Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received as follows:

• Councillor Ethapemi
• Councillor Hector
• Councillor Knight
• Co-opted member Dinah Walker
• Apologies for lateness from Co-opted member Rev. Helen Askwith

Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, the nature and existence of any relevant disclosable pecuniary or personal interests in the items on this agenda and to specify the item(s) to which they relate.

Personal Interests were declared as follows:

• Councillor Ketan Sheth – Lead Governor, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

To hear any deputations received from members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 67.

There were no deputations received.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 4 February 2020 as a correct record.

AGREED: That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 4 February 2020 be approved as an accurate record of the meeting.

There were no matters arising.

RESOLVED: that the Chair would take item 6, To consider the local response to Coronavirus (COVID-19), and item 7, Overview and Scrutiny Task Group Report: Childhood Obesity, at the meeting, with the remaining items to be deferred until a future meeting, due to the very recent developments in Government advice in relation to the Coronavirus prior to the meeting. The Chair thanked all Officers for the detailed reports received.

To receive a verbal update from the Director of Public Health and a representative from Brent CCG on the local response to Coronavirus (Covid 90) by Public Health and Brent’s local NHS.

Dr Melanie Smith (Director of Public Health, Brent Council) introduced the update, explaining that the UK response to the novel Coronavirus which caused Covid-19 was based on an updated version of the established pandemic flu plan. There were 4 stages of the plan; contain, delay, research, mitigate, which the government moved from ‘contain’ to ‘delay’ on Friday 13 March 2020. This had meant a change to the case definition, and travel history was no longer relevant to diagnosis, which was now purely based on a high fever and a new continuous cough. The advice had changed an hour before the meeting to advise that anyone with symptoms should self-isolate at home for 7 days, and anyone in the same household as someone displaying symptoms should self-isolate for 14 days from the first day the person showed symptoms. It was important that containment measures remained based on respiratory and hand hygiene, which was effective, particularly before eating or drinking. The Committee were informed that the virus appeared to cause a mild self-limiting illness, and the expectation was for the majority of people to become ill. Most people would be able to manage with paracetamol but for those with underlying health conditions or those over 70 it could be more serious and more advice was expected in respect to those. Testing was no longer being done in the community, only to those admitted to hospital, and those admittances were for those who were very sick. Early admission for isolation purposes had now stopped, but Public Health England would manage any outbreaks such as in care homes.

Carolyn Downs (Chief Executive, Brent Council) explained the local response. The Council’s Strategic Gold Group had been meeting regularly and were likely to meet more regularly in light of the new government advice. She explained that the situation was rapidly changing. An email to all staff would be sent stating that if they were able to work from home they should, but she was aware not every member of staff would be able to. All staff who were aware of any underlying chronic health conditions would be asked to work from home or come to arrangements with line managers if they could not, to avoid putting them at risk. The Gold Group would be considering issues around sick pay, annual leave and caring responsibilities at a meeting the following day. They would also consider their response for agency staff without access to sick pay. For the Council’s general activities, all non-essential events organised by the council would be cancelled. They could not cancel the events of external stakeholders but assumed that those would be cancelled in light of the new advice. Statutory decision making for the council needed to continue, and Carolyn Downs suggested elderly councillors or those with health conditions should think very carefully about coming to meetings, and that meetings could work on the basis of quorum going forward. She would be writing to all councillors with this advice. Business continuity planning would need  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

This report presents the final outcomes and recommendations from the Scrutiny Task Group set up to review childhood obesity.

Councillor Hirani (Lead Member for Public Health, Culture & Leisure) introduced the report presenting the final outcomes and recommendations from the Scrutiny Task Group set up to review childhood obesity. He felt that the recommendations of the report were very helpful, particularly its discussion of business rate discounts for companies who sign up to the Healthy Catering Commitment. The report would be taken to Cabinet and a report from Cabinet on each of the recommendations written.

Duncan Ambrose (Assistant Director, Brent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)) praised the process of the task group and felt the report was very comprehensive. The CCG were happy with the recommendations and felt they reflected the multiagency nature of the work that needed to be done.

Dr Melanie Smith (Director of Public Health, Brent Council) added that the approach the group took was very welcome. The framing of the issue within the context of the environment and circumstances parents and children lived in Brent was very helpful.

Gail Tolley (Strategic Director Children and Young People, Brent Council) echoed the praise, adding that the engagement was very helpful.

The Chair thanked all stakeholders who took part in the task group and contributed, expressing that the recommendations were powerful and went to the heart of the work the task group did.

As no questions were raised, the Chair invited the committee to make recommendations. The committee subsequently RESOLVED:

i)             To agree they are satisfied to send the final report and recommendations to the Cabinet as well as the Governing Body of Brent Clinical Commissioning Group for a response.

This report updates the Committee on the outcome of the Youth Offending Service inspection, undertaken in August 2019 by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP).  It outlines progress made in relation to the implementation of the inspection recommendations and provides information on the performance of Brent Youth Offending Service in general.

Item deferred.

Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee on 18 March 2019 considered a Task Group Report on the development of contextual safeguarding in Brent.

This report provides an update for the Committee on the progress being made in developing contextual safeguarding in Brent one year on and updates on progress on the recommendations made by the committee.

Item deferred.

This report enables Members to track the progress of recommendations made by the Committee.

Item not discussed.

Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Head of Executive and Member Services or his representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 60.

None.