Youth, children, carers, environment hit by Brent Council cut proposals

Brent Council has now published its draft proposals for cuts in services that will be considered by the Cabinet on Monday December 15th.  The document is available HERE 

I advise readers to read the whole document as it is impossible to prove the full detail here. Please post comments drawing attention to anything I have over-looked or to outline its impact on staff or service users.

This is the beginning of the budget making process.  See side panel for  the timetable.

The cuts are divided up into four categories:

• Stopping Services Completely
• Leverage in Resources and Income
• Building Independence and Community Resilience
• Driving Organisational Efficiency

The document needs careful study but the headlines are:

• Cessation of all Youth Services in the borough
• Close 10 of the 17 Children's Centres
• Close Welsh Harp Education Centre
• Cease all School Crossing Patrols
• Close Energy Solutions
• Cease funding for Stonebridge Adventure Playground
• Cease grant to Energy Solutions
• Close one Leisure Centre
• Gradually reduce grant to Tricycle Theatre to zero
• Reduce respite care by £450,000
• Reduce Day Care by up to 40%
• Reduce Connexions to the minimum
• End rough sleepers service
• No litter clearing in residential roads, no pavement mechanical sweepers, no weekend litter service in parks
• Reduce face to face customers service at Civic Centre to 2 days a week by appointment

One of the problems in reading this report is the avoidance of the word cuts and the selling of them in some cases as advantageous for service users. It would be much better to admit that they are severe cuts and are going to seriously affect service users. The pretence feeds into the Coalition's justification for cuts and claims of local government profligacy.

How many different ways can you avoid saying cuts?

Under the 'Organisational Efficiency' heading there are are a number strategies that could worsen services or undermine the working conditions of employees.

These include in Adult and Social Care The report's terminology):

• Negotiate with Residential and Nursing Care providers to ensure value for money
• Reduce service user and carer engagement to a minimum
• Close New Millennium and Kingsbury Resource Day Centres
• Change Tudor Garden Residential Home to Supported Living accommodation
• Increasing the number of Direct Payment personal care assistants
• 'Transforming' the Mental Health Social Care model to save £750k
• Reduce social work staff in Adult Social Care by 20% over two years
• Reduce Learning and Development to statutory minimum

In Children and Young People

• Early Years - review future resource requirements in general workforce budgets
• Reduce support and delivery costs of the Youth Offending Team
• Reduce cost of Special Educational Needs assessments by restructuring staff
• Integrate Children's Information Service with other customer services - reduction of 50%
• Children's placements - includes some Looked After children currently in residential placement moved to independent foster agencies
• Children with disabilities -end summer playscheme, more direct payments, reduce overall level of support
• Reduce managerial posts in Children's Social Care

Environment and Neighbourhood Services

• Transfer management of libraries to an established library trust resulting in business rates savings
• Reduce library book stock to CIPFA bench-marked average
• Delete Environment Projects and Policy Team
• Stop nearly all Sports Development work including school holiday programmes
• Brent Transport Services - end the employment of in-house drivers and attendants
• Reduce the Emergency Planning Team by one post - will require arrangement with another borough to maintain 24/7 coverage 
• Review regulatory services  and consider shared services with another borough

Regeneration and Growth

•  Reduce the number of Housing Options Officer posts by 4, over a two year period from 2016/17
•  Proposals will be developed for increased income from the Civic Centre. The additional income assumed from 16/17 onwards assumes that an additional floor being made available and a tenant found to occupy the space on a commercial basis from 2016.

Human Resources

• It is proposed  to carry out a major reconfiguration of the HR service in 2015/16 saving £1.4m by 2016/17. This will result in the merging of some areas in order to reduce the number of managers required in the new structure.  It is the intention to devolve responsibility for some existing activities undertaken by the Learning and Development team to HR Managers.  Other activities will be accommodated by a new performance team with a broader remit which will include resourcing, workforce development, policy and projects.
•  In addition it is proposed to cap the existing trade union facilities time allocation awarded to GMB and Unison to a maximum of 1 x PO1 post per trade union, to move the occupational health service inhouse saving £60k and reduce the learning and development budget by £67k. In year 2016/17 further reductions in staffing can be potentially achieved through shared service arrangements within payroll, pensions, HR management information and recruitment.

This marks the end of Brent Council as we know it. Surely this is the tipping point for local councils? It is no longer a 'dented shield' approach to the cuts but throwing down the shield and running into the enemies' swords.

Tune in to Stonebridge kids fighting for their Adventure Playground Sunday 8-10pm 95.4FM

Stonebridge kids fighting to save the Stonebridge Adventure Playground will appear on Roots FM 95.4 on Sunday night.

They will be on the Gussy Roots show from 8-10pm.

Meanwhile follow this link to see some of the amazing  comments made in support of the Adventure Playground on their website: LINK

Support every child's right to go to school - sign today

A message from Education International


Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child - a defining moment in history, when for the first time, all children around the world were viewed as human beings with their own set of rights, including the right to a quality education.

Despite progress over the past 25 years there are 58 million children out of school and we are seeing increasing attacks on schools and school children and teachers on the frontlines of education.
This was also one of the main reasons why Education International’s affiliates came together for the Unite for Quality Education campaign over the last year: We believe passionately that all children and teachers have the right to go to school without danger or discrimination and so we are actively supporting a new global call to action –the #UpForSchool petition.

World leaders promised to get every child into school by 2015. We now have a window of opportunity to put the pressure on them to keep their promises, making 2015 the year all children secured the right to go to school and learn.

People power works. Big numbers of people mobilising over an issue cannot be ignored. That is why this petition is being collected in every country around the world.

And we need teachers to be pivotal in this movement. To make this the world's biggest petition, we are asking you to collect as many signatures as possible. Can you help? To sign follow this LINK

We are organising a high-level hand-in of signatures during our World Congress in Ottawa in July 2015 so we hope we can do something historic together!

Please help spread the word and share this message as widely as possible across your networks. Together we can make the voices of teachers heard by world leaders.
Together we can make our voices heard and stand Up For School.
 
Susan Hopgood
President
Fred van Leeuwen
General Secretary
Education International

The positives and negatives of public health in Brent

Tomorrow's  Brent Health and Wellbeing Board will be discussing an important report on public health and the issues facing the borough in the future. The full report is available HERE

For each issue the report goes into details of some of the initiatives and projects that address the problem so here I will print some of the tables and graphs to stimulate interest.

Brent actually has healthier statistics than some of the areas with equal levels of deprivation but there are considerable differences between different parts of Brent.

The causes of premature deaths:

Differences in age expectancy in wards within the borough:

Increases in rates of dementia are a long-term issue:

As are rates of diabetes:

One area of success has been the reduction in teenage pregnancies:

The figures on child health indicate health problems building up for the future. I have been keen to persuade the Council to increase school nurse provision to address these issues and procurement is in process

Obesity of Year 6 child (11 year olds)

As they go into Year 7 at secondary schools the pupils are likely to use takeways:

To inform the Council’s planning policies, the Council public health team undertook a survey of secondary school students to explore associations between the presence of fast food takeaways close to the school and students’ use of takeaways and general food knowledge. In the seven schools that participated, all year 7 and year 10 students were surveyed. Nearly two and a half thousand students responded resulting in a unique insight into student behaviour. Students who attended schools less than 400m from a takeaway ate more takeaways at lunch, on the journey home from school and at home for their evening meal with their family.

The survey supports the policy of a buffer zone around schools which the Council is now implementing.

Dental health is a particular issue in Brent:

Some excellent preventative work is taking places from the Chalkhill Wellbeing project which ends in March 2015 unless further funding is found. I will return to this in some detail in the future.

Stonebridge Adventure Playground Must Stay Forever!

Cllr Muhammed Butt received the petition

A group of children, young people and parents handed over a petition of more than 1,000 signatories to Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt at Brent Civic Centre today.Dawn Butler, Labour Party parliamentary candidate for Brent Central also attended.

The signatures had been collected over the last few weeks from door-to-door knocking,  Harlesden Town Centre, Tesco and Love Where You Live in a amazing effort to save the playground that has served the community since the 1970s.

Have your say on health provision in Brent on September 3rd

To book a place or ask a question email brentccg.engagement@nhs.net

Young people have been missing in many of the  recent consultations on health as have parents of young children. It is really important that you have your say.

Brent Clinical Commissioning Group sent this message with the poster:

We would be grateful if could please share this information with your family, friends and community associates as we would like as many of those Brent service users and local residents who have not yet attended one of our Health Partner Forums to come along and enjoy an evening of debate and discussion about health and social care in Brent.

You will be able to share your views on health and care services directly with the clinical, social care commissioners and service providers who attend the event.   There will also be opportunities to work with us on transforming healthcare across some of the priority areas for people in Brent for the forthcoming year.

We need to know numbers attending in order to confirm numbers with our caterer for the hot buffet supper.  Please therefore either call us on 020 8795 6107 or 6122 or send us an e-mail to either of the following:  

Brentccg.engagement@brent-harrowpcts.nhs.uk or brentccg.engagement@nhs.net   

'Out of borough' Brent housing placements increase by 426% as housing crisis deepens

The report on Housing Supply and Demand LINK going to the Brent Cabinet on Tuesday 26th August starkly sets out the extent of the housing crisis in Brent.

AST= Assured Shorthold Tenancy DV=Domestic Violence

Homelessness is on the rise and largely attributable to the ending of Assured Shorthold Tenancies in the private sector.  It is particularly high in Brent compared to other West London boroughs.

The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) cap has seen landlords withdrawing from renting to those families in receipt of benefits. It also means that the Council is unable to procure properties in that sector for homeless families.

The report says that the caps make it unaffordable to rent in the South of the borough for families who require two bedrooms or more, unless they are in receipt of Working Tax Credit and therefore exempt from the Overall Benefit Cap. Lack of supply means that there are not properties available in the South for working families and landlords in the North of the borough are unwilling to let to people on benefits.

This has meant that the number of private rented properties the Council has been able to find to prevent homelessness has fallen from 548 in 2010/11 to 164 in 2012/13.

The Overall Benefit Cap (OBC) introduced in August 2013 for workless households limits the benefit payable to families to £500 per week and £350 for a single person.  Brent has been one of the boroughs in the country most affected with 1,340 families capped by the end of 2013-14.

Approximately 950 had the cap removed during the year, predominantly through securing employment and qualifying for the Working Tax Credit.

Because of the high rents in London, the reports says that the Council will not be able to procure affordable housing to meet the demand from homeless households in Brent. They are instead looking for accommodation which 'is most likely to be outside of the borough and to a significant extent outside of London'.

The report states categorically:

If a household refuses an offer of suitable accommodation in the Private rented sector (under the provisions of the Homelessness [Suitability of Accommodation ](England) Order 2012) in the private rented sector the Council will consider that it has met its duties under homelessness legislation, and if the household are being accommodated in Bed and Breakfast accommodation, they will be given a reasonable period in which to make their own housing arrangements.

Couched in official language this seems inoffensive but it is the provision that sees families separated from relatives, friends and community and moved miles away with the resulting disruption to support networks and schooling. But see 4 below.

However households with children can then ask for help under the Children Act, which then puts the pressure on the Children and Young People Service. During assessment under the Act the family will be kept in emergency bed and breakfast accommodation. The report notes that if applications increase 'additional assessment resources' may be required by the Children and Young People department,

At the end of March 2014 Brent had a total of 3,341 households living in temporary accommodation, a 3% increase during 2013-14.  Currently the Council is retendering the Housing Association Leased Scheme (HALS) which expires in February 2015. This currently provides 1,800 units of temporary accommodation, primarily in Brent.

The Council is also working with 18 private sector accommodation providers to provide housing units in 'cheaper parts of the country'. This has resulted in increased out of borough placements, particularly for larger households.

Out of borough placements have risen from 120 households in February 2012 to 632 in May 2014 (a 426% increase).  The report states:

This figures is expected to rise further due to the increasing demand pressure and the shortage of affordable supply in the borough.

All these pressures means, as local newspapers have reported LINK, that Brent is not compliant with legislation which restricts a family's stay in Bed and Breakfast accommodation to 6 weeks.  The number of households in B&B has increased to an average in 2013-14 of 299 per month. The report says this is due to the 'rising number of newly accepted homeless households and existing homeless households evicted from leased temporary, predominantly because the Landlord wants the property back.'

Another financial pressure on the Council is the 460 households living in temporary accommodation who are affected by the Overall Benefit Cap. This means their current accommodation is unaffordable and the Council has to make it up with Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP).

The report states: 'This is not sustainable position for the households or the Council, with no guarantee that the DHP budget will remain at the current high level in 2015-16 and beyond.' The Council is looking to address the issue through helping householders find work, securing affordable housing or 'by sustainably being able to cover the shortfall.'

As you read the report you cannot avoid feeling angry at the dire housing situation successive government have left us with. The selling off of council housing, the failure to build new social housing, the house price inflation induced by banks, estate agents and governments have combined to leave many families facing an impossible situation. I have seen at first hand in the schools where I am a governor what this means in real terms. Some of you may have seen the families, complete with suitcases, sitting in the glitzy foyer of Brent Civic Centre waiting to hear their fate.

Faced with this impossible and deteriorating situation, exacerbated by another round of severe cuts to come in the next few years, Brent council puts forward some ideas to address the problems. These include:

1. The Council will use 'proxy bidding' for capped householders who have been waiting longer than average for social housing to maximise their opportunities.   This means bidding on their behalf when possible housing comes up.

2. Consultation has begun on the possibility of making direct offers to those affected by the Overall benefit Cap provided they have been waiting longer than average.

3. Households affected by OBC in temporary accommodation and who have not secured employment will be relocated to more affordable and suitable accommodation as 'it will not be possible to sustain them in their current temporary accommodation using limited DHP funding.'

4. Before households with children are located outside the borough there will be a review of each individual case.'If a household is identified as having to remain in Brent due to exceptional social care, welfare, medical or other exceptional circumstances, then DHP funds will continue yo be used to meet the shortfall in rent while a longer term solution is sought.'

Clearly 4 leaves a substantial area of potential debate over what constitutes 'exceptional needs' with budgetary constraints always lurking in the background.

The report states that in 2014-15 there will be a projected 673 lettings into social housing (Council and housing association) but this will meet only around 14% of the current total demand from Bands A to C on Brent's Housing Register.  The majority will be through re-lets of existing  social housing stock but the Council expect another 180 to be delivered via the new build programme.

The Council plans to increase the numbers of lettings to homeless households to 80% of the total. They say this is necessary to mitigate the impact of the OBC on households temporarily in homeless accommodation that is no longer affordable, and to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation generally.  40 units have been set aside for the decant needs of South Kilburn regeneration.

The Council will be consulting over a 4-6 week period on the following amendments to its Allocation scheme:

1, Auto-budding - which would set the system to automatically to bid for property, at the council's discretion, once the  households falls into a target group, for example, the top 10% by waiting time, per property size.
2. Restore household's right to retain their Band C Housing register status and continue to bid in Locata, after accepting a Qualifying Offer in the private sector.
3. Increase Council and housing associations' ability to make direct offers.
4. In homeless households adult children (over 21) will be expected to share a bedroom with a same sex sibling of any age.
5. Possibility of including adult children  as part of a transfer/down sizing incentive package.
6. Acceptance of change of circumstance through starting and sustaining work (9 out of 12 months) to be given additional waiting time.
7. The residency criteria ('continuously lived in Brent for the period of 5 years or more prior to joining the housing register') would also apply to households in temporary accommodation. This would 'dis-incentivise homeless approaches'.
8. Over-crowding to receive equal priority as homelessness.

(Full version in Appendix D of the report)

Some of these proposals are bound to be controversial but whatever one thinks of them, they can only nibble at the edge of the problem - the Council, and local authorties in general, do not have the resources to dealwith such an enormous and escalating crisis.

The housing crisis outlined by the report makes it essential to tackle the housing crisis at national level and increase the amount of social housing new build.  Locally surely it should mean no more new developments with luxury house aimed at overseas investor but instead the provision of properly affordable housing.

Jon Snow and Michael Rosen speak out for the children of Gaza

Jon Snow speaks about the Children of Gaza on returning home from reporting the onslaught

Michael Rosen read his poem 'Don't Name the Dead Children' at today's Rally for Gaza


followed by 'Then what?'

 

Wembley mums set up Eid supermarket boycott campaign for the children of Gaza

Children protest on behalf of their brothers and sisters in Gaza, London, July 26th 2014

A group of Wembley mothers, sickeded by the sight of children being murdered in Gaza, have set up their own campaign over Eid  to boycott large supermarkets that sell Israeli produce.

This is what they say on their Facebook page:

MUMS 4 CHILDREN OF PALESTINE

EID TOTAL BOYCOTT OF ASDA, TESCO, WAITROSE, SAINSBURYS UNTIL END OF 29 JULY 2014

This group has been created because of the affinity mothers and grandmothers feel for the plight of the people of Palestine. In this month of July 2014 Israel has mercilessly bombed Gaza resulting in countless deaths, suffering, trauma and horrendous injuries, mental and physical.

WE ARE SICKENED AT SEEING BABIES, CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN WITH UNBORN BABIES IN THEIR WOMBS BEING MURDERED!

We feel helpless as we do not have much power to effect justice for the Palestinians, who have suffered for decades. But what power we do have is our spending power. We often make the decisions in our families on what we purchase for our families and homes. And now we are using this power to force change.

In the first instance, we want to use this power to transform our buying patterns and to boycott companies, supermarkets and other outlets that sell produce from Israel and the Occupied Territories. We are bringing our local Mums together to effect real change - because money speaks!
We have had enough of British companies propping up Israel economically, which allow it to act with impunity. We will no longer be complicit in this genocide because we will no longer buy Israeli & OT produce. We will run Total Boycott Strikes targeting all the supermarkets until they comply with our demands.

We are demanding that all supermarkets:

• Stop sourcing all their produce from Israel
• Stop sourcing their produce from the Occupied Territories
• Support Palestinian Farmers and other ethical producers around the world

We are an organic movement of Mums of all backgrounds and this is only the beginning. We are not going to stop until children of Gaza can sleep safely in their beds in a free Palestine and there is a JUST resolution for the Palestinians.

‪#‎FreePalestine‬ ‪#‎FreeGaza‬ ‪#‎Boycott4childrenofgaza‬

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

Follow on Twitter @Mums4gazakids

Children's activities at Wembley's LDO summer weekends

There will be play opportunities for children at the London Designer Outlet during the summer holidays.

Activity Timetable:

Date	What’s On?
19th July	Capeoria Workshop & Steel Pan Band, Bungy Trampoline*
20th July	Jazz Duo
25th July	imPULSE Youth Dance
26th July	Stilt walker with balloons
27th July	First Impressions dance group, Face Painting
2nd August	Dance Workshop
3rd August	Storytime, Mini Football
9th August	Surf Simulator
10th August	Mini Football
16th August	Bungy Trampoline
17th August	Bungy Trampoline
22nd August	Hillside Dance Group performance
23rd August	Bungy Trampoline
24th August	Bungy Trampoline, Face Painting
25th August	Bungy Trampoline, Face Painting
30th August	First Impressions dance group, Spanish Classes
31st August	First Impressions dance group, Storytime
6th September	Football trickster
7th September	Fitsteps dancelikenow

London Councils warns funding cuts will hit rising school standards in the capital

Government changes to education funding will undermine rising school standards in the capital, according to new analysis. 

The Department for Education is consulting on changes to the Education Services Grant (ESG), which funds a raft of critical services such as school improvement, education welfare services and supporting pupils with special educational needs. The consultation includes an intention to cut the ESG by at least 20 per cent in the next year.

London Councils, which represents London’s 33 local authorities, in its consultation response expressed concern that the proposed changes risk undoing the fabric that has delivered unrivalled and continued success in London to raise school standards and improve children’s outcomes. 

Through the London Challenge scheme, involving councils and schools working in partnership, London’s schools have been transformed from amongst the worst in England and Wales in 2003, to the best-performing today, even when taking deprivation into account. 

The proposed reduction of funding, amounting to £24 million in 2015/16, will limit the ability of local authorities to deliver school improvement services.

London Councils’ analysis notes the proposed changes outline a government vision that seeks to limit the local authority role in school improvement to support all schools. This is inconsistent with how parents see the council role, how Ofsted see the council role, and even how the government itself has said it sees the council role.

London Councils’ analysis also outlines a number of changes that could impact support available to pupils and to improve the quality of education in the capital:

• The proposed funding does not recognise the higher costs in London to deliver services. Ignoring the higher staff and delivery costs in London means ESG funding will not go as far to support schools and children in the capital as it would for other regions in England.  London Councils is calling on the Department for Education to include an “Area Cost Adjustment” for the capital that will reflect its higher costs.
• London has experienced the largest growth in the number of pupils with special education need (SEN) statements in England. Demand increased by seven per cent between 2009 and 2013 in London, compared to two per cent nationally. A reduction in funding for support services delivered through ESG for these children would go against rising demand. London Councils is urging Government to ensure that adequate funding is provided to reflect the growing numbers of pupils with SEN.
• Academies will continue to enjoy extra funding, amounting to £54 million nationally, in comparison to local authority maintained schools for the foreseeable future. The DfE has set out an intention to move towards equal levels of funding; London Councils calls on the government to speed up this process and set out a transparent timetable to put into effect. 

Mayor Jules Pipe, London Councils, said: 

London local government is determined that efficient and high quality education is delivered across London and has led the way in ensuring school and pupil outcomes continue to improve – the capital’s schools are now the best performing in England and Wales.

Parents, Ofsted and the law all see a local government role in supporting rising education standards.

The changes in the government’s consultation sit awkwardly with this and will result in confusion for parents about who is responsible for tackling performance issues in all local schools.

The Department for Education must ensure any changes are consistent and do not unfairly affect London parents, who are already worried about the looming school places crisis. 

Scrutinising Brent's Scrutiny Proposals

A Wembley Matters reader has given the proposals on new scrutiny arrangements a little scrutiny and found them wanting. Fiona Ledden's proposal is that Brent should have just one Overview & Scrutiny Committee to replace the current five,

In her report Fiona Ledden writes:

“Five committees is a considerably higher number than most other London councils have following a random survey”

This is illogical. A random survey of how many London Boroughs? A higher number than most other London Boroughs we randomly surveyed? A higher number than most of the 32 London Boroughs? How many other London Boroughs are making do with one OSC? What sort of Boroughs are they that are doing that?

Here are 17 London boroughs. They all have more permanent OSC bodies than Brent is proposing,. All bar one has three or more OSCs and the only that comes close is Ealing, which has an OSC ansd a Standing Commitee on Health.

Southwark:

The overview & scrutiny committee (OSC) is the main co-ordinating scrutiny body.  It appoints three scrutiny sub-committees and is responsible for their overall management:

 ·  Education, Children’s Services and Leisure Scrutiny Sub-Committee

·  Health, Adult Social Care, Communities and Citizenship Scrutiny Sub-Committee

·  Housing, Environment, Transport and Community Safety Scrutiny Sub-Committee

Camden

Three of the scrutiny committees mirror the three service directorates, one covers health scrutiny and the fifth will look at corporate resources, performance and policy together with covering the central departments.

Committee membership

• Children schools and families
• Culture and environment
• Housing and adult social care
• Health
• Resources and corporate performance

Lambeth

Lambeth council has six scrutiny committees: the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which oversees and co-ordinates the work of the sub-committees and the scrutiny function in general; and five cross-cutting sub-committees, which cover issues arising from all our services.

Haringey

The Council has an overarching Overview and Scrutiny Committee which is made up of five non-Cabinet Councillors as well as statutory and non statutory co-optees. Councillors sitting on the Committee reflect the political balance of the Council.  The Committee is supported in its work by four standing scrutiny panels:

• Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel
• Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel
• Communities Scrutiny Panel
• Environment and Housing Scrutiny Panel

Scrutiny panels are made up of between 3 and 7 councillors who are not members of the Cabinet, are chaired by members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and membership is politically proportional.

Enfield

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee (OSC) coordinates the work of the 6 Scrutiny Panels. Made up of the 6 Chairmen and chaired by the Members and Democratic Services Group Chairman, OSC ensures that the Scrutiny function in Enfield operates smoothly, and organises references from the various panels.

Hounslow

Scrutiny panels

We have three scrutiny panels that oversee the service areas of council business. These are  coordinated by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

From time to time, we set up task and finish scrutiny panels to look into specific issues of concern to scrutiny members. These can be service areas or more general policy areas of relevance to the community. Each task and finish panel is set up just to look at one issue, then disbanded.

Select a panel below to get more information about meeting dates, agendas and reports.

Standing scrutiny panels  

Housing and environment scrutiny panel

Children and young people scrutiny panel

Health and adults care scrutiny panel

Ealing – one OSC but a standing panel on health

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is able to set up review panels to consider specific issues. The review panels have a fixed term and have to work to an agreed programme.

Standing panel

Health and Adults Social Services This panel is responsible for scrutinising health services in the borough, as well as the council’s provision of social services for adults. The panel recently considered proposed reforms of hospitals across North West London (the Shaping a Healthier Future programme) as well as the merger of Ealing Hospital Trust with North West London Hospitals Trust, and proposals for reforms to dementia services.

Hackney 

Overview and scrutiny board

Made up of the chairs and vice-chairs of the commissions, the overview and scrutiny board coordinates the function and runs special projects to scrutinise council performance.

Scrutiny commissions

Children and young people

We look at all services for children and young people, including those provided by the Hackney Learning Trust and social services.

Community safety and social inclusion

We review issues of crime and community safety. We also look at support for the voluntary sector, community cohesion and adult learning.

Governance and resources

We review the way the council operates, including how the budget is prepared and agreed.

Health in Hackney

We look at all health services, adult social care and services for older people.

Living in Hackney

We have a remit for all housing issues, as well as leisure and culture, planning, sustainability, waste and street cleanliness.

Barnet

At the London Borough of Barnet, there are four Overview and Scrutiny Committees, each with their own Terms of Reference, which sets out their responsibilities and power. These Committees are:  

Budget and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Business Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Safeguarding Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Islington

 Scrutiny in Islington

Reviewing decisions

The Policy and Performance Scrutiny Committee is the council’s main scrutiny committee.  It coordinates the work of the council's four scrutiny review committees and can play an important role in reviewing decisions made by the Executive. If five or more councillors request such a review, the committee can call in a decision made by the Executive before it is implemented and consider if the decision should be recommended back to the Executive for further consideration. If the Policy and Performance Scrutiny Committee considers that the Executive's decision does not follow the council's policy or budgetary framework, it can refer the decision to a meeting of full Council

Greenwich

• Children & Young People Scrutiny Panel
• Finance & Public Services Scrutiny Panel
• Healthier Communities & Older People Scrutiny Panel
• Overview and Scrutiny
• Safer & Stronger Communities Scrutiny Panel
• Social Inclusion Scrutiny Panel
• Sustainable Communities & Transport Scrutiny Panel

Merton

The structure of Overview and Scrutiny at Merton consists of three scrutiny panels and an Overview and Scrutiny Commission.

The three panels each have individual areas of responsibility whilst the Commission supports the panels, oversees the development and delivery of the annual work programme and co-ordinates cross-cutting reviews and responses.

Newham

Scrutiny arrangements differ from council to council. We have an overarching Overview and Scrutiny Committee and five scrutiny commissions:

• Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission
• Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Commission
• Health and Social Care Scrutiny Commission
• Regeneration and Employment Scrutiny Commission

Richmond

Overview and Scrutiny Committees

We have four Overview and Scrutiny Committees, which meet at least six times a year:

• Education and Children’s Services
• Environment, Sustainability and Community
• Finance and Performance
• Health, Housing and Adult Services

Croydon

Three committees

	Health, Social Care and Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee
	Scrutiny and Strategic Overview Committee
	Children and Young People Scrutiny Sub-Committee

Hammersmith & Fulham

The four Scrutiny Committees are: 

• Education and Children's Services Select Committee
• Transport, Environment and Residents Services Select Committee
• Housing, Health And Adult Social Care Select Committee
• Overview & Scrutiny Board

 Lewisham

Overview & Scrutiny

Public Accounts Select Committee

Health & Communities Select Committee

Sustainable Develoment Select Committee

Children and  Yoing Persons Select Committee

Housing Select Committee

Safter & Stronger Communities Select Committee

IPNA wounded but the danger remains

The House of Lords has defeated the Coalition's move to replace ASBOs with Injunctions To Prevent Nuisance and Annoyance (IPNAs) amidst much ridicule of the proposal's shortcomings and its potential misuse. See my story 'Don't punish children for being children  HERE 

Peers backed Lord Dear's amendment to the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill that would replace the phrase "nuisance and annoyance" in the legislation with "harassment, alarm or distress" – the words used for ASBOs. He forced a vote on the issue despite the Home Office minister, Lord Taylor of Holbeach, promising talks on the issue and possible concessions if he withdrew his amendment.

The Government seems intent on pushing the matter so it is too soon to start celebrating. The debate resumes on Tuesday.

Don't punish children for being children - sign this petition

Children at Play - Brueghel

Play England, of which I am a member, has been Tweeting supporters asking them to sign a petition to Norman Baker, Minister of State for Crime Prevention, over proposals to redefine anti-social behaviour. The petition was started by the Standing Committee for Youth Justice and their text and justification are self-explanatory.

There is enough discouragement of children's play as it is, as well as the temptation of screen entertainment. On the estate where I live children ride their assorted bikes and scooters around the close, have 'adventures' in the woodland that borders the estate, sometimes build their own shelters and dens as well as playing in the 'official' playground.

It is happy, healthy , safe and sociable but could be ended by one persistent complainant if this change goes through.

Here is the petition.

We call on the government to keep the existing definition of anti-social behaviour and not to broaden it to “conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance.”

Why is this important?

The government is changing the law and replacing ASBOs with Injunctions To Prevent Nuisance and Annoyance (IPNAs). While ASBOs targeted behaviour considered to “cause harassment, alarm or distress,” IPNAs will target conduct “capable of causing nuisance or annoyance”.

This new wording is too vague and casts the net far too wide. 

A ten year old could get an IPNA for doing something as harmless as playing football or climbing a tree, just because someone finds their behaviour annoying. And the punishments aren’t trivial either. An IPNA can lead to a prison sentence. 

Even the Association of Chief Police Officers, in giving evidence to MPs, warned that IPNAs “have the potential to be used inappropriately” and “unnecessarily criminalise” children.

Let’s tell the government we don’t want our children to be punished for being children.

Please sign our petition to Norman Baker, the Minister for Crime Prevention, asking him to keep the current definition of anti-social behaviour as causing harassment, alarm or distress.

You can sign the 38 degrees petition HERE

A House of Common research paper on the proposal can be found HERE