Agenda and minutes

County Councillors Darren Clifford and Alan Schofield replaced County Councillors Clare Pritchard and John Shedwick respectively.

There were no apologies.

Members are asked to consider any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

None were disclosed.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 December be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

The Chair welcomed Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, Director of Public Health, to the meeting. A report was presented to the Committee on Domestic Abuse and collaboration with Health Services. The report provided an update to an earlier report to Scrutiny Committee about the partnership response to domestic abuse, particularly concentrating on working with NHS organisations.

The Committee was informed that work was ongoing with health bodies, principally representatives of the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), to improve the development, delivery and consideration of domestic abuse in mainstream service provision.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) had produced public health guidance, 'Domestic Violence and Abuse: How Health Services, Social Care and the Organisations They Work with can Respond Effectively' which had been used as the basis for discussion with health colleagues.

The guidance was targeted at health and social care commissioners, specialist domestic violence and abuse staff and others whose work might bring them into contact with people who experience or perpetrate domestic violence and abuse.

Many of the health bodies were already working to improve their response to domestic abuse, utilising the NICE guidance as a benchmark.

A Domestic Violence and Abuse Workshop had been held on 23 October 2014 with representatives of the CCGs to consider the guidance in terms of current provision, and to identify where improvements could be made. The key areas for further development and improvement were considered to be:

·  Effective partnership working – strategic and operationally

·  Integrated care pathways

·  Workforce development – across all agencies

·  Sustainability of domestic abuse services

Ongoing engagement with health services was planned in order to agree a mutual action plan as the basis of future joint working.

The CCGs in Lancashire had agreed representation at the Lancashire Chief Executives Group, which had adopted the statutory function of Community Safety Strategy Group for the County. This forum provided strategic direction for community safety, including domestic abuse issues.

Councillors were invited to ask questions and raise any comments in relation to the report, a summary of which is provided below:

·  Members enquired about the training in place for NHS staff in dealing with domestic abuse victims. It was noted that this was a complex area, with many victims of abuse being reluctant to report abuse for a wide range of reasons. It was confirmed that there are systems in place to help staff identify vulnerable people at risk, including in A&E. It was acknowledged that work in this area was further advanced in relation to recognising vulnerable children than other groups, but that this was being addressed.

·  It was noted that Domestic Abuse was an issue that cut across a range of different partners outside the council and services within the council. The Organisational Transformation currently underway in the council would bring many of these services together under the Director for Public Health.

·  The Community Safety Partnership was leading a campaign to improve awareness of abuse issues and services which were available to victims. It was noted that raising awareness  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

A report was presented summarising the work to be undertaken by the Committee in the coming months, including an update on task group work.

The Committee recognised the need to take a strong role in scrutinising the impact of service changes introduced in the budget in the context of reducing financial resources. It was agreed that a report should come to a future committee on the initial finding of the adult social care transformation project, as well as an update on services for adults with learning disabilities. In addition, a report on progress on discussion with districts about bus services and bus subsidies was requested.

Concerns were raised regarding consultations on the budget and also the transport plans and that these consultations were being done through LALC. Many Parish and Town Councils were not members of LALC and were not receiving the information from LALC. It was felt that this may have meant that fewer responses to the budget consultation that might be expected had been received from parish and town councils. Councillors asked for reassurance that all Parish Council had been contacted directly about the proposals now agreed for formal consultation by cabinet.

Resolved: That

1.  The work plan be updated to include items on adult social care transformation; services for adults with learning disabilities; and bus services and subsidies

2.  A visit to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) be added to the work plan, as agreed under the previous item

3.  The report be noted.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency. Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member's intention to raise a matter under this heading.

None.

The next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee will be held on Friday 13 February at 10:30am at the County Hall, Preston.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Committee would be on Friday 13 February 2015, at 10.30 at the County Hall, Preston.