Agenda item

The Committee was presented with a draft scoping report for the Committee's first major review of 2015/16. The proposed title of the review was "The Effectiveness of early help in Hillingdon in the prevention of negative outcomes for families."

Some Committee Members expressed concerns that the words "poverty" and "neglect" that had featured in a previous version of the title had been removed. The Members felt that these issues were key and that it was important that they be included in the title of the review. Members referenced the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment that contained a variety of information in relation to these issues and which they felt emphasised their importance in Hillingdon. It was suggested that the Assessment would be a key source document for the review. The Members requested that the review should consider the differences between the north and south of the Borough and investigate the number of children affected by neglect and poverty locally. There had been pockets of relative poverty in the Borough for a number of years and the Members felt that the review should seek to address these.

Officers advised that the terms 'neglect' and 'poverty' had not been included because the work of early intervention services was broad. Inclusion of such terms in the title could, therefore, have the unintended consequence of other factors not being fully considered by the review and there would also be a danger of the focus of early intervention being overlooked.

Other Members felt that the review would be a lot broader than the issues of 'poverty' and 'neglect' and that it would, therefore, not be appropriate to include them in the title. A Member also raised concerns about use of the word 'poverty', due to the negative stereotypes that it could portray. There was also a discussion about whether the word 'vulnerable' should be included in the review title. Some Members felt that it was important to make this distinction, while others felt that this could lead to issues affecting other families not being considered. The Chairman reflected that the issue of poverty would be considered during the review regardless of whether it was included in the title. In response to a suggestion that a working title could be adopted and later changed, the Chairman stated that her preference would be for the title to be agreed at the current meeting.

Officers suggested that the title of the review could be more positive and that "prevention of negative outcomes" could be altered to "promote positive outcomes." 

The following review title was proposed for consideration by the Committee, "The effectiveness of early help to promote positive outcomes for families." The proposed title was moved, seconded and upon being put to a vote was agreed by five votes to four.

It was agreed that the draft scoping report would be amended to make specific reference to poverty within the terms of reference and also within the aims and background to review section of the document.

Resolved: That:

1.    The title of the major review was agreed as "The effectiveness of early help to promote positive outcomes for families."

2.    The scoping report be revised to make specific reference to poverty within the terms of reference and within the aims and background to the review.

3.    Officers to arrange for appropriate witnesses to attend the meeting of the Committee due to be held on 9 September 2015.