northlincs.gov.uk

PRESENT:  Councillor Mrs Bromby in the chair. 

Councillors Barker (Vice-Chair), Godfrey, Jawaid MBE, Robinson, P Vickers and Wells.

Statutory Co-opted Members: Mr N Craven and Mrs A Dunkerley (Parent Governor Representative) and Mr W Egan and Mrs W Witter (Church Representatives).

Councillors Clark and Whiteley attended the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rule 1.37(b).

Three young people attended the meeting as part of the Local Takeover Week.

The panel met at Pittwood House, Scunthorpe.

23  DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS AND DECLARATIONS OF WHIPPING ARRANGEMENTS (IF ANY) – There were no declarations of personal or personal and prejudicial interests. 

No whip was declared. 

24  MINUTES – Resolved – That the minutes of the proceedings of this panel held on 19 July and 13 September, having been printed and circulated amongst the members, be taken as read and correctly recorded and signed by the chairman.

25  PUBLIC REQUESTS TO SPEAK– There were no requests received.

26  CABINET MEMBER AND SERVICE AREA PRIORITIES – The Chairman welcomed Councillor Waltham, Cabinet Member for Adult and Children’s Services to the meeting.  Councillor Waltham had been invited to the panel meeting to update members on any key decisions, important business or key developments, which had occurred during the last quarter.  Namely –

• Local developments in the Academy programme and ongoing work to support schools and Academies in the future;
• Peer-review of children’s services;
• The programme of addressing temporary classrooms across North Lincolnshire;
• Building Schools for the Future (BSF);
• Proposals for the Establishment of a Young Mayor;
• Personalisation and increasing access to funding through redesign;
• The ‘Meals-on-Wheels’ service; and
• The Developing Health and Wellbeing Board.

Following the update, the Chairman invited members to question the Cabinet Member for Adult and Children’s Services.

Resolved – (a) That the oral update be noted, and (b) that the Cabinet Member for Adult and Children’s Services be thanked for his attendance, presentation and for answering members’ questions.

27  DOMICILIARY CARE IN NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE – The Chairman welcomed Mike Briggs, Director of Adult Services, and John Spicer, Quality and Performance Manager, to the meeting, who joined the Cabinet Member for Children and Adult’s Services.

Members discussed a range of issues with Mike, John and the Cabinet Member that had been raised by service users and providers during earlier discussions. These included training requirements and consistency, choice, the recent Personal Social Services Survey, personalisation, and access to services.

Resolved – (a) That Cabinet Member for Adult and Children’s Services, Mike Briggs and John Spicer be thanked for their attendance and for answering members’ questions, and (b) that a draft report summarising the panel’s findings be prepared and presented back to the next scheduled scrutiny panel’s meeting for further discussion and debate.

28  INFORMAL DISCUSSION WITH THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NORTHERN LINCOLNSHIRE AND GOOLE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST – The Chairman welcomed Karen Jackson, Chief Executive, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to the meeting.  Karen gave an informal presentation to the panel on recent and planned activity across the Trust, highlighting several issues of interest to the panel.  Namely

• The recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on care across the Trust;
• Recently published figures on hospital-level mortality rates;
• An ongoing, patch-wide strategic review on the future of health and social care across Northern Lincolnshire;
• A review of major trauma across the region;
• The Hospital-at-Home scheme;
• An ongoing consultation on proposals to remodel Therapy Services;
• A recent review of administration support;
• The provision of wheelchairs in Community Services;
• Dermatology care at the hospital; and
• Midwifery.

Resolved – (a) That Karen Jackson be thanked for her attendance at the meeting; (b) that a sub-group be convened, inviting all members of the panel, to discuss the consultation on Therapy Services; (c) that an informal visit to two wards at Scunthorpe General Hospital be arranged, including Ward 28; (d) that informal discussions on engagement on the major trauma review begin; (e) that all members be invited to the scheduled meeting with the Trust’s Medical Director on Trust mortality rates, with the situation reported back to the panel’s next meeting, and (f) that the panel maintain a ‘watching brief’ on midwifery and dermatology.

29  FEEDBACK FROM RECENT ACTIVITY BY MEMBERS OF THE SCRUTINY PANEL – The Chairman reported back on recent visits to the social work teams at Church Square House and the Ironstone Health and Social Care Centre.  The Director of Corporate and Community Services then fed-back on recent discussions with NHS North Lincolnshire around plans to restructure Unplanned Care in the area, explaining the current and planned model and answering members questions.  A discussion then took place to decide the panel’s approach to this issue.

Resolved – (a) That representatives from NHS North Lincolnshire be invited to the next scheduled meeting of the panel to discuss the proposals in more depth, and (b) that NHS North Lincolnshire be informed that a planned “engage and inform” approach to communicating the plans to the public be considered acceptable to the panel.

30  DEVELOPMENTS IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE – UPDATE FOR MEMBERS – The panel was updated on a number of key developments in the health, social care and children and young people’s field, locally, regionally and nationally.

Resolved – That the position be noted, and regular updates to the panel be continued.

31  (3)  OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY ANNUAL REPORT 2010/2011 – The Director of Corporate and Community Services submitted the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2010/11 for consideration and endorsement. 

An oral overview of the report was provided.  Members were advised how the report outlined the developments within Overview and Scrutiny in 2010/2011, the effective working relationships that had been developed with external partners, a summary of the work carried out by each of the five panels in the last council year and the future challenges faced.

Resolved – (a) That the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2010-2011 be received, and (b) that the annual report be published and circulated to appropriate partners and organisations.