Agenda item

- Kate Taylor to report

Kate Taylor, Policy and Scrutiny Officer, reported that Rotherham had been successful in becoming a Centre for Public Scrutiny Development Area.  This would involve undertaking 2 key pieces of work in relation to the Health Reform and relationships between Scrutiny and the Health and Wellbeing Board and a review into health inequalities locally as follows:-

Development Area 1 : Scrutiny and the Health Reforms

Over the coming months, as Health and Wellbeing Boards and GP Consortia begun to take shape, it would be important for scrutiny to understand its role and relationship with the new partnerships.  In order to understand these new relationships and ensure that they were inclusive, transparent and accountable, the Centre for Public Scrutiny had secured additional funding to work with a number of scrutiny committees across the country to understand the complexities and help to carve out the best ways that Scrutiny, GPs and Health and Wellbeing Boards could work together and support each other.

Rotherham, along with 6 others, had been chosen to become a Scrutiny Development Area.  This would involve:-

-        Receiving support from an Expert Adviser (up to 5 days in total) to develop relationships with the local Health and Wellbeing Board and GP Consortium and representatives

-        Being at the heart of developing the new accountability arrangements

-        Learning from other areas – in action learning meetings

-        Showcasing the work undertaken locally to the wider sector

The funding would run from July, 2011 and conclude with the publication of learning and practice in October, 2011.

There would be a meeting on 20^th July, Chaired by Councillor Wyatt, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, of all the key players involved in the Health and Wellbeing Board.  A further meeting would be held to develop a stakeholder map illustrating the relationships, roles and responsibilities would be within the Board.

A workshop session would also be taking place on the morning of 12^th August, for all members of the Select Commission to attend.  This would be an opportunity to help shape the role and relationships between Scrutiny and the Health and Wellbeing Board and would be facilitated by the expert advisor from the CfPS. The Chair would like to encourage as many as possible to attend this session, as it would be a key piece of work for Rotherham. Further details to be sent out shortly.

Development Area 2 – Health Inequalities

The Centre for Public Scrutiny had appointed 6 new Scrutiny Development Areas for the 2^nd phase of their Health Inequalities Programme of which Rotherham was 1.

The 6 areas would help the CfPS pilot a new impact model of scrutiny that aimed to make scrutiny more outcome focussed with clear links to the Marmot objectives and the wider determinants of health with the ability to forecast the impact of their recommendations.

The Scrutiny Development Areas would also be using the learning from the 1^st phase of the Health Inequalities Programme, ‘Peeling the Onion’, which involved 10 local authorities working with the CfPS to develop the new impact model.

Rotherham would be expected to undertake a review of health inequalities (chosen by the Health Select Commission members) with the support of an allocated Expert Advisor from the CfPS.  The project would conclude in December, 2011, when Development Areas would be expected to share their findings and showcase the work undertaken locally.

Being a Scrutiny Development Area would require additional Health Select Commission meetings as the current 6 weekly meeting arrangements would not be adequate for ensuring both projects were completed within the timescales.  It may also require additional contributions from members which would be arranged as far as possible around existing contributions.

A large part of the work was actually looking at what the issues were and coming to a decision on what issues the Commission should review.  It was suggested that there be a shortlist of 5 possible issues and look at each 1 in detail to ascertain what information and intelligence there already was on each and then decide which to review.  To undertake this project a sub-group would be established of which Councillor Steele would be the Chair.  Its first meeting would be held on 27^th July at 10.30 a.m.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the success in becoming a Centre for Public Scrutiny Development Area be noted.

(2)  That a sub-group be established consisting of Councillor Steele (Chair), Councillors Dalton, Jack and Turner and Peter Scholey and that the first meeting be held on 27^th July at 10.30 a.m.