Agenda and minutes

Please note 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 Mayor drew attendees’ attention to the notice on the summons regarding filming at meetings.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Adje, Ahmet, Clare Bull, Gunes, Ibrahim, McNamara, Ozbek and Sahota.

Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Ejiofor.

The Chief Executive asked that the Statement of Members’ Attendance at item 10 be accepted as a late report, given that it had been prepared so as to take account of meetings held recently, and the responses to written questions be accepted at item 14.

No declarations of interest were made.

The Chief Executive asked that the minutes of the Council’s meeting of 26 February be approved as a correct record of the Meeting.

AGREED.

The Mayor drew Members’ attention to the notice at Members’ desks on some of his activities since the last meeting, including a concert that day to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the London Sinfonietta, and the Commonwealth Day flag-raising event.

The Mayor paid tribute to Brother Abdool Alli Khan, whose funeral and wake he had attended the previous week, and noted the message of the service that people could pay tribute to Brother Alli by continuing his good work for community support and cohesion. Following tributes from the Leader of the Council, Cllr Hare, Cllr Jogee, Cllr Peacock, Cllr Reith and Cllr Diakides, the Mayor invited Bibi Khan to address the Council. In so doing, she thanked Members for their tributes and gave her reflections on her father’s relationship with the Council.

The Mayor then informed the Council that earlier that evening he had presented Peter Desmond with a Special Recognition Award, in light of Mr Desmond’s contribution to the borough through his leadership of Haringey Young Musicians, and the Mayor’s personal appreciation for the support received during his Mayoral year.

Finally, as it was the final meeting before the election, the Mayor expressed his gratitude on behalf of the borough for each Councillor’s contribution and commitment.

The Chief Executive drew Members’ attention to the outline calendar for the 2018/19 municipal year.

NOTED.

The Monitoring Officer had no matters to report.

The Mayor informed the meeting that he had not received any requests for deputations or petitions for this meeting.

Report to follow.

The Mayor accepted the admittance of the tabled report as late business, given that it had been prepared to include recent meetings.

The Chief Executive introduced the report on Members’ attendance, as required by the Council’s Constitution.

NOTED.

The Chair of the Standards Committee moved her report, and referred Members to the tabled version of the Members’ Allowances Scheme which provided corrections to minor typographical errors in the circulated report. She set out the principles behind the recommendations, and that they would deliver a saving of around £14 000.

AGREED

That Full Council:

1.    Revoke the Members Allowance Scheme for 2017/18 as of 31 March;

2.    Approve the new Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2018-19, as set out in the tabled report, to take effect from 1 April 2018;

3.    Adopt the revised Protocol on Member/Officer relations, found at Appendix C of the attached report;

4.    Agree the insertion of a requirement for an annual update on progress of reducing carbon emissions in the borough, as set out at paragraph 6.8 of the attached report.

The Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning moved the report from Cabinet to Council on the Intermediate Housing Policy Statement.

RESOLVED

That Full Council agree and adopt the amended Appendix C of Haringey’s Housing Strategy 2017-2022, attached as appendix 2 to the Cabinet Report, and the minor changes to Appendix D

Councillor Brabazon, the Vice Chair of the Staffing and Remuneration Committee, moved the Committee’s report and recommendations.

RESOLVED

That Full Council approve the Pay Policy Statement 2018/19, amended as explained in the attached report from the Staffing and Remuneration Committee.

The Mayor invited the Chief Executive to set out to Members their obligations when acting as the Trustee of the Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust, which she did according to Rule 31 of the Council’s Procedure Rules.

The Mayor then called on Councillor Christophides to introduce her report. In so doing, she drew Members’ attention to the slightly amended recommendations that had been tabled before Members.

RESOLVED

That Full Council:

i.              Agree that in principle based on the contents of this report, an arguable case has been made out for the need to review the arrangements currently in place for the governance of Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust.

ii.            Authorise the Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust Board  to carry out all necessary work designed to test the viability of the proposed new structure, namely to incorporate the Charity by establishing a charitable company limited by guarantee.

iii.           Agree that subject to the outcome of the work required to test the viability of the proposed new structure being positive, Full Council will receive a further report containing details of viability;  an implementation plan, to include; a timetable, budget and key stages for consultation and decision making.

iv.           Agree that in the event that the outcome of the test on viability is not positive, a future meeting of Full Council will receive a further report on such other alternative structure options as appropriate.

v.            Agree that in recognition of the fact that only in principle agreement to a review of the governance structure, and to test option viability is being given at this stage, should these Recommendations be adopted they will not bind any future meeting of Full Council which considers the report detailed at Recommendations iii and iv above.

The Mayor introduced the procedure for the Haringey Debate, and the topic of Mental Health in Haringey. He then invited Pamela Anomneze of Studio 306 to address the Council, where she outlined the work of the organisation across the borough, where there were higher levels of mental illness, and the impact that poor mental health could have.

Councillor Hearn referred to the work of the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel, and how a lack of support for children’s mental health was a consistent theme across various issues.

Councillor Engert outlined progress made by the Coalition Government, and her desire that parity of esteem for mental health treatment be realised.

Councillor Gideon Bull outlined some work of the NHS, and shared personal experience with the Council, and encouraged anyone that may be experiencing difficulty with their mental health to share their problems.

Councillor Connor welcomed that there was certainty about the provision of mental health provision in the future, but that this would be limited to a continuation of the provision at St Ann’s Hospital currently, rather than an expansion.

Councillor Jennifer Mann reflected how physical health was associated with positive messages, where mental health was not – though everyone had mental health. She encouraged people to talk about mental health, and to be ready to listen when people did speak.

Councillor Ross outlined how poor mental health was a particular issue for those vulnerable to homelessness, both as a cause and a consequence. He supported housing-first approaches, to help support vulnerable people.

Councillor Brabazon set out the work of Seven Sisters Primary School whose governing body she chaired, where it responded to the reduction of funding by pooling its reserves to provide wrap-around support for the wellbeing of children and their families.

Councillor Morris set out the work of Highgate Primary, which had recently won a Public Service award by the Guardian for its work in providing support for the health and wellbeing for children, parents and staff, including support for mental health.

Councillor Strickland set out his pride that the Council had recently set out an action plan for LGBT residents, and set out some of the particular mental health issues associated with those communities.

Councillor Bevan asked Pamela Anomneze to update Members on the plans to expand the Studio 306 facility, which she did.

Responding to the debate, the Cabinet Member for Finance and Health noted the scale of the issue, welcomed that there was increasing awareness of it and its importance and thanked Members for their contributions to the debate.

The Mayor concluded the debate by saying how he’d been working with primary schools to raise the issue of Mental Health, including a What Makes You Happy art competition for young people. The winning design was being screenprinted by Studio 306, and was being launched at the Laughter Yoga event on the coming Friday, which he urged Members to participate in.

Oral question one

Cllr Connor for the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Culture:

Haringey currently has 65% of care rated as Good, and 0% rated as Outstanding as at October 2017 This is significantly less than the National picture, where 77% of care homes are rated as Good and 1% as Outstanding.

Should the Council be looking to pay more for the care they commission, which in turn allows the home to pay the London Living Wage? Wouldn't the Cabinet member agree that paying a decent wage would attract good staff and drive up standards?

Oral question two

Cllr Ozbek to the Leader of the Council:

Will the Leader of the Council join with me in voicing her concerns about the recent Turkish air strikes on Afrin, one of three Kurdish cantons in Northern Syria, and the subsequent ground attacks which have resulted in civilian casualties. Many Haringey residents have connections to the region and are concerned about the ongoing problems in Afrin, which has until now has been a crucial safe haven for people fleeing ISIS in the region. Will the Leader join me in condemning these unprovoked acts by the Turkish state?

Oral question three

Cllr Morris to the Cabinet Member for Children and Families:

Children’s Services have delivered less than a quarter of their projected savings this year. Will the service be able to achieve its projected savings over the next financial year?

Oral question four

Councillor J Mann to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Health:

How the Council is working with Registered Social Landlords in the borough to support mental health?

Oral question five

Cllr Newton to the Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources:

In the forward plan from 2nd February 2018 to 31st March 2018, there was a decision relating to the possible disposal of the Ground Floor of 54 Muswell Hill to the Haringey CCG, which was scheduled for the 6th March. However, this decision does not appear in the most recent iteration of the document. Can you please provide an explanation?

Oral question six

Cllr Wright to the cabinet Member for Economic Development, Social Inclusion and Sustainability:

Can the Cabinet Member update us on the outcome of the Wood Green Business Improvement District ballot?

The Mayor accepted the admission of responses to written questions as late items of business, as the answers to questions had needed to be researched and prepared after the summons had been dispatched.

Oral questions one to six were then asked and responded to.

Motion G: Progress since 2014

Proposer: Councillor Kober

Seconder: Councillor Reith

This Council notes:

·         The Government’s continued austerity agenda which has seen 40% real terms reduction in government funding since 2010

·         This has required the council to cut budgets and find savings totalling over £160m.

·         At the same time we have experienced growth in demand for services - particularly in adults and children’s services, temporary accommodation and No Recourse to Public Funds

·         Set out alongside the 2015-18 Medium Term Financial Strategy, we were determined that whilst the savings required made the context very challenging, we would not be in the business of managing decline

·         As we approach the end of the current electoral cycle in May, it is important to reflect on the significant progress that has been achieved

·         Working in partnership with central and regional government, neighbouring boroughs, our health and police partners, the voluntary and community sectors, we have made good progress against all five of the priority outcomes identified at the beginning of the electoral term.

This council further notes:

·         The council has made great strides in giving all children the best possible start in life. In 2014 we pledged that education should be ‘outstanding for all’. Today 99% of the boroughs nursery, primary, secondary and special schools have met that standard.

·         Today 50% of Haringey’s secondary schools are outstanding compared with 36% in London and 22% nationally

·         Our children are also achieving at a higher level than most across the UK; in 2017, at A Level 37% of Haringey students achieved grades A* or A compared to 26% nationally

·         Outcomes for Haringey’s most vulnerable children are improving: in 2016 our attainment scores for Looked After Children were among the highest for any borough in the country

·         We have attracted new high quality education providers to the borough including the Harris Academy Tottenham, Ada - the national college for digital skills and the London Academy of Excellence

·         Against a national backdrop of spending on adult services falling by 13.5% since 2010, Haringey has continued to prioritise protection of vulnerable adults. Close to 90% of adults in this group in Haringey reported that the council’s services make them feel ‘safe and secure’ - significantly higher than the 81% London average

·         There has been investment in health services including a new GP practice in Tottenham Hale which the council worked hard to secure

·         Through effective partnerships with community groups and close working with the police, fear of crime is 30% lower among residents

·         We have worked to make Haringey safer for pedestrians and cyclists through the introduction of a borough wide 20 mph limit and more dedicated cycle lanes. There has been a 73% reduction in the number of fatalities and serious injuries on Haringey’s roads.

·         As one of the first boroughs in the country to sign up to stretching carbon reduction targets, we have led the way in this area and continued to make good progress

·         We have increased the number of Green Flag parks in the borough  ...  view the full agenda text for item 88.

The Mayor invited Councillor Kober to introduce the first motion.

In so doing, Councillor Kober referred to the challenges faced by the Council over the previous four years. She felt the importance of vision and ambition for the borough was key to ensuring the temptation to manage decline was avoided. She also highlighted the importance of partnership working, which meant that achievements could be made that the state could not alone. She thanked the Council’s officers for their work, and paid tributes to some of her colleagues.

Councillor Reith, in seconding the motion, drew attention to the list of achievements in the motion, at a time that there had been significant reductions to the Council’s budget. She reflected on some particular achievements in her ward, including the aftermath of the 2011 riots.

Councillor Strickland set out some of the particular challenges in relation to the regeneration of Tottenham and the progress on delivering affordable housing.

Councillor Engert criticised the motion as giving a misleading impression that the borough’s problems had been fully solved. She outlined some problems that faced residents and the Council, including housing, crime and the Council’s finances.

Councillor Jennifer Mann noted that people stood for the Council to make a difference to their communities, and highlighted a few achievements of the Council in the motion that she particularly welcomed.

Councillor Goldberg disagreed with Cllr Engert’s contribution, and outlined the unique circumstances faced by the authority over the past ten years and his support for the achievements made.

Councillor Kober then closed the debate, and the Mayor put the motion to the vote.

There being 41 votes in favour, 8 opposed, and no abstentions, the motion was AGREED.

The Mayor then asked Councillor Newton to move the second motion. In so doing, Cllr Newton set out some information about recent crimes, and the concerns they raised for residents. He noted the reduction in police officers and youth centres, and his concern at the pressure faced by the reduced police service.

Councillor Connor formally seconded the motion, and reserved the right to speak in the debate.

Councillor Morris referred to a weekend the previous month where three young people were victims of stabbings, including one Haringey resident that had been met by the Children and Young People in the course of an inquiry.

Councillor Ayisi welcomed the motion, and noted the context of reduced resources. He set out some areas that additional funding had been achieved through savings and investment, and some work undertaken by the Council in response to the recent increase in crime. He took the opportunity to re-state his support for the proposed joint Youth Zone project with OnSide.

Councillor Newton then responded to the debate, and urged all members to support the motion.

On being put to the vote, the Motion was AGREED unanimously.

RESOLVED

Motion G: Progress since 2014

This Council notes:

·         The Government’s continued austerity agenda which has seen 40% real terms reduction in government funding since 2010

·         This has required the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 88.