Agenda item

The aim of this report is to assist the Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel in prioritising topics for inclusion in the scrutiny work programme for 2015/16.

The Chair informed the panel that throughout May and June a number of activities had been employed to support the development of the scrutiny work programme. This included a public survey, a Scrutiny Cafe event, and informal meetings with Cabinet Members and Senior Officers.  In addition, Haringey’s Obesity Conference, held on the 25 June 2015, had provided a useful networking opportunity to discuss a number of issues raised in section 8 of the report.   

Jeanelle de Gruchy, Director of Public Health, informed the panel that over 200 delegates had attended the conference. In addition a new Haringey Obesity Alliance had been formed by a wide range of partners including the Council, the local NHS, Homes for Haringey, the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, and local schools. It was noted that the aim of this alliance was to help reduce obesity in Haringey by supporting more people to eat well and be physically active.     

During the discussion on obesity, reference was made to the following:

-       Looking at how scrutiny could engage and involve local communities in helping the Council to better understand the challenges and barriers to creating an environment where the healthiest choice was the easiest

-       Looking at how scrutiny could support local community groups to help change behaviour, fostering interconnections between settings

-       The role of schools and Children’s Centres

-       The influence of race, ethnicity, and culture on childhood obesity

-       Asset based approaches within healthcare

-       The work the council was doing to review all “No Ball Games” signs

-       Enfield’s use of Health Trainers to help people wanting to improve their general health and to make healthy choices 

-       Information from scrutiny work elsewhere, including Tackling Childhood Obesity in Birmingham (2014)

-       The importance of any scrutiny work in Haringey being carefully scoped to ensure it was manageable and established clear questions to be investigated

The following issues were discussed in relation to themes that had emerged from the Scrutiny Cafe, outlined in section 8 of the report: 

-       The importance of prioritising and selecting issues for scrutiny involvement that complimented Corporate Priority 2 – “Enable all adults to live healthy, long and fulfilling lives”

-       Access to GPs and looking at how scrutiny could engage and involve local GPs and other local healthcare providers in their work

-       The importance of scrutiny monitoring the impact of proposed changes to adult care services

-       Adult Safeguarding

-       Haringey’s Reablement Service

-       Paediatric A&E attendances and admissions

-       Suggestions in relation to loneliness and isolation. This included a suggestion that the panel should look at Neighbourhood Connects towards the end of 2015/16 to ensure it was delivering agreed objectives and tackling issues associated with loneliness and isolation across the borough.    

In addition, it was agreed that the following items, discussed under items 8, 9 and 10 on the agenda, should be prioritised for inclusion in the panel’s future work programme:

-       An update on the Premises Task and Finish Group (Access to GPs) – with input from local GPs and NHS England (Autumn 2015)

-       An update on Co-Commissioning, the strategic direction for Primary Care in Haringey, and New Models of Primary Care (March 2016)

-       An update on how the consultation and co-production process had been conducted in relation to proposed changes to adult care services (October 2015)

-       That the CQC be invited to attend scrutiny on an annual basis to set out their inspection programme    

The panel agreed the suggestions above should be used to assist members of the panel to scope a potential scrutiny project for 2015/16.

AGREED:

1.    That, subject to the additions, comments and amendments, referred to above, the items outlined in section 8 of the report be prioritised for inclusion in the 2015/16 scrutiny work programme and recommended for endorsement by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 27 July 2015;

2.    That, as appropriate, the Chair of the Panel meet with appropriate Cabinet members and senior officers to further clarify the work programme.

3.    That a briefing be arranged with panel members (during August / early September 2015) to: (a) discuss the Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel’s work programme, and (b) scope a potential scrutiny project for 2015/16 based on suggestions put forward by the panel including work relating to obesity, paediatric A&E attendances / admissions, and tackling issues associated with loneliness and isolation.