Agenda item

Report of Chief Executive and Strategic Director, Corporate Services and Governance.

The OSC received a report outlining how the OSC has influenced/shaped development of policy/decision making during 2017-18 and the development of the work programme for OSCs and the provisional work programme for the Care, Health and Wellbeing OSC for the municipal year 2018-19.

On 18 July 2017 Cabinet agreed to pilot a number of changes to OSC in Gateshead aimed at ensuring that OSC in Gateshead:-

·         is first and foremost member led

·         enhances the leadership role of OSC Chairs and Vice Chairs in driving forward, directing and shaping individual OSC work

·         enhances engagement and involvement with OSC members in shaping the focus of the work of specific OSCs

·         creates stronger relationships/linkages with the Executive

·         enables Overview and Scrutiny to understand and track how it is influencing Cabinet Policy/Decision making going forwards.

The pilot changes to OSC commenced in September 2017 and this is the first review of the work programme following these changes.

During 2017-18 the OSC has sought to influence and shape policy development and decision making via a number of routes.

During this period the OSC’s recommendation relating to the OSC’s Review of the Role of Housing in Improving Health have been approved by Cabinet and implemented. The OSC has monitored progress on the implementation of these recommendations at its meeting on 12 September 2018. At that stage the recommendations had helped shape the content of the Housing Intervention Work Plan (HIWP), the production of the local development plan documents approved by Cabinet i.e. Making Spaces for Growing Places (MSGP). The OSC indicated at that time that it was satisfied with the level of progress made, and a further report was considered at this Committee meeting.

The OSC has also carried out a Review of work to address the harms caused by Tobacco and agreed its findings and recommendations at the meeting today. These recommendations will be presented to a future Cabinet meeting for approval and, subject to these recommendations being agreed, the OSC will then monitor implementation of these recommendations during its 2018-19 work programme.

As part of its Review to work to address the harms caused by tobacco the OSC has also sought to influence NHS partners and requested that a letter to be sent to the Chief Executive of Gateshead Health NHS Trust highlighting the OSC’s Review and seeking the Trust’s support in prioritising work on Tobacco Control, specifically the identifications and management of nicotine dependence among the Trust’s patients.

An interim response was received in January 2018 indicating that the Trust’s Executive Team was exploring the issues raised and would respond further in due course. Subsequently, the Trust has advised that it has pledged to go Smoke Free and has committed to improving the identification and management of nicotine dependence in patients.

The OSC has monitored Council performance generally, in those areas falling within its remit, at its meetings on 20 June 2017 and 5 December 2017 and Cabinet has had regard to the OSCs views when considering the Council’s performance overall.

The OSC has also monitored progress in relation to the following specific areas of performance and the OSC’s comments have been fed into the improvement work progressed by relevant service areas and fed back to relevant partners:-

·         MHA/DOLs.

·         Social Services Annual Report on Complaints – Adults

·         Quality of Commissioned Services in Gateshead

·         Integrating Health and Care in Gateshead

·         New Service Delivery Model for Extra Care Services

·         Gateshead Care Partnership

·         Health and Social Care System Wide Workforce Issues

·         Delayed Transfers of Care/Reablement

The OSC considered progress in relation to Food and Health and Safety Intervention plans at Committee today.

The OSC has also previously been consulted on major service changes for mental health services across Newcastle/Gateshead and is now monitoring progress on implementation. The OSC received two updates on 20 June 2017 and 6 March 2018 with a view to influencing the development of community based provision whilst at the same time ensuring the provision of sufficient appropriate/effective in patient provision to meet local needs. The OSC’s Vice-Chair has also participated in the “Getting Help when you need it” Design Workshops held during Sept and Oct 2017.

The Committee also were advised on the development of the 2018-19 Work Programme. This year the changes piloted included enhanced engagement and involvement with OSC members in shaping the focus of the work of specific OSCs via s specific work programme event held on 9 February 2018. At that event councillors had regard to the key issues/challenges/legislative changes affecting the work of the Council with the forthcoming twelve months which fall within the specific remits of each OSC and the 5 pledges under the Thrive agenda:-

·         Put people and families at the heart of everything that we do

·         Tackle inequality to people have a fair chance

·         Support our communities to support themselves and each other

·         Invest in our economy to provide sustainable opportunities for employment, innovation and growth across the borough

·         Work together  and fight for a better future for Gateshead

Details of the emerging issues for potential review and feedback from partners were tabled as an appendix to the main report. The OSC were also advised that the review topic for 2018-19 will be ‘Helping People to Stay at Home Safely’ which links into the Thrive Agenda. Health and Social Care Integration will also be brought to OSC for their views on a six monthly basis, which will look at policy direction and performance. Newcastle Gateshead CCG and Job Centre Plus are supportive of the emerging themes.

The provisional work programme remains provisional as –

·         Cabinet has not had the opportunity to fully review its work programme and it may wish to refer further issues to OSCs for further consideration;

·         It does not take account of new policy issues which may be identified during the year, which Cabinet may refer to Overview and Scrutiny; and

·         It does not include issues identified by members of committees on an ongoing basis during the year as a result of scrutiny of decisions, call-in and councillor call for action.

The OSC co-ordinator will carry out further work with OSC lead officers across all of the OSCs to consider what future improvements can be made to the process if tracking how OSCs are influencing policy development and decision making with a view to strengthening the annual review process going forwards.