Agenda item

To consider a report of the Governance Lead Officer on the Committee’s responsibilities in relation to Scrutiny of Health and Scrutiny of Adult Social Care and identify areas for further work.

The Committee considered a Report of the Governance Lead Officer outlining the Committee’s responsibilities in relation to Scrutiny of Health and Scrutiny of Adult Social Care.

The Report outlined the primary aims of Health Scrutiny:

·        To ensure that Health Services reflect the views and aspirations of local Communities;

·        To ensure that all sections of local communities have equal access to services;

·        To ensure that all sections of local communities had an equal chance of a successful outcome from services.

The Committee’s Terms of Reference were circulated.

The report outlined the requirement under the Health and Social Care Act 2001 (consolidated into the NHS Act 2006) that local authorities with Social Care responsibilities establish scrutiny arrangements to respond to consultations by NHS bodies about substantial variations and developments (SVDs) to Health Services.  SVDs were not defined in Regulations but Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs) and NHS bodies were encouraged to develop local criteria about what might be regarded as “substantial” locally. 

The report explained how the status, profile and expectations placed upon Health Scrutiny had increased over recent years including an assumption by the Healthcare Commission that the OSC would contribute to the Annual Health Check Performance Assessment of Individual Trusts and also Government Guidance that Scrutiny could best “add value” by focusing on Commissioning of Services in particular joint Commissioning.  This had led to the assumption that Health Scrutiny processes should embrace not only Health but also Adult Social Care Services.  Under these arrangements statutory obligations were place on the Committee to monitor performance on Adult Social Care including receiving Inspection Reports.

The report listed the Partners with whom the Committee would be likely to work including the expectation that the OSC liaise closely with the Local Involvement Network (LINk) which was a network of local people and organisations funded by Government and supported by an Independent organisation and was set up to hold Commissioners and Providers to account.

The Committee was advised of joint working arrangements that currently existed between the County Council and Wirral MB Council to support a Joint Scrutiny Committee of the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust, the main scrutiny Committee had recommended that this should continue as a joint scrutiny arrangement.

The Report listed a proposed Induction Programme and suggested methods by which the Committee could manage its Work Programme.  The Report outlined the current Co-option arrangements operated by the County Council’s Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Select Committee and advised that it would need to consider whether it wanted to develop co-option arrangements.

            RESOLVED:  That:

(a) the report be received and noted;

(b) the current Terms of Reference for the Committee be noted;

( c) the principle of holding Mid Point Meetings (between Committee meetings) be supported with the Chairman, Vice Chairman and Group Spokespersons being invited to attend;

(d) the continuation of a Joint Scrutiny Committee with Wirral MB Council to scrutinise the work of the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust be supported and further information be submitted to the next meeting; and

(e) the Induction Programme be supported and the Acute Trusts, LINk and Ambulance Service be invited to attend future Induction meetings.