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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Room 3.1, 3rd Floor, 5 Strand, London, WC2 5HR. View directions

Contact: Tristan Fieldsend, Senior Committee and Governance Officer  Tel: 020 7641 2341; Email:  tfieldsend@westminster.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Membership

To note any changes to the membership.

Minutes:

1.1       It was noted that Councillor Ruth Bush had replaced Councillor Maggie Carmen.

2.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations by Members and Officers of the existence and nature of any personal or prejudicial interests in matters on this agenda, in addition to the standing declarations previously made.

Minutes:

2.1       Councillor Glanz declared that in respect of Item 5 the Soho Surgery was located within his Ward.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 163 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2018.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

3.1      That the Minutes of the Family and People Services Policy and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 15 October 2018 be approved, subject to the following revision:

 

            Care Home Improvement Programme (CHIP)

 

Minute 6.1: That the paragraph be amended to read: “…had set a strategic target to improve all care home CQC quality ratings in Westminster to ‘Good or Outstanding.”

4.

Cabinet Member Update pdf icon PDF 311 KB

To receive an update on current and forthcoming issues within the portfolio of the Cabinet Member for Family Services and Public Health.

Minutes:

4.1      Councillor Heather Acton (Cabinet Member for Family Services and Public Health), provided a briefing on key issues within her portfolio. The Committee also heard from Bernie Flaherty (Bi-Borough Executive Director for Adult Social Care and Health), Melissa Caslake (Bi-Borough Executive Director of Childrens Services), Chris Greenway (Bi-Borough Director of Integrated Commissioning) and Sarah Newman (Director of Family Services).

 

4.2      Councillor Acton provided an update on the following additional items of interest:

 

·         Thanks were expressed to Louise Butler, Strategic Lead in Professional Standards and Safeguarding, and her team for producing a Safeguarding ‘Jargon Buster’.

 

·         A very successful Learning Disabilities Presentation Lunch had recently taken place, which had been very well attended.

 

·         Thanks were expressed to Christine Mead, Public Health Strategic Commissioner, on the recent successful Community Champions Conference, which had been attended by over 250 Community Champions.

 

·         The Council was currently making a submission to Public Health England on provision for autism, a topic the Committee could potentially explore at a future meeting.

 

4.3       The Committee was interested to learn about the programme currently entitled ‘Healthy Families, Healthy Communities’ which was due to commence in November 2019. Councillor Acton explained that new healthy lifestyle support services were being commissioned across communities. These would take the form of a range of contracts rather than one large contract and funding had been applied for from the Greater London Authority.

 

4.4       The Committee noted that as part of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Local Area Inspection, focus groups would be established to include a range of participants across the community. The Committee was advised that parents who expressed an interest in participating were selected for the focus groups. The Westminster Parents Group was also closely involved in feeding back opinions along with a range of multi-agency professionals across the system. It was explained that Council officers also regularly attended the focus groups.

 

4.5       The Committee requested further information on any work undertaken between the Council and sugar retailers to combat childhood obesity. It was noted that a sugar strategy was currently being developed and the suggestion to involve retailers would be considered. Sugar and childhood obesity was a priority for the Health and Wellbeing Board and this would be focused on at its next meeting.

 

4.6       Further information on the topic of unaccompanied minors was requested. The Committee was advised that recently greater number of unaccompanied minors were arriving in Westminster with passports, which made it easier to assess their ages. Any who arrived without documents and appeared not to be minors would be assessed using Government issued guidance. Unaccompanied minors would receive a range of support and a holistic assessment of their needs would be undertaken. Each received a welcome pack with specialist pathways developed for each child. An unaccompanied minors group had also been established to allow them to meetup, form friendships and develop their English ability.

 

4.7       In response to questions regarding youth violence the Committee was informed that work between the Council and the Police was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Soho Square - LivingCare Report pdf icon PDF 149 KB

To note the details of LivingCare London’s response to the findings of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection of Soho Square Surgery.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

5.1       Tania Terblanche, Operations Director, LivingCare, was invited to present the Committee with an update on LivingCare’s response to the findings of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection of Soho Square Surgery. The Committee noted that the Surgery had received an inadequate CQC rating and as such had been placed into special measures with various patient services suspended. Tania Terblanche provided the Committee with a presentation on the concerns raised by the CQC and the work undertaken to address these concerns including the appointment of a Lead GP, improved patient access and the strengthening of relationships with key stakeholders.

 

5.2       Peter Chadwick, a representative of the Soho Square Patient Participation Group (PPG), was invited to address the Committee. Mr Chadwick advised that due to the location of the surgery it required high levels of specialist treatments. However, concerns were expressed that due to the instability at the surgery access to these services was being hampered. The Committee was advised that there continued to be a lack of consultation with patients and the PPG, with a high turnover of staff leading to a lack of any continuity.

 

5.3       The Committee was interested to learn further details of the work undertaken to address all the concerns raised. Tania Terblanche advised that a new team had been installed at the surgery, including the introduction of a Lead GP, to help ensure the right service was provided to patients. A clear audit plan was now in place and weekly clinical meetings were being held to share and document lessons learned.

 

5.4       In response to concerns raised over a lack of engagement Tania Terblanche explained that meetings had been held with the PPG and the Chinese Community Centre to improve levels of engagement and the Practice’s service delivery. A newsletter had also been developed for the local community and it was aimed to embed these, and other, changes into the new system. The Committee was invited to attend the Surgery and observe the efforts made to implement the improvements required.

 

5.5       The Committee recognised that concerns still existed over the services provided at the Practice and highlighted the importance of making certain that the situation was improving as previous assurances had not been met. It was therefore expected that the Committee would receive a future update on progress being made and welcomed the invite to visit the Practice. The importance of all parties participating in dialogue was highlighted in order to address the issues raised.

6.

Safeguarding Board pdf icon PDF 157 KB

The Board to note fifth Annual Report of the Safeguarding Adult Executive Board (SAEB).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

6.1       Louise Butler (Strategic Lead in Professional Standards and Safeguarding) and Patricia McMahon (Business Manager – Safeguarding Adults Executive Board) provided the Committee with an update on the fifth Annual Report of the Safeguarding Adult Executive Board (SAEB). It was explained how the multi-agency Board provided leadership regarding adult safeguarding across both the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster. The purpose of the Board was to ensure that member agencies worked together, and independently, to secure the safety of residents who were at most risk of harm from others, or through self-neglect.

 

6.2       Louise Butler tabled data on safeguarding concerns raised within Westminster in 2017 and 2018 and informed the Committee that following the introduction of the Care Act safeguarding now had a much broader remit including forced marriage, modern slavery and a very strong domestic violence agenda.

 

6.3       Recent safeguarding trends in London were highlighted. The Committee was interested to note that issues relating to abuse in care homes had reduced, however levels of abuse in peoples own homes were increasing as there was a focus to care for people in their own home for longer. The report also demonstrated how the data was being used to focus attention on particular areas and ensure the joined-up working between departments such as Trading Standards. Considerable work had also been undertaken with Environmental Health and Housing around the topics of hoarding and self-neglect.

 

6.4       In response to a question over safeguarding cases within Westminster the Committee was informed that it was important to ensure lessons were learned from all cases, any emerging themes identified with these fed into the strategy for next year. The Committee was interested to learn what the safeguarding procedures were and requested that they be shared with Members. Details on how to raise safeguarding issues were provided and Members were advised that if they had not yet received the training this could be delivered on request.

 

6.5       The Committee held a discussion regarding the Westminster safeguarding data detailing the types of alleged harm or abuse, the sources of risk and, where risk had been identified, steps taken to reduce it. It was requested that a regular update on safeguarding data be provided to the Committee detailing the actual figures as well as percentages.

 

6.6       The Committee noted the report, the safeguarding strategy and the emerging themes informing its current work. The partnership work undertaken with other agencies was commended as a positive step to prevent abuse and neglect, and where it was experienced to ensure it was responded to in a way that supported a person’s choices and promoted their well-being. The Committee requested that when the report next came to the Committee for consideration the possibility of a service user also attending be explored.

7.

Direct Payments/Personal Budget pdf icon PDF 210 KB

The Board to receive detailed information on personal budgets and direct payments processes used in Westminster.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

7.1       Chris Greenway (Director of Integrated Commissioning) and Sharon Grant (Adult Social Care Commissioning) introduced a report providing detailed information on personal budgets and direct payments processes used in Westminster as well as an overview of the development of the Adult Social Care Personalisation strategy. This information had been requested by the Committee following concerns raised by Healthwatch that the system was not providing the service users with the support required. The Committee was pleased to note that following discussions between the Head of Personalisation and Healthwatch the issues raised had been addressed and therefore the paper before it set out current processes in place and an overview of the Personalisation strategy.

 

7.2       In response to questions from the Committee it was explained that an individual with mental health support needs would be assessed to ensure they were capable, and if it was appropriate, for them to be offered a personal budget. The process was aimed to provide people with as much choice and control as possible and ensure the appropriate level of support was in place.

 

7.3       The Committee was interested to learn more around digitalisation and how this could be used to modernise the way social care was delivered to residents. Members were advised how the Personalisation team was leading on projects to make full use of digital technology to encompass a range of tools including a service user web portal, e-marketplace and self-service. It would also be used to utilise business intelligence data and predictive analytics technologies in order to work in a more effective and preventative way, as well as increasing the efficiency of staff.  Joined up working with companies which provided products such as electricity smart meters was being explored with suppliers showing significant interest in working with the Council. Following a detailed discussion the Committee requested that personalisation digital work be included on its work programme.

 

7.4       Carena Rogers (Programme Manager, Healthwatch) was invited to address the Committee and expressed her service users thanks that the issues raised had been taken up, heard and acted upon. Thanks were given to officers who had helped resolve the problems experienced and advised that it was important to continue to monitor the budget system so that any other potential issues could be identified at an earlier stage and resolved. The Committee was informed that as part of the digitalisation programme it was planned to implement real time monitoring so that any potential issues experienced by service users could be identified early on.

8.

COMMITTEE WORK PROGRAMME AND ACTION TRACKER pdf icon PDF 183 KB

To consider the Committee’s Work Programme for the 2019-20 municipal year, and to note progress in the Committee’s Action Tracker.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

8.1      Aaron Hardy (Policy and Scrutiny Manager) presented the Committee’s Work Programme and Action Tracker.

 

8.2      Councillor Emily Payne provided an update on the task group established to focus on Young People’s Mental Health and Technology. During initial discussions the following three potential areas of focus had been identified:

 

i)      The effect of technology on young children and their cognitive development;

ii)     The effect of technology on teenagers and young adults mental health; and

iii)   How the rapid expansion of technology and information was impacting on young people’s ability to process information.

 

Those Councillors wishing to participate in the task group were requested to inform Councillor Payne on which area they wished the group to focus on.

 

8.3       The Committee was reminded the next meeting would be focused on children services.

 

8.4       A request was also made that the topic of loneliness and social isolation be included on the work programme.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1)    That the Work Programme be noted;

 

2)    The Action Tracker be noted; and

 

3)    The revised terms of reference for the North West London Joint Health and Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted and Councillor Lorraine Dean be appointed Westminster City Council’s one voting Member.

9.

Reports of Any Urgency Safeguarding Issues

Verbal Update (if any).

Minutes:

9.1       The Chairman advised there was nothing to report.