Agenda item

a.         Corporate Plan

 

To consider the Council’s Corporate Plan 2015-18, previously published as part of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee agenda pack on 18 December 2014 (and emailed to Members) and available using the following link to the Council’s website:

http://www.haringey.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/policies-and-strategies/building-stronger-haringey-together

 

b.         Budget Scrutiny Recommendations

 

To approve the final Budget recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Panels.

 

            TO FOLLOW

a.  Corporate Plan 2015-18

 

Committee members expressed disappointment in having not seen a summary feedback from the Corporate Plan consultation.  Officers emphasised that all the issues raised in the budget consultation, including the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, would be published in a report to Cabinet to ensure that the decisions were fully informed. Initial consultation had taken place prior to the Corporate Plan being published in December 2014 (the responses of which had been made available) and subsequent consultation had taken place.  Timescales for consultation periods had prevented all consultation feedback from being made available. There would be a further phase of consultation once the budget had been approved and the Committee will have the opportunity to scrutinise further and ensure proper equalities impact assessments were taking place.

 

In relation to proposals in the Corporate Plan to close day centres a Member recognised the move towards empowering service users but emphasised the need to ensure equal services were made available. The Chief Executive shared concerns that the cuts would impact service users and explained that all local authorities were facing similar challenges and that it was not a risk free exercise although safeguarding was still a priority. 

 

Mary Langan, from the Learning Disability Partnership and Haringey Autism, questioned the quality and accuracy of the information provided to members of the public in the various consultation documents including:  

·      No mention that three out of four day centres would be closed.

·      No details had been made available about one quarter of the social workforce being cut under the proposals.

Responses to the two points above would be provided after the meeting.

Action: Deputy Chief Executive

·         Consultations held in November 2014 had not sought opinions on the cuts; only about how Haringey could be made stronger and disabled groups had not been included in the consultations.

 

In response, Zina Etheridge, Deputy Chief Executive, confirmed that there had been engagement relating to the broad themes in the Corporate Plan, not specific to the budget. Further consultation had taken place in relation to the budget proposals and once a clear decision on the budget had been taken there would be further consultation.

 

A Committee Member reiterated previous comments made in the deputation that proposals to close day centres could be detrimental to young people and at a further cost to the Local Authority.  Further comments from members of the public included that there were technical difficulties with submitting consultation comments online.  The Chief Executive acknowledged the concerns raised and invited members of the public to write to him with specific concerns about the consultation process.  It was noted that the Council had received more than 1,000 responses to the consultation, which had clearly set out the proposals.

 

The Committee was assured that there would be on-going consultation on  the individual budget areas once a clear decision on the proposals had been made by Cabinet.  The Committee was advised that the Council was bound by statutory legislation to ensure human rights legislation was complied with and that service users were consulted on the impact of any cuts.

 

b.   Budget Scrutiny Recommendations

 

Received the final recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Panels (supplementary agenda pack, pages 16-15).

 

1)         Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel

 

Resolved that the recommendations of the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel be approved subject to the amendments below.

 

Item 2 – Services for Young People including Youth Offending Services

 

(a) Recommendation (iv), line 3:  Delete all after the word “statutory”; and

(b) Add recommendation 5: “That the proposals in respect of services for young people be withdrawn”;

 

 

2)  Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel

 

Resolved that the recommendations of the Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel be approved subject to the following amendments and additions:

 

     Item 11 – New Pathways for Older People

 

     The removal of the first three points and the addition of:

 

(a)       That a decision about the proposed closure of the Haven Day Centre be deferred until 2016/17 and that no decision be made until a review has been undertaken to ensure the Neighbourhood Connects model is appropriate for the most vulnerable day centre users.

 

(b)      That before proposals for the re-provision of the Haynes and Grange Service be considered by Cabinet, further information be sought by the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing on (i) transition plans and (b) the legal covenant relating to the use of the Haynes and the social enterprise proposals. 

 

Item 13 – New Pathways for People with learning Disability – Day Opportunities

 

Removal of the final bullet point and addition of:

 

(a)  That both the Roundway Centre and Ermine Road Centre be kept open.

 

(b)  That the Allways Centre and Central Day Centre (Birbeck Road) remain open until further information is made available for consideration by the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing in relation to voluntary sector engagement and the social investment model to ensure adequate provision of service, especially for those with high level learning disabilities.   

 

Item 14: New pathways for people with disabilities and Item 15: New pathways for people with mental health needs

    

      Additional recommendations:

 

(a)    That the Panel’s concerns relating to proposals 14 and15 (listed above) be noted by Cabinet.  The Panel’s concerns are detailed in the minutes attached to Item 8 of the agenda and at the following link: http://www.minutes.haringey.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=128&MId=6856&Ver=4 )

 

(b)    The Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel recommends that all support workers / staff who care for clients be paid the London Living Wage.

 

Item 17 – Care Purchasing Residential Care

 

“with concern” to be added to the last sentence.

 

Item 18 – Care Purchasing Packages

 

       Additional recommendation:

 

(a) The Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel recommends the proposals in relation to Care Purchasing Packages be rejected and removed from the Draft Medium Term Financial Strategy. 

 

Item 19 – Voluntary Sector Savings

 

Additional recommendation:

 

(a)    The Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel recommends that there be no further cuts to the voluntary sector

 

Item 23 – Other Public Services

 

Additional recommendation:

 

(b)  That the Panel’s concerns regarding cuts in relation to the monitoring of childhood immunisations and Tuberculosis advice be noted and assurances be made to ensure immunisation levels remained appropriate and TB rates did not rise.

 

Noted that the responsibility for screening immunisations had transferred to the NHS, although the Director of Public Health retained a role in ensuring that rates of improvement were maintained.

 

3)  Environment and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel

 

Resolved that the recommendations of the Environment and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel be approved subject to the following additional recommendation:

 

       Item 39 – Future of Wolves Lane Nursery Site

           

The Panel recommended that the cut for Year 2 is put back to Year 3 to enable investigation in to what commercial opportunities are available including opportunities for employment for young people.

4)  Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Panel

 

Resolved that the recommendations of the Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Panel be approved.

 

5)  Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

Resolved that the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be approved.