Agenda and minutes

In the event the fire alarm sounds attendees will be advised to evacuate the building via the nearest fire exit and assemble at the Bottle of Notes opposite MIMA.

 

 

The Chair welcomed all attendees to the meeting and explained the fire evacuation procedures.

There were no declarations of interest received at this point in the meeting.

The minutes of the People Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 10 June 2024 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

The Chair explained that, following recent changes to Middlesbrough Council’s scrutiny structure, the People Scrutiny Panel was a new panel for this year.  The remits of the existing Adult Social Care and Services Scrutiny Panel, Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel, and the Health Scrutiny Panel, now fell under the People Scrutiny Panel.  The minutes of the last meetings of the three former panels were provided for information only.

The Directors of Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and Public Health will be in attendance to provide the Panel with an overview of the services provided across their Directorates, and to highlight the strategic and departmental priorities for the coming year.

 

The Deputy Director of Delivery for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) will be in attendance to provide the Panel with an overview of the Tees Valley health landscape; key health issues, challenges and opportunities; and matters for Members to note over the next twelve months.

 

Recommendation: That the Panel notes the information provided and considers the information when formulating its Work Programme (next agenda item).

The Chair welcomed the following to the meeting:

 

·        Mark Adams - Joint Director of Public Health.

·        Erik Scollay - Director of Adult Social Care and Health Integration.

·        Joe Tynan - Executive Director of Children’s Services.

 

The Directors were in attendance to provide the panel with an overview of the services provided across their Directorates, and to highlight the strategic and departmental priorities for the coming year.

 

The Chair also welcomed Katie McLeod, Deputy Director of Delivery for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) to the meeting, who had been invited to provide the panel with an overview of the Tees Valley health landscape; key health issues, challenges and opportunities; and matters for Members to note over the next twelve months.

 

Each of the Directors delivered, in-turn, a presentation to Members.

 

The Director of Adult Social Care and Health Integration focused on the broad portfolio of work that Adult Social Care encompassed; associated legislation; departmental structure; and key challenges and issues.

 

In terms of key legislation, focus was given towards the Care Act 2014 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.  Details around the use of this central legislation in supporting and safeguarding individuals impaired by physical or mental impairment or illness, and how decisions were taken for those individuals, were provided.  It was noted that these were Council duties, not Adult Social Care duties, and therefore all staff working for the Local Authority, particularly those working closely with members of the community, had a duty to maintain awareness of the needs of individuals, and to raise any concerns as appropriate.  A comparison between previous legislation and the Care Act was made; it was highlighted that the current legislation placed individuals at the centre and built both their needs and aspirations into their care planning.

 

The panel was provided with an overview of the staffing structure and the range of services provided by Adult Social Care.  These were as follows:

 

·        Access and Safeguarding.

·        Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Service.

·        Community Mental Health (including former Psychosis and Affective Disorder Teams).

·        Autism Day Centre.

·        Community Inclusion Service.

·        Connect Service.

·        Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding (BIAs).

·        Domestic Abuse Support.

·        East and West Locality Social Work.

·        Estates Support.

·        Forensic Mental Health/Learning Disabilities.

·        Homelessness Support.

·        Hospital Social Work (including weekend service).

·        Learning Disability and Transitions Social Work.

·        Levick Court.

·        MAMMS (Handyperson) Scheme.

·        North Ormesby Day Centre (Frailty and Dementia).

·        Occupational Therapy.

·        Older People’s Mental Health.

·        Reablement Team / Middlesbrough Mobile Reablement Unit.

·        Service Improvement Programme.

·        South Tees Integration Programme.

·        Staying Put Agency (including Digital Inclusion developments).

·        Tees Community Equipment Service.

·        The Orchard Day Centre.

 

The importance of partnership working in delivering these services was highlighted to the panel. 

 

It was explained that key external relationships existed with:

 

·        Cleveland Police.

·        Independent Providers.

·        NHS Integrated Care System.

·        South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trustees, Esk and Wear Valleys.

·        Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV).

·        Tees Safeguarding Adults Board (TSAB).

·        Voluntary and Community Sector / MVDA.

 

Key internal relationships existed with:

 

·        Children’s Services.

·        Environment  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24/9

The Scrutiny Panel will be asked to consider its work programme for the 2024/2025 Municipal Year.

The Democratic Services Officers submitted a report, the purpose of which was to assist Members in considering and agreeing the panel’s work programme for the 2024/2025 Municipal Year.

 

A list of topical issues and the suggestions received in respect of the scrutiny panel's remit were contained in the submitted report.  It was suggested that the scrutiny panel should select a maximum of three topics for full review, along with several short topics and updates.  It was noted that there were two reviews from the previous year that the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel (‘School Attendance’) and the Health Scrutiny Panel (‘Avoidable Deaths and Preventable Mortality’) had commenced, but not completed. However, Members were of the view that because the scrutiny structure and membership of the panels had changed, and because some time had lapsed between the initial evidence gathering stages and the present time, those reviews would be discontinued.

 

Members discussed the topics suggested in the report, together with the information provided by the Directors and the ICB representative, and the suggestions made by Councillors, at the meeting.  Topics of interest included:

 

• Obesity.
• The Education of Children in Care.
• Homelessness.
• Missing Children.
• Housing Provision for Children in Care.
• Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspections and Updates.
• ICB Updates: Special Allocation Scheme; Dental Recovery Progress Update; Speech and Language Children and Young People Services; and Children’s Mental Health.
• Safeguarding Updates.
• Budget and Transformation Programme Updates.

 

The Chair suggested that owing to the level of information received and number of suggestions made, further time for consideration be provided to Members.  The panel agreed that a decision regarding the Work Programme would be taken at the next scheduled meeting.  In addition, the Chair would meet with the Democratic Services Officers in the interim to discuss the topics raised.

 

In terms of Housing Provision for Children in Care, it was suggested that an update in respect of this be provided at the next scheduled meeting.

 

AGREED

1. That a decision regarding the topics for the Work Programme would be taken at the next scheduled meeting; the Chair would meet with the Democratic Services Officers in the interim to discuss the topics raised.
2. That an update regarding Housing Provision for Children in Care be provided at the next scheduled meeting.
3. That the information, as provided, be noted.

Recommendation: The Panel is asked to consider the proposed schedule of meeting dates for 2024/2025 and to agree a finalised schedule.

A proposed schedule of meeting dates for the People Scrutiny Panel for the 2024/2025 Municipal Year was submitted for Members’ consideration.

 

AGREED that the proposed meeting dates for 2024/2025 be approved.

The next meeting of the People Scrutiny Panel had been scheduled for Monday, 16 September 2024 at 4.30 p.m. in the Mandela Room, Town Hall.

 

NOTED

None.