Agenda item

The report before Members invited Overview & Scrutiny Sub-Committee Chairmen to verbally update Board members on the current work of their Sub-Committees and associated topic groups.

Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee

Members were advised that the Sub-Committee had scrutinised the issue of gender pay at the Hospitals trust and held discussions with senior BHRUT officers on the subject.  As part of a wider scrutiny of the current financial situation at the Trust, the Sub-Committee had scrutinised health tourism and how the Trust recovers the revenue.

The Sub-Committee had looked at the issue of GP recruitment; and Clinical Commissioning Group representatives had explained their plans to address this and other challenges.  Five Havering GP practices had recently been rated as ‘requiring improvement’ and the Sub-Committee hoped to scrutinise this in more detail.

The Sub-Committee had received, in line with legal requirements, the annual report of Healthwatch Havering and a report on their work on local services for people with visual impairments. 

At a regional level, the Joint Committee had scrutinised in detail proposals to change local cancer services and concentrate the delivery of chemotherapy at Queen’s Hospital.  The changes had been implemented by the Hospital’s Trust and the Committee would continue to monitor the impact.

The Joint Committee had scrutinised the use and availability of Health Based Places of Safety for people with mental health needs and received input from commissioners and representatives of the Police and the London Ambulance Service.

Crime and Disorder Sub-Committee

The Sub-Committee had received performance information principally on police resourcing, response times and anti-social behaviour relating to traveller incursions. There was currently a shortage of police officers and a disproportionate number of non-deployable staff in Havering, however this was being addressed by a recruitment drive. 

The Sub-Committee agreed the terms of reference for the Serious Group Violence and Knife Crime in Havering topic group.

Members had received an update on the Traveller Injunction by the Local Authority and the Policing of Traveller Incursions by the Metropolitan Police, during which they were taken through the legislation that applied to traveller incursions. The Police Authority and the Local Authority were working closely together to ensure that the Court had the evidence needed to make an informed decision on whether to grant the Traveller Injunction.

The Sub-Committee had received a report which outlined hate crime in the borough.  Havering was carrying out a number of wide-ranging community engagement events around Hate Crime with different communities.  The level of Hate Crime in Havering compared to other boroughs was relatively low.  Members were encouraged to talk to residents and provide them with reporting information. 

Children’s Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee

The Sub-Committee was currently considering items from the work programme, giving equal weight to Children Services and Learning & Achievement. The Chairman had offered members of the Sub-Committee the opportunity to contribute items to the work programme.

During the municipal year, the Sub-Committee had received reports on the Virtual School, Fostering and Innovation, Academically Abled Pupils, an outline of how Participation supported Young People in Havering; and an update on the Improvement Plan for Children’s Social Care Service following the Ofsted Inspection in June 2018.

The Sub-Committee had received performance data for seven of the eight agreed indicators in quarter two and officers had been requested to arrange a review of performance indicators in the new year.

The Corporate Parenting Panel met in September 2018, during which Members received a report that outlined the responsibilities of the Adoption Permanence and Post Order Support Team.

A Corporate Parenting Panel Participation meeting was held in October 2018 and was attended by Members, young people and support officers.

The Board agreed that future sub-committee updates be circulated prior to future meetings of the Board.

Members requested that the terms of reference for the Operations of Complaints Procedure Topic Group be presented to the next meeting.