Agenda and minutes

At this point in the meeting, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

At this point in the meeting, Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests which they may have in respect of business on this agenda. None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 16 October 2018.

Members requested that the following amendment be made to minute 35 (Implementation of the Extension of HMO Licensing).

a)   Amend line to read as follows:

-      “Officers stated that the rough estimate on the amount of rooms to be lost by the Council City, as a result of the new minimum requirements, would be 70 out of the 495 and a total of 400-500 rooms by 2021”.

The Chair informed the committee that during the most recent meeting of the Children, Education and Communities Policy and Scrutiny Committee, it was decided that the potential joint scrutiny review into Tenant Engagement would not be taken forward in this municipal year.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Committee’s remit can do so. The deadline for registering is 5:00 pm on Tuesday 13 November 2018.

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

Please note that, subject to available resources, this meeting will be filmed and webcast, or recorded, including any registered public speakers who have given their permission. This broadcast can be viewed at: http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at: http://www.york.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/11406/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings_20160809.pdf

It was reported that there had been three registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Gwen Vardigans, a member of Defend Our NHS York, had submitted a question to the committee prior to the meeting regarding the treatment of children with severe autism. The question and the replies from Michael Melvin and Maxine Squire, Interim Corporate Director’s for Health, Housing and Adult Social Care and Children, Education and Communities, are attached as an annex to this minute.

John Brown, speaking on behalf of the York and Selby Service Users Network (SUN) spoke on the proposed changes to the Mental Health Support Line. Mr Brown stated that the consultation on the reduction in hours of the Mental Health Support Line had been inadequate and that the TEWV Crisis Line did not provide an adequate alternative as it was not a listening service. Mr Brown went on to suggest that the current situation offered an opportunity to improve what is currently a fragmented provision of intermediate mental health support and create a service which fit the needs of its users.

Councillor Denise Craghill also spoke to the committee regarding the Mental Health Support Line. Councillor Craghill highlighted that there had been little strategic insight in the report provided and that the rationale behind the reduction in hours was still not clear. Councillor Craghill asked the committee to set up a task group to investigate all aspects of telephone based mental health crisis support involving all the necessary stakeholders.

This report updates the committee on the Mental Health Support Line services offered in York, as requested by this committee.

Officers updated the committee on the review and refresh of the Mental Health Support Line (MHSL).

Officers informed the committee that:

-      The use of the line had declined in recent years

-      The Mental Health Support Line was not a bespoke service and had been created to respond to a need and prior to TEWV’s (and other agencies) involvement in York.

-      It was an opportune time to review the MHSL provision

Members were keen to understand why this service was being provided by the Council and not the CCG. Members were informed that the Council stepped in to provide a service that was required at the time.

In response to member’s questions, officers highlighted that:

-      Mental Health Services were moving towards bespoke help for individual patients and away from assessments.

-      Whilst a listening service was valuable, it was not clear that the MHSL was that service

-      22 The Avenue was primarily a supported living service and that the MHSL was being operated overnight by the same member of staff in charge of the patients using the supported living service.

Members were concerned at the reduction in hours of the MHSL and whether a valid alternative was being provided. Members requested further information to inform the need for a task group on the issue.

This report provides a summary of the initial findings from an engagement exercise with local people about Home First.

Officers presented the initial feedback from the Home First project which has been designed to help understand the needs of service users when being transferred from hospital to home.

Officers explained that Home First, which will be named ‘Why not home? Why not today’ when it is developed into the new Joint Protocol for the Transfer of Care, was an important first step in understanding the needs of service users with co-production at the heart of the service being created.

Officers also explained that medical professionals are just beginning to understand the significant negative impact of staying in hospital, especially for older patients, where muscle wastage can be a serious issue.

Under questioning from Members, officers informed the committee that the next steps for the Home First project was to continue to reach out to more forums and service users for a second round of engagement.

Members were pleased to hear about the significant level of consultation and engagement with residents on this topic.

This report provides the Committee with the bi-annual performance monitoring report for Healthwatch York.

The Manager of Healthwatch York presented the organisation’s biannual report.

Under questions from Members, officers gave an update on the Burnholme Project, the publishing of the recent investigation into the experiences of LGBT patients and also on why there was a projected overspend.

The officer did point out one correction from the report, that the dates from the Finance section of the report should have read, April 2018 to October 2018.

Members asked the officer to elaborate on the item of ‘Healthwatch Visits’, to explain where and when these visits took place. Members were highly complimentary of Healthwatch and of its management in what has been a tricky time for the organisation.

Members also offered their support to Healthwatch, suggesting further links with Parish Councils and their support in promoting the programme. The Chair was also keen to point out to officers that should there be any issues with regard to particular services, then they should feel free to raise them to this committee.

This report provides a summary of progress and recent activity in relation to suicide prevention and self-harm, as requested by the Health, Housing and Adult Social Care Policy and Scrutiny Committee.

Officers presented an overview report into Suicide Prevention and Self-harm, outlining the current work taking place in this area.

The officers highlighted to the committee that this is a particularly challenging area of public health work and whilst recently there had been a slight drop in deaths by suicide in York, the longer trend still showed an upward trajectory.

Members and officers discussed the provision of training and its sustainability. Officers pointed out that continued support from statutory service providers would be required if the current training provision were to continue and even expand in the future.

Members were keen to understand how the ambitious aims in the York Suicide Safer Community Strategy were to be evaluated. They were informed that it is difficult to report on this area of work and it would be submitted to the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Members discussed the recommendations attached to the report, which showed a high level of detail and thought and it was decided that Members from the committee would meet outside of the meeting to discuss how best to take forward the recommendations listed.

This report outlines the aims of the Oral Health Improvement Advisory Group (OHIAG) that has been established to look into the reasons for York’s high numbers of hospital admissions for dental care in Children and to update the committee of the work undertaken by the group so far.

The committee received an update on Oral Health in the City and officers also outlined the aims of the Oral Health Improvement Advisory Group (OHIAG).

The officers explained that the OHIAG had been created in order to investigate York’s high numbers of hospital admissions for dental care. Officers also highlighted that it did not seem to match the statistics suggesting that children’s oral health in York was good.

Under questioning from members, officers stated that they were not yet in a position to understand the reasons for this anomaly. Officers mentioned that it could be a matter of custom and practice and they would continue their work in this area.

Members are asked to consider the Committee’s work plan for the municipal year.

Members discussed the work plan for the 2018/19 municipal year.

Following the earlier suggestion that a report be requested on the types of Mental Health Support Services currently being provided in York, the Interim Corporate Director of Health Housing and Adult Social Care informed members that he would report back to the committee on this. This report will then assist the committee in deciding whether it was necessary to set up a task group. It was also agreed that an informal meeting of the Committee be arranged by the scrutiny Officer to discuss the recommendations in the Suicide Prevention and Self-harm report.