Agenda item

Due to the Select Committee’s close ties to Hillingdon’s Health and Wellbeing Board, it was suggested that Councillor Philip Corthorne (the Board’s Chairman) be invited to attend a future Select Committee meeting to give an overview of the Board and its responsibilities. 

It was agreed that the Democratic Services Manager would forward Members a link to a webpage where they could access all of the reviews that had been undertaken by Hillingdon’s Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committees (POSCs) since 2003/3004.  She would also upload a range of reports previously considered by the Committee to the Google Drive so that Members were able to see the type of information that they were likely to receive at future meetings.

The Committee would be looking at crime and disorder at its meeting on 6 September 2018.  As well as receiving a performance update on the Safer Hillingdon Partnership, it was agreed that this meeting should focus on the new policing arrangements (Basic Command Unit) where Chief Superintendent Paul Martin now had command of the boroughs of Hillingdon, Ealing and Hounslow.  Members were keen to ensure that local residents were still receiving a good police service and to establish what impact the new structure had had on policing and mental health.  It was noted that Councillor Ian Edwards would be asked to join the Committee in its questioning and consideration was given to inviting Councillor Douglas Mills, Cabinet Member for Community, Commerce and Regeneration, to attend the meeting and give his perspective on the new arrangements. 

With regard to possible Select Panel review topics, the following were suggested:

·         Knife crime – there had been some recent stabbings at Brunel University;

·         The effectiveness of cancer screening and diagnostics – screening was commissioned by Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England (NHSE); diagnostics was commissioned by Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group (HCCG).  It was suggested that screening had not been as active as it should be and that direct access to diagnostics tests needed to be addressed. 

·         Child friendly police facilities – it was noted that the Northwood Police Station was closing down.  This facility housed the only child-friendly interview suite in the Borough.  Although there were proposals to build a new facility, Members would need reassurance that there would not be a time lag between the closure of one and the opening of the other as well as assurances that the facility would remain within the Borough.

·         It was noted that consideration would be given to a future review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Hillingdon. 

RESOLVED:  That:

1.    Councillor Corthorne be invited to attend a future Select Committee meeting to give an overview of the Health and Wellbeing Board;

2.    the Democratic Services Manager provide Members with a link to all previous POSC reviews;

3.    the Democratic Services Manager share previous Committee reports with Members on the Google Drive;

4.    Chief Superintendent Paul Martin and Councillor Ian Edwards be invited to attend the meeting on 6 September 2018; and

5.    the Work Programme be noted.