John Morris (Assistant Director of Recreation Services) to answer further questions.

The Committee congratulated officers on the library targets and noted that it was not possible to get more specific data on different user groups without asking probing questions, which could deter people from engaging with library services.  The Committee noted that 90% of courses booked with libraries were taken up. In response to questions about what services were provided for young people officers explained that Haringey had a younger profile of library users than other boroughs and services included activities, the toy library and homework clubs.  Hornsey Library was a popular place with teenagers during exam periods.

In response to comments and questions by the Committee, officers explained that Haringey met the national standard of having a library within a mile of every resident and recognised that forums to engage with library users were not working in their current format, despite being highly advertised.  Other methods of user engagement were used, such as the 60 second snapshots interviews of 3 customers each month and the annual user survey.

The Committee were informed that the Parks and Leisure Services used agency staff on a planned basis through the Council’s contract with Hays and explained that this was an effective way of filling seasonal vacancies.

Officers were asked to provide a briefing note on the milestones and those reached so far during the development of the Cultural Strategy.

The Chair highlighted the good work of the Service to improve and increase allotment spaces in the Borough.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet Member briefing and responses to questions be noted.

Briefing and answers to questions from Councillor Dogus, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Wellbeing.

The Committee received written responses to the advanced questions raised (tabled) and Councillor Dilek Dogus, Cabinet Member for Adults Social Care & Wellbeing attended the meeting with Lisa Redfern (Assistant Director of Adult Services) and Margaret Allen (Assistant Director of Safeguarding & Strategic Services) to answer questions.

The Committee noted that the Service had worked hard to raise awareness of the new personalised care programme including holding events with service users as well as providers and suppliers and training and developing the workforce.  Some service users would be invited to join the monthly Transformation Board and officers were meeting with community and voluntary sector groups every 6 weeks to help monitor the programme.  The Council also facilitated User Reference Groups in order to obtain direct feedback.

The Committee expressed concern that day centres or other services could be closed as a result of the Government’s personalised care programme.  The Cabinet Member recognised this and stated that use of day centres would be monitored but emphasised that the programme existed to allow service users to control their care budgets and chose whether they wanted to use the centres. The personalised care programme was not compulsory and service users could opt for the Council to continue providing their services.

In response to concerns raised by the Committee the Assistant Director of Adults Services explained that the referral and assessment system would remain the same and if a service was required during the assessment process the Council would ensure that the service was provided.  An Integrated Access Team had been set up to direct those requiring Social Services access to the correct departments.

The Committee requested a briefing note on the differences between the Direct Payments scheme and the Personalised Care Programme including the implications for existing core services if the current 10% take-up figures increased and how this would be managed.

The Committee expressed concern that the minibus service for Winkfield Resource Centre would cease and noted that details had been part of the previous year’s pre-budget planning process.  These details and the alternative modes of transport offered would be circulated to Committee Members.

In response to the Committee’s concern about the 3% NHS budget surplus the Cabinet Member and officers explained that Council officers had regular meetings with senior NHS Haringey and Mental Health Trust officers to work together to align the commissioning of services and monitor the budget, however, the Council did not control the NHS budget.  The Committee requested to be circulated any response that the Council sends to the NHS once the budget had been clarified and that the Chair write to NHS London pointing out the Committee’s concerns of disparity in the budget setting.

The Committee highlighted concerns about delayed discharges from hospitals and Mental health units.  Officers explained that Council officers had daily teleconferencing and monthly performance meetings with all parties concerned with the discharging of patients but there were some delays due to a combination of health and local authority delays.   In relation to comments that some  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

To receive the exceptions report on financial and performance information for the year to November 2009.

The Committee received the performance update report summarising performance to November 2009 and the Council’s financial status and including Local Area Agreement (LAA) and Sustainable Community Strategy Outcomes.  Wayne Longshaw (Assistant Chief Executive – Policy, Performance, Partnership & Communication (PPP&C)), Frances Palopoli (Head of Finance Central Services), and Mark Gurrey (Interim Assistant Director of Performance, Children & Young People’s Services), attended to answer the Committee’s questions.

The Committee noted that there was a central performance team that worked with a designated officer in each business unit to deal with any indicators highlighted red.  The Assistant Chief Executive – PPP&C highlighted that some targets were not being met due to a number of issues but stated that he was confident that the Council would meet most targets by the end of the municipal year.  The LAA indicators were 60% on target but there were some challenges in meeting economic indicators due to the current climate.  Committee Members asked why the economic indicators targets had not been relaxed due to the recession and were informed that the Council could reduce local targets but was bound by a contract relating to the Government targets although some had been frozen.  Targets would be revised in the near future.

The Committee asked for a more consistent narrative to be presented alongside the performance data in future reports.

The Committee noted that the data provided a sense of trend and direction for from month to month but the end of year assessment would provide a clearer assessment. 

The Committee requested that NI 59 (Percentage of initial assessments for children’s social care carried out within 7 working days of referral) be added to 8^th March 2010 OSC Child Protection Agenda for consideration.  In response to questions the Committee was informed that there were many factors affecting NI 59 and NI 60 (Percentage of core assessments that were carried out within 35 working days of their commencement) including numbers and quality of staff, detail of referrals from external agencies, the effectiveness of administrative and computer systems and that much of the safeguarding action plan is geared towards improving safeguarding work, part of which is to improve performance against these KPIs.

The Committee agreed that the Chair of the Children’s Trust be requested to identify how budgets were used to support child protection as most of the cost of children in care was met by the Council but budgets sat with other partners, and, what preventative methods could be put in place that might make a difference in keeping children out of care and saving budgets.

The Committee asked for more information on NI 40 (Number of Drug Users recorded as being in effective treatment) to be circulated after the meeting.

RESOLVED

i.          That the report and the progress being made be noted.

ii.         That the Council budget position be noted.

To receive the report detailing the outcome of the Department of Health National Support Team Health Inequalities (NSTHI) visit.

The Committee received the report on the outcome of the Department of Health National Support Team Health Inequalities (NSTHI) visit, written and presented by Susan Otiti (Acting Joint Director of Public Health – NHS Haringey/ Haringey Council).  It was noted that NSTHI visitors had congratulated partners on strengths in a variety of aspects of collective work and identified 10 recommendations (pages 84 and 85 of the agenda pack).  The work was focussed on reducing inequality so although an equalities impact assessment had not taken place, it was seeking to improve equality of outcome.

In response to questions from Committee Members it was noted that a report would be presented to the Council’s Wellbeing Partnership Board and a Health and Communities Group would be established to monitor the implementation of the recommendations.

Committee members asked the Acting Joint Director of Public Health to write to NSTHI to ensure that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee will have an opportunity to input into the visit on infant mortality.  She would also let members know if they could feed into any other forum.

RESOLVED

That the report on the Department of Health National Support Team Health Inequalities visit be noted and Acting Joint Director of Public Health to write to NSTHI to ensure that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee will have an opportunity to input into the visit on infant mortality.

To receive the results of the 2009 Comprehensive Area Assessment published in December 2009.

The Committee received the report on the results of the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA), introduced by the Assistant Chief Executive – Policy, Performance, Partnership & Communication (PPP&C), Wayne Longshaw. 

Members noted that the Council had scored 3 out of 4 in most areas.  The overall judgement of “adequate” was disappointing but that this was due to the “poor” rating of Children’s Services and that 9 other local authorities had also received low ratings for their Children’s Services departments, and some with more red flags, yet had been given better overall judgements than Haringey.  Comparative CAA data for other Local Authorities who also scored “poor” in an area would be circulated to Committee Members.  

Members commented that the CAA was very positive in contrast to the negative press that Haringey had received.  

The Committee asked what officers were doing to ensure improvements in relation to child protection and was informed that weekly monitoring enabled officers to recognise movement and workshops with staff had been taking place.  On-going auditing was taking place and in November/December 300 cases had been checked with no variance found.  Officers were confident that a good strategy was in place to improve child protection and the quality of data kept by the Children’s Services.

The Committee requested that future CAA reports to the Committee provided more detail on how improvements will be made.

RESOLVED

That the results of the 2009 Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) be noted.

To receive the Care Quality Commission’s Annual Performance Assessment of Adults Social Care.

Committee members were invited to submit any questions or concerns about this report to Trevor Cripps (Head of Scrutiny).

RESOLVED

That the content and outcome of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual review of Adult Social Care for 2008/09 and proposed action to respond to the identified areas for development be noted.

To receive the scope and terms of reference for the scrutiny review of sustainable transport in Haringey.

Councillor Mallett, Chair of the Scrutiny Review Panel, introduced the scoping report.

RESOLVED

That the draft scope, terms of reference and work plan for the review be agreed.

To receive the scope and terms of reference for the scrutiny review of breast screening services. 

Councillor Winskill, Chair of the Scrutiny Review Panel, introduced the report.

RESOLVED

That the draft scope, terms of reference and work plan for the review be agreed.

Budget Scrutiny – Final Report

The Committee received the Budget Scrutiny final report which will be submitted to the Cabinet.

RESOLVED

That the report be agreed.

Wednesday 20^th January 2010

Monday 1^st February 2010

Monday 15^th February 2010

Monday 8^th March 2010

Monday 15^th March 2010

Wednesday 20^th January 2010

Monday 1^st February 2010

Monday 15^th February 2010

Monday 8^th March 2010