Agenda item
Reports from the Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committees
To receive reports from the Chairs of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees in accordance with Standing Order 41.
Minutes:
Councillor Van Kalwala (Chair of Partnership and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee) reported that all of the overview and scrutiny committees except for Budget and Finance had met at least once since the start of the new municipal year and each had discussed their work programmes for the year ahead.
The agenda for the Health Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Committee had been dominated by two key issues – shaping a healthier future, the NHS’s plan for hospital and out of hospital services in North West London; and the merger between North West London Hospitals and Ealing Hospital Trust. Councillors Kabir and Harrison had been appointed to represent Brent on a North West London joint overview and scrutiny committee to scrutinise the proposals on shaping a healthier future. However, it was still intended that a Brent response to the plans, which would have a significant impact on Brent patients, would be submitted. A small working group was to be established to scrutinise the Brent out of Hospital Care Strategy, which is the local plan to enhance community based services in the borough. The full business case for the hospital merger would be on the committee’s agenda on 18 July. Despite the ongoing structural and strategic changes in the NHS, members of the committee were trying to focus on service issues. In June consideration was given to a serious incident at the Central Middlesex Hospital Urgent Care Centre relating to radiology services. The committee also followed up a report on waiting times for health services in the borough. On 18 July a report on IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) would be considered, as members sought to do more on mental health services in Brent.
Councillor Van Kalwala reported that the Partnership and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee had recently received the Ward Working Annual Report. The main areas of member’s discussions were:
• consultation, particularly in relation to young people,
• the key concerns of local residents, and
• how partners and voluntary community and residents groups could be involved in finding solutions and additional funding.
The committee had challenged the ward working team and councillors to find ways of increasing youth participation for the next year. The Committee also received a report on progress in delivering the work programme of Partners for Brent. An update was provided on each of the projects which included the troubled families initiative, enabling supply chain opportunities and integrated offender management. Members asked questions around employment, housing and the interlocking themes that linked the projects together. The committee had agreed to hold a crime focussed meeting in July which would include a look in greater depth at the integrated offender management project and crime performance information.
The One Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee had received an update on the One Council Waste and Street Cleansing Review, in particular the performance of the waste collection and street cleansing services. Members focussed questions around meeting the Council’s and the Government’s recycling target, the operation of the contract and flytipping. Councillor Van Kalwala reported that the committee had also received an update on the Working with Families initiative and the development of a suite of four new One Council projects that would collectively deliver on this initiative. Members’ questions centred around how the projects differed from earlier initiatives, and how they would be delivered. They were also interested in the funding that was available and any savings that could be achieved. Members had received a verbal update on the Services for Young People One Council project which aimed to ensure that relevant and accessible provision was available to the most vulnerable. Members discussed the consultation with young people, how radical the solutions could be, the role of the voluntary sector and how service provision could be improved whilst achieving savings. The Committee was also updated on the One Council programme. At its next meeting the committee will receive information on the move to the Civic Centre, the Housing Needs Transformation Project and the Performance and Finance review Q4.
Councillor Van Kalwala congratulated Councillor Mashari on being appointed chair of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Councillor Cheese the new vice chair. At their first meeting of the municipal year an update was provided on the Schools Expansion Programme and it was confirmed that following a successful lobbying campaign, Brent had received approximately £80m of Basic Need allocation funding. Expansion of Brent schools would continue to be a regular agenda item as members were keen to receive updates on the capital programme allocation. Members also had the opportunity to comment on a report on the education standards achieved by young people in Brent at Key Stage 5 at the end of the academic year 2010/11. Members’ questions focussed on the target to engage all young people in education or employment with training by the age of 17 by September 2013 and how that would be achieved and why there was a low take up of the apprenticeship programme. A report on the Education Achievement in Brent 2011: Analysis by Ethnicity was presented to the committee following previous requests made by members. Members focussed on how best practice from better performing schools was disseminated to other schools and how parental and family involvement could be encouraged, particularly in those groups where attainment remained a concern.