Agenda and minutes

(if any) – received.

Apologies were received from Councillor Keith Wells, Councillor Dennis Bull was substituting.

Also present were Councillors Keith Darvill and Paul McGeary.

The Chair, Vice-Chair and Coordinator of Havering Local Involvement Network (LINk) were also present. One member of the public was also present.

Members are invited to disclose any pecuniary interest in any items on the agenda at this point in the meeting.

Members may still disclose any pecuniary interest in an item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

No pecuniary interests were declared.  

The Chairman will announce details of the arrangements in case of fire or other events that might require the meeting room or building’s evacuation.

Details were given of the arrangements in case of fire or other event that may require the evacuation of the meeting room.

The Committee are asked to consider the requisition of the Cabinet decision on the Commissioning of a Local Healthwatch service (report attached).

The Committee were informed that, at its meeting on 15 August, Cabinet had considered a report on commissioning of a Local Healthwatch service. The Cabinet decision was as follows:

1. To note the consultation on models for the commissioning of a local

Healthwatch service.

2. To confirm the inclusion of the Independent Complaints’ Advisory

Service in the function to be carried out by Healthwatch.

3. To delegate the consideration of consultation responses, the LINk’s

legacy analysis, consultation with the host organisation and current

chair/vice chair of LINk and selection of the appropriate commissioning

route to the Cabinet Member for Individuals and Deputy Leader.

4. To note that further work would be undertaken to draw up the

specification and proposed operating model for Healthwatch in Havering

once the procurement route has been established.

The decision had been requisitioned for the following reasons:

1) to address the concerns of the Local Involvement Network (Havering LINk)

about the recommendations within the Cabinet Report;

2) to ensure that the consideration of consultation responses, the LINk’s legacy analysis, consultation with the host organisation and current chair/vice chair of LINk and selection of the appropriate commissioning route is not delegated the Lead Member for Individuals and Deputy Leader;

3) to give more detailed consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of a shared Healthwatch 'Hub & Spoke' model with joint commissioning led by LB Barking & Dagenham.

The Assistant Director – Transformation (Commissioning) for Adult Social Care explained that the Health and Social Care Act required Havering to have a fully functioning Local Healthwatch by 1 April 2013. A consultation on the options had been launched in August 2012 and it was accepted that it had not been possible on this occasion to give a 90 day consultation period as recommended in guidance. The Assistant Director acknowledged that the consultation questionnaire was slightly misleading and unhelpful and apologised for this.

It was accepted that the consultation had caused concerns but a positive point was that a lot of responses had been generated and this had shown the strength of feelings around the outcomes achieved by Havering LINk. The Assistant Director was happy to have direct meetings with any interested parties and would feed in all feedback received before the end of September.

The Assistant Director was aware of the good work carried out by Havering LINk in the last 3-4 years and felt that Havering LINk had outperformed LINks in neighbouring boroughs. It was accepted that this was not reflected in the written consultation document. The Assistant Director and his team had met with the LINk Chair and Vice-Chair as well as the LINk host organisation – Shaw Trust. Meetings were also being arranged with the Patient Advice and Liaison Service and with the Independent Complaints Advisory Service. The Assistant Director wished to build on the legacy of Havering LINk going forward into Healthwatch.

Local Healthwatch would have 4-5 times more funding than LINk as it would cover several additional work strands and the Assistant Director wished to recognise  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.