Agenda item

To discuss items for the work programme for the Panel for 2021/22.

Cllr Connor updated the Panel on the Work Programme. Following discussions with officers, the terms of reference for the proposed scrutiny review on sheltered housing had been amended. Dominic O’Brien, Scrutiny Officer, outlined the new terms of reference which remained on broadly similar lines and focused on three key areas:

• Issues identified from various sources of information about the experience of residents living in sheltered housing. This should include any recent pilot projects, any recent co-production work or more general feedback from residents or other stakeholders.

• Support measures taken to address issues impacting on the quality of life of some residents, specifically:

o   Residents experiencing mental health difficulties;

o   Residents experiencing alcohol/drug misuse issues;

o   Residents reporting problems with anti-social behaviour.

• The wider care and support provided to residents living in sheltered housing, including:

o   Ensuring that residents know who to communicate with when they need to access help/support on a wide range of issues;

o   Measures with a preventative approach to potential health and social care issues;

o   Measures that promote aging well.

Dominic O’Brien informed the Panel that the next step would be to organise a meeting involved the Chair of the Adults & Health Scrutiny Panel, the Chair of the Housing & Regeneration Scrutiny Panel, officers from the Adults team and officers from Homes for Haringey to agree on the format for the evidence sessions and the information that the Scrutiny Panels would require.

Cllr Connor noted that a follow up report on the recommendations of the Panel’s previous scrutiny review on Day Opportunities was scheduled for the September 2021 meeting of the Panel.

The issue of delayed discharge was discussed and it was agreed that this could be considered at the September 2021 Panel meeting if pertinent lines of enquiry could be identified. It was agreed that Cllr Demir, Helena Kania and Dominic O’Brien would liaise on this topic and report back to the Chair. (ACTION)

It was also intended that another report on locality working would be provided to the November 2021 meeting of the Panel and it was hoped that visits to key sites in the borough relating to this work could be organised in prior to this meeting.

Cllr Connor noted that the Panel had been advised earlier in the meeting that further details on the Council response to the JPB’s Living Through Lockdown report would likely be available in December 2021. However, the Panel would be focused on the budget at that time and after that the next scheduled Panel meeting was not until March 2022. It was agreed that it would be preferable for this report to be received at the November 2021 Panel meeting it that were possible. (ACTION)

It was agreed that updates on Violence Against Women & Girls, Integrated Care Systems and CQC inspections should be scheduled for the March 2022 Panel meeting. (ACTION)

Cllr Demir enquired about Council House adaptations and whether or not this work was carried out in-house. Cllr Connor responded that the Panel had not scrutinised this issue for some years but that enquiries on this could be made. (ACTION)