Agenda and minutes

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

RESOLVED:  That there were no reserve Members in attendance at this meeting.

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from all Members present.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interest made by Members.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 June 2024, the special meeting held on 11 July 2024, and the special meeting held on 9 October 2024, be taken as read and signed as correct records.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 June 2024, the special meetings held on 11 July 2024, and on 9 October 2024, be taken as read and signed as correct records.

To receive any public questions received.

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, 31 October 2024.  Questions should be sent to publicquestions@harrow.gov.uk  

No person may submit more than one question].

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions had been received.

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors.

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions had been received.

(if any).

RESOLVED:  To note that no references had been received.

Report of the Assistant Director of Corporate Strategy

The Committee received the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (MVCC JHOSC) Membership Report.

The Report sought to inform Members about proposals for changes to Mount Vernon Cancer Centre services, and provide the background to a new Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee that is being established to scrutinise the proposals and consultation process.

NHS England had been working jointly with other partners in Hertfordshire, North West London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, East Berkshire and North Central London, to lead a review of Mount Vernon Cancer Centre services.

This had been preceded by a report of the 2019 Independent Clinical Advisory Group, which recommended changes.  This led to the development of a proposed solution to relocate the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, to an acute hospital site, with Watford being identified as the preferred solution.

As one of 13 Local Authorities which had more than 100 patients at the MVCC, the London Borough of Harrow had been invited to participate in the new JHOSC.  The draft terms of reference were included in the report.

In response to a concern on Harrow Council’s representation on the JHOSC, and if, indeed, two Harrow Councillors would sit on it, the Committee were informed that it was presently not certain how many local authorities would join the JHOSC, with potentially up to 13 able to do so.  Other councils were currently going through their governance processes to determine membership on the JHOSC.  However, given the modelling for JHOSC representation based on patient numbers, it was most likely that Harrow Council would have two representatives.

The Committee queried how the Integrated Care Board (ICB) structure would fit in with the JHOSC, and were advised that the proposed area covered six ICBs across 13 boroughs.  Patient numbers would be considered when allocating both representatives in collaboration with the ICBs.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  to Council

That

a)              The London Borough of Harrow participate in the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (MVCC JHOSC) that was being set up, and chaired, by Hertfordshire County Council;

b)              The Chair of Harrow’s Health and Social Care Scrutiny Sub-Committee be appointed as Harrow’s Member on the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (MVCC JHOSC);

c)              Any further Member/s representing Harrow at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (MVCC JHOSC) be delegated to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, in the interest of timeliness; and

d)              Harrow Council officers work with officers in other local authorities on the creation of the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (MVCC JHOSC), its terms of reference and programme of work, and any other administration to expedite its effective working.

Report of the Harrow Safeguarding Adult Board Independent Chair

The Committee received the Harrow Safeguarding Adult Board (HSAB) Annual Report 2023/24 and Strategic Plan 2024/27 Report.

The Harrow Safeguarding Adult Board (HSAB) sought to share its Annual Report 2023/24 and Strategic Plan 2024/27 with the Committee to highlight safeguarding issues and activity for the residents of Harrow.

It was a statutory requirement under the Care Act 2014 for local authorities to convene multi-agency arrangements to safeguarding adults at risk of abuse and neglect.  In Harrow these arrangements were overseen by the Harrow Safeguarding Adults Board.

It was also a statutory requirement to publish an Annual Report and a Strategic Plan.  However, there was no requirement to share the work of the Board with the Committee.  Nonetheless, it was good practice to raise awareness of the Board’s work and areas of focus.

In the discussion that ensued, the Committee raised the following comments and asked questions:

·                 The Committee expressed concern about past safeguarding challenges in under-represented groups, and asked what was being done to promote awareness among them.  The Committee were referred to Part 4 of the Annual Report - Safeguarding Activity During 2023-24.  Work was being undertaken to engage with under-represented groups, but it was acknowledged that more work could be done, which had been impeded by inadequate staffing levels.  Nonetheless, new staff were currently being recruited to deal with some of the concerns raised by the Committee;

·                 In response to a question on budgetary constraints that had seen two previous independent boards merged, for children’s and adult services, but now appeared to be separated, the Committee were informed that the two boards operated independently at present.  However, it was uncertain if this had been necessitated by budgetary challenges;

·                 Citing page 35 of the supplemental agenda pack on quality assurance, under paragraph 6.6, the Committee wanted to know if quality assurance procedures had been put in place.  The Committee were informed that the former Quality Assurance and Performance Subgroup had been re-cast as a Multi-Agency Auditing Subgroup in 2023-24.  This group had met and conducted a multi-agency audit of child safeguarding practice regarding Child Sexual Abuse that had concluded in July 2023.  However, audits for adults had not yet been undertaken.  Nonetheless, since the new HSAB structure in January 2024, the group had convened and were developing a Quality Assurance Framework for HSAB.  A clear work programme had been developed to ensure that focused assurance activity would take place from April 2024 onwards;

·                 The Committee queried if the Metropolitan’s new policy of “Right Care, Right Person” when responding to mental health crises had had an impact in Harrow, and were informed that there had not been any reported impact in the borough;

·                 The Committee were concerned with performance indicators quoted on pages 21-22 of the supplemental agenda pack, and how “success” could be defined.  The Committee were informed that it was difficult to pin-point what success looked like.  However, using various sources of data, it could be inferred that where risks were identified and outcomes achieved, together with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 115.