Issue - meetings

To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Cheshire and Wirral Councils Joint Scrutiny Committee held on 23 January 2012.

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting of the Joint Scrutiny Committee held on 23 January.  The Joint Committee scrutinised the work of the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which provided mental health, learning disability and drug and alcohol services.   At the meeting, the Joint Committee had received a full presentation on the Trust’s Suicide Prevention Strategy which would require review in the light of a new national strategy and the formation and role of Health and Wellbeing Boards.

The Joint Committee had also had a full debate on its future based on a tabled report of a telephone conference between the Chairman of the Joint Committee and the Spokesperson.  Consideration had also been given to varying the numbers on the Joint Committee and the need to take into account the impact of the changes in the NHS. 

The Committee discussed the role of the Joint Committee taking into account a number of points:

      The Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust was one provider of mental health, learning disability and drug and alcohol services in Cheshire East, however, there were also other providers that may need scrutinising;

      The Health and Wellbeing Board would be the future commissioner of health and social care services in Cheshire East and it may be a more effective and efficient use of resources to concentrate scrutiny work in that area;

      The demography and health and wellbeing profile of the 3 constituent authorities was very different, leading to different commissioning priorities;

      The existence of the Committee did give a profile to mental health and learning disability;

      Although CWP had service provision across the patch which could be accessed by residents across Cheshire and Wirral, provision in practice tended to be as local as possible with Members naturally focusing on the service within their own Authority area;

      When service changes have been proposed in the past, these had been reported to both the Joint Committee and the local Committee, leading to duplication.

In the light of the above points, Members discussed disbanding the Joint Committee and the scrutiny of mental health, learning disability and drug and alcohol services being undertaken by the local Committees.  Members discussed the need to ensure they were fully aware of mental health and learning disability provision in Cheshire East from all providers and requested an early update.

RESOLVED:  that

(a) the Constitution Committee be recommended to approve the disbanding of the Joint Scrutiny Committee and the scrutiny of mental health, learning disability and drug and alcohol services be undertaken by the local Committees; and

(b) an update on mental health and learning disability services be provided for the Committee at a future meeting.