Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Reserve Members:-

RESOLVED:  To note that the following interests were declared:

Agenda Item 55 - Update on Recommendations Set out in the Scrutiny Report on Dementia

CouncillorDr Lesline Lewinson declared a non pecuniary interest in thatshe was a Visiting Lecturer in Health & Social Care for Bedfordshire University and that her father was  in a Harrow Nursing Home.  She would remain in the room whilst the matter was considered and voted upon.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 12 June 2019 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 12 June 2019, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive any public questions received in accordance with Committee Procedure Rule 17 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

Questions will be asked in the order in which they were received.  There will be a time limit of 15 minutes for the asking and answering of public questions.

[The deadline for receipt of public questions is 3.00 pm, 16 January 2020.  Questions should be sent to publicquestions@harrow.gov.uk  

No person may submit more than one question].

None received.

The Health and Social Care Scrutiny Sub-Committee in September 2017 had agreed that a review should be undertaken on dementia friendly housing in the borough.

The research undertaken as part of this review had indicated the need for some long-term strategic thinking by the Council to ensure that it was able to meet and manage the needs of a growing ageing population with complex needs, utilising current resources and opportunities, against a backdrop of increasing financial pressures and limited resources.

Through the evidence gathered, five recommendations had been formed and the Sub-Committee received a report providing an update on the progress being made in relation to each of the recommendations as follows:

Recommendation 1 – Demand for Accommodation

·                     The results of the statistical modelling exercise to analyse demand, had estimated that by 2025 a range of between 153-580 people referred to the local authority could be catered for with Extra Care housing, depending on the type of provision and financial arrangements involved and relevant provision available to meet diverse cultural needs;

·                     Council departments had been working together to explore ways to increase the supply of Extra Care Housing for Older People in the Borough;

·                     there was currently one Extra Care scheme in Harrow, Ewart House (Harrow Churches Housing Association); however additional Extra Care homes were in the pipeline including Watkins House, having been transferred from Harrow Council to Harrow Churches Housing Association.  The Wolstenholme & Rectory site (Harrow Churches Housing Association) would  provide 57 units (replacing the 32 current units of sheltered housing on part of the site, thus a net increase of 25); 

·                     the developer of Harrow View East / Kodak had been requested to  provide an Extra Care housing scheme as part of the affordable housing contribution for the site; and

·                     opportunities for additional Extra Care developments were being reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Recommendation 2 - Developing a cost neutral solution for Extra Care Housing

·                      A number of site options would be explored including the potential for development on the Poets Corner site.  The potential for existing older persons housing schemes to be upgraded to better meet the needs of frailer older people was also being considered; and

·                     a report on Extra Care Housing presented to Cabinet on 15 November 2018 had set out the Adults Social Care vision for extra care housing in Harrow and the strategy to increase the supply of extra care housing for older people in Harrow.  Reports would be brought back to Cabinet as options were identified and business cases and funding arrangements developed.

Recommendation 3 - Production of Older People’s Housing Strategy Update

A review of all the Council’s published Housing Strategies was currently being undertaken and a new Strategy would be reported to Cabinet in 2019/2020 to include, amongst other things, a section on supported housing incorporating Housing for Older People including those with dementia.

Recommendation 4 - Refresh the Borough’s Joint Dementia Strategy

·                     The final draft of the Harrow CCG and Harrow Council Joint Dementia Strategy 2018–2021, presented to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.

Report of the Corporate Director of People.

Under the Care Act 2014 the local Safeguarding Adults Board had 4 core (statutory) duties including one to publish an annual report.  The Sub-Committee received a report attaching as an appendix the Harrow Safeguarding Adults Board (HSAB) Annual Report 2018 – 2019 which set out an overview of safeguarding adults activity undertaken in 2018/2019 by the Council and its key partners through the work of the HSAB.

The Annual Report also set out the progress that had been made against objectives, analysed the referrals received and outlined priorities for the current year (2019/2020).

Some examples of the work carried out by the HSAB in 2018/19 were highlighted in the covering report and included:

·                     the HSAB and HSCB third joint conference in January 2019 had focussed on the trafficking of adults and children into slavery and exploitation.  Evaluation was almost 100% positive from the 150 multi-agency staff who had attended and there was a commitment from both Boards to continue collaborating on events in future years;

·                     3 “deep dive” statistical reports (looking at an area of safeguarding work in more detail) had been presented to the HSAB in 2018/2019 – sexual abuse by location and national comparisons (twice).  CNWL had also carried out a further analysis of the financial abuse statistics following the deep dive report presented to the HSAB in March 2018; 

·                     Mind in Harrow had facilitated 4 scams and fraud awareness sessions attended by over 50 of their service users, reporting positive feedback from participants; and

·                     London Northwest Hospitals NHS Trust (Northwick Park site) had incorporated domestic abuse into the training provided to Trust staff and located two Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVA’s) in the Emergency Rooms at both Ealing and Northwick Park Hospitals to provide support to patients attending the hospital and as a crucial resource for front line staff delivering care.

The covering report went on to highlight some of the areas the Board intended to action in 2019/2020 and details of the support the Board received in terms of staff and resources.

The Sub-Committee was particularly asked to note the following changes since the 2017/2018 annual report and key messages:

·                     the appointment in June 2019 of Chris Miller as Independent Chair.  Being also the Chair of the Children’s Safeguarding Board the appointment provided more opportunities for bringing the work of the two Boards together;

·                     the inclusion of the issues highlighted in The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Programme which had reviewed the deaths of people with a learning disability and to learn from these deaths;

·                     in Harrow elderly women remain the highest risk group with most abuse taking place at their home with family or partner being the most likely people alleged to have caused harm;

·                     the HSAB continued to prioritise awareness training for people living in their own home;

·                     Harrow remained slightly different to the national picture in respect of where the abuse took place with a greater number of concerns in the person’s home and less than the national average in care homes;

·                     an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.

Report of the Director of Strategy.

The Council’s on going participation in the NW London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) had ensured that Harrow residents’ perspectives were put forward to the NHS as it implemented the NW London Shaping a Healthier Future (SaHF) Programme.

In accordance with its role to receive regular update reports so that it could pick up any local issues and feed into JHOSC agenda and planning deliberation, the Sub-Committee received an update on the discussions that had taken place at meetings of JHOSC on 21 June and 22 July 2019.

These discussions had included a discussion on the case for a single CCG and borough arrangements for the development of integrated care in the light of the decision of the Secretary of State for Health in March 2019 to close down the SaHF programme and develop a new plan for health and care in NW London.  The JHOSC had responded to the proposal in August 2019.

The Sub-Committee noted that the JHOSC were developing a protocol for change to include a revision of its terms of reference to reflect the closure of SaHF.  Items on the long term plan and the NHS Estates Strategy would be included in the agenda for the next meeting of JHOSC on 27 January 2020.

The Sub-Committee particularly noted that the NW London Collaboration of CCGs was engaging the public and stakeholders on the new local plan for health and social care and how this would align with the NHS long-term plan and looked forward to receiving updates on the engagement process.

RESOLVED:  That the update on the work of NW London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted.

To be advised

The Sub-Committee noted that the meeting due to be held on 3 February 2020 had been postponed to 3 March 2020.