Skip to main content

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Rooms 18.06 - 18.08, 18th Floor, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP

Contact: Artemis Kassi, Lead Policy & Scrutiny Advisor  Email:  akassi@westminster.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Election of Chair

To elect a Chair of the Committee. Any Member may nominate any other Member to Chair in advance of and at the meeting itself.

 

This item will be conducted by the Committee clerk.

Minutes:

1.1          Nominations for the post of Chair were invited.  One nomination was received and seconded.  There were no further nominations.

 

1.2           RESOLVED: That Councillor Angela Piddock be appointed Chair of the Children & Adult, Public Health & Voluntary SectorPolicy and Scrutiny Committee.

 

2.

Membership

Minutes:

2.1       The Chair announced that Councillor James Small-Edwards was substituting for Councillor Max Sullivan.

 

2.2       The Chair welcomed Councillor Nafsika Butler-Thalassis (Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Voluntary sector) and Councillor Tim Roca (Cabinet Member for Young People, Learning and Leisure) to the meeting.

 

2.3       The Chair also welcomed the Members of the Council and the co-opted Members to the Committee.

 

3.

Declarations of interest

To receive declarations by Members and Officers of the existence and nature of any pecuniary interests or any other significant interest in matters on this agenda.

Minutes:

3.1       There were no declarations of interest.

 

4.

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Voluntary Sector - portfolio update pdf icon PDF 287 KB

To receive an update from Councillor Nafsika Butler-Thalassis, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Voluntary Sector on priorities for the portfolio following the local elections in May 2022, any major issues arising and to answer questions from Members.

Minutes:

4.1       The Cabinet Member provided an overview of her portfolio including its service areas, priorities for the year ahead and key service updates/issues. The Cabinet Member responded to questions on the following topics:

 

·       the importance of supporting foodbanks, food pantries and the provision of advice and support to mitigate the cost-of-living crisis.

·       the timeframe for the scope of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) on health inequalities facing Westminster BAME communities and the relationship between these communities and public institutions.

·       the necessity to continue lobbying for Westminster Council to have some direct representation on the Integrated Care Board (ICB)

·       the importance of early diagnoses of mental health issues and substance abuse.

·       the importance of developing a strategy to support the BME community through the voluntary sector and to identify where there were gaps in provision specifically in the most deprived wards.

·       the importance of providing services which can be accessed by the whole community, including exploring the possibility of providing collective funding for services for all adults with learning disabilities.

·       the on-going budget pressures on Adult Social Care Health (ASCH)

 

4.2       Other issues discussed were the data collection and covid status in care homes, GDPR, the outbreak of monkeypox and visits to voluntary sector organisations.

 

4.3       ACTIONS:

 

1.     That Hallfield Food bank be added to Westminster Connects list.

 

2.     That arrangements be made for Members to visit voluntary sector organisations in Westminster.

 

3.     That the Cabinet Member arranges to meet with the Chair to discuss potential topics to add to the P&S Work Programme for the forthcoming year.

 

4.     That the following items be reported regularly in the Cabinet Member Report:

·       the status of covid in care homes and disability settings.

·       update on the work and decisions of the Integrated Care Board (ICB).

·       the on-going budget pressures on Adult Social Care Health.

 

5.

Cabinet Member for Young People, Learning and Leisure - portfolio update pdf icon PDF 234 KB

To receive an update from Councillor Tim Roca, Cabinet Member for Young People, Learning and Leisure on priorities for the portfolio following the local elections in May 2022, any major issues arising and to answer questions from Members.

Minutes:

5.1       The Cabinet Member provided an overview of his portfolio including its service areas, priorities for the year ahead and key service updates/issues. The Cabinet Member responded to questions on the following topics:

 

·       the financial pressures resulting from falling rolls in primary schools.

·       the recent Ofsted inspection and how Ofsted had been particularly impressed with the approaches to missing, exploitation, risk of gang affiliation, trafficking, modern slavery and PREVENT.

·       the importance of the new school uniform scheme to address the cost-of-living crisis and confirmation of future funding for the continuation of the scheme. 

·       future proposals for the expansion of federations and the key benefits of primary schools remaining single entities in law and with separate budgets but having a single Governing Board and unified leadership team.

·       the work commenced to combat the increase youth violence.

·       the potential impact of the census on available funding for schools.

·       the monthly monitoring of the Passenger Transport service and the importance of promoting the independent travel scheme.

·       the development of the £2.4 Culture Fund proposal.

 

5.2       Other issues discussed were the publication of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Report, Sayers Croft, the Everyone Active Contract and the development of social value in leisure centres.

 

5.3       The Committee very much welcomed the additional £239,000 being made available to run a rapid grant funding programme in partnership with the Young Westminster Foundation to develop a fully flexible offer consisting of activities and food over the summer holiday period 2022.

 

5.4       ACTIONS:

 

1.     That the Children and Young People Mental Health Task Group Report be

      published and that an update on the recommendations contained in the report be circulated to the Committee.

 

2.     That details of how the schools were managing the school uniform scheme be circulated to the Committee.

 

3.     That the links to past Children and Adult P&S Committee Agenda Packs and minutes be emailed to the Committee.

 

4.   That the Access to Culture Report 2019 and an update on the recommendations contained in the report be circulated to the Committee.

 

1.     That parents be consulted quickly on any proposals regarding their children’s primary schools becoming federations.

 

2.     That an update on Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES) relocation to a new building be circulated to the Committee.

 

3.     That data on school exclusions in Westminster schools be circulated to the Committee.

 

4.     That the Cabinet Member arranges to meet with the Chair to discuss potential topics to add to the P&S Work Programme for the forthcoming year.

 

6.

Work programme pdf icon PDF 157 KB

To consider the proposed work programme for the committee for the coming year, allocate items to scheduled meetings and identify areas for further investigation.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

6.1       The Committee reviewed potential items to be prioritised for the 2022/23 work programme, which included focusing on:

 

  • the financial pressures resulting from falling rolls in primary schools
  • the implication to pupils/schools of the federation of two governing bodies
  • access to services for all adults with learning difficulties
  • the NHS (including primary care)
  • the services provided by the voluntary sector
  • the mental health strategy
  • the cost of living/digital poverty/digital inclusion. 

 

6.2       The Committee noted the importance of having a balanced work programme and feeding into Council policy. 

 

6.3       ACTIONS:

 

1.     That the Annual Youth Justice Plan be reviewed at the September meeting.

 

2.     That detailed data/financial implications for services be included in reports. 

 

3.     That discussions regarding potential topics continue outside of the meeting. 

 

4.     The Chair encouraged Members to email their ideas for topics/items for the Committee Work Programme, a Task Group or even for individual Member scrutiny to the Scrutiny Officer.

 

7.        TERMINATION OF MEETING

 

7 .1      The meeting ended at 8.14pm.

 

7.

Any other business

To review any other business considered urgent by the Chair or requested by the Committee.