[To receive updates from the chairs of the scrutiny panels:
Minutes:
Adults and Safer City Scrutiny Panel
Cllr Val Evans stated that the Panel had received a talk around dementia and had been presented with evidence and information from social workers and commissioning officers. Cllr Evans stated that the report would be sent out to members of Scrutiny Board for information.
The Panel had also considered the Adult Social Care Annual Report: The Local Account 2018-2019. The Panel welcomed the report and agreed to receive a final version of the report when available.
The Panel had invited the relevant portfolio holders for Public Health and Wellbeing and Adults to attend the next meeting when the draft Community Safety and Harm Reduction Strategy would also be considered.
Children, Young People and Families Scrutiny Panel
Cllr Potter stated that the Panel had met on 27 November when the portfolio holder for Education and Skills had provided a briefing on current priorities. This was the first time the Panel had received a presentation from the portfolio holder and Cllr Potter looked forward to repeating this in the future as it enabled the Panel to provide effective challenge. The meeting had been very helpful, and it had been agreed to carry out a piece of pre-decision scrutiny on the All Age Travel Assistance Policy.
The Panel had also considered the Budget and comments had been submitted as part of consultation. The Head of Safeguarding had also provided a presentation of upcoming safeguarding changes which were supported by the Panel and progress of these changes would be reviewed at a later date.
An additional meeting of the Panel had been scheduled to consider the proposals for the Towers Outdoor Education Centre.
The next meeting of the Panel would be considering school exclusions and work to support children to remain in mainstream education where possible and to explore alternative options. The Youth Council would also be in attendance to update the Panel on the Take Over Day in March.
Health Scrutiny Panel
The Scrutiny Officer provided an update on behalf of Cllr Page.
Areas covered at last meeting had included the Draft Budget and Medium-Term Financial Plan and the Public Health Annual Report.
In relation to the Wolverhampton CCG Annual Report, the Panel sent a considerable amount of advanced questions to which the CCG then provided written responses. This was a good example of forensic detailed scrutiny and all the responses and discussions were available in the minutes.
The Panel had considered the Healthwatch Annual Report and suggested that Healthwatch had a drop-in session at the Civic Centre on the ground floor. They had been in touch and were going to have a stand on the 6 February 2020.
The Panel also received an update on the development of the medical examiner role and on-site registrar and the improvements that had resulted as a consequence.
Upcoming reports includedAccident and Emergency at New Cross Hospital (The Hospital had been having some Level 4’s recently – the highest level that can be declared) and the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (of particular interest to Councillors would be the recent publication by the King’s Fund on STP’s available on their website).
Resolved: That the updates be noted, and the chairs and panels thanked for their work.