A summary of Lewisham Council’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s formal response is here:

Structure of Overview and Scrutiny in Lewisham

• Overview and Scrutiny in Lewisham comprises all members not part of the directly elected Mayors cabinet (the executive), currently 45 councillors. Those 45 members form the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which then appoints six thematic sub committees (Select Committees) to carry out detailed scrutiny across strategic themes. Each committee meets 8 times a year and currently carries out a mixture of regular performance monitoring, policy development and in-depth scrutiny reviews. Each Committee has 10 councillor members, with additional faith and parent governor reps appointed to the Children and Young People Select Committee. All scrutiny committees are required to mirror the political balance of the Council.

• The Overview and Scrutiny Committee also appoints a “Business Panel”, comprising of the Chair and Vice Chair of Overview and Scrutiny, the six select committee chairs and 2 or more additional councillors, as required to ensure the political composition of the Council is reflected. Chairs and Vice Chairs are allocated on a politically proportionate basis. The Business Panel ensures a co-ordinated approach to scrutiny across the select committee to ensure there is no duplication across the various committees, and ensures the effective use of resources within the scrutiny function. The Panel also carries out executive decision “call-in” on behalf of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. 

• Scrutiny in Lewisham constructively challenges decision makers. It creates a democratic space to investigate emerging issues and inform the development of Council policy. Scrutiny in Lewisham is committed to creating maximum impact for its work. Select committees use evidence from a broad range of sources to challenge performance of Council services and to drive improvement. Scrutiny committees regularly also choose important issues for in-depth review. Through the in-depth review process, councillors have the opportunity to hear from guest witnesses and experts alongside council officers and representatives of other public services. So far in this term (2014-2018), this work has been delivered by:

• 45 councillors on Lewisham’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• 6 select committees
• 10 councillors on each committee
• 2 time limited working groups
• 2 business panels
• 2 joint health overview and scrutiny committees
• 37 select committee meetings in 2014/15
• 48 select committee meetings in 2015/16
• More than 80 external guests and expert witnesses, who have given evidence or contributed to scrutiny meetings
• 16 in-depth reviews, 2 reports from working groups and 1 thematic review
• 100+ referrals to Mayor and Cabinet 

Scrutiny of partner agencies 

• Scrutiny in Lewisham was at the forefront of setting up effective scrutiny of health services when the relevant legislation was introduced, with the development of a protocol of understanding between the council scrutiny committee and NHS providers and commissioners and patient stakeholder groups (Healthwatch). Lewisham’s health and social care scrutiny protocol is an agreement between partners in Lewisham’s health care economy to deliver effective scrutiny, challenge and consultation. Partners have agreed to give prior notice to Lewisham’s Healthier Communities Select Committee about consultations – in advance of the statutory requirements to provide information relating to substantial variations to health services. The protocol also commits health partners to sharing their work programmes as well as commenting on, and submitting ideas for, the Select Committee’s work plan.

Joint scrutiny

• In 2016, Lewisham and five other London boroughs (Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lambeth and Southwark) agreed to set up a Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) to review and respond to proposals from the Our Healthier South East London programme OHSEL, which is responsible for developing and delivering the Sustainability and Transformation Plan for South East London.

• The JHOSC was not satisfied with the proposed consultation on proposed major service change to elective orthopaedic surgery. The JHOSC raised the concerns voiced locally about the lack of detailed financial information available to the public and supported calls for one of the options that had been ruled out to be further evaluated and put to the public as part of the consultation. This work is now being undertaken by the OHSEL programme and the consultation will take place later this year.

• Lewisham also worked jointly with Southwark, Lambeth and Croydon to review the proposed changes to the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust’s arrangements for provision of ‘places of safety’. The joint committee scrutinised the proposals from the acute mental health trust and their commissioners, to change the current service model of Place of Safety provision within SLaM from four separate Places of Safety, for the boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth, Lewisham and Croydon, to one centralised Place of Safety, provided in Southwark for all four boroughs.

• The joint committee wanted to ensure that the proposals put forward by commissioners and providers led to the best possible service for residents. The Committee ensured that all relevant stakeholders were consulted fully, and that the potential implications for future ways of working were considered.

• Scrutiny in Lewisham is currently working with 3 other London boroughs to collectively scrutinise the cause and impact of major water leaks across London. Thames Water, TFL and Ofwat are all being held to account by a concerted approach to scrutiny, and links with the London Assembly scrutiny of the same matter have also been developed. Joint scrutiny is incredibly effective at strengthening the voice of local people and holding service providers to account.

Holding the Executive to Account 

• After every Mayor and Cabinet meeting an Overview and Scrutiny Business Panel meeting is scheduled. All executive decisions are subject to potential review by the business panel, and when it feels necessary, the panel can “call in” an executive decision and ask the decision maker to reconsider. Business Panel can also make comments and suggestions to Mayor and Cabinet, regarding suggested refinements to policies and practices, even if a decision is not formally called in.

New Bermondsey 

• Scrutiny in Lewisham has played a pivotal role in providing critical friend challenge to the executive in relation to a proposed major regeneration scheme in the north of the borough. The scrutiny process enabled the voices of local stakeholders and residents to be heard. The scrutiny process in relation to this regeneration scheme has been raised in the House of Lords as an example of excellent scrutiny. Lord Young of Cookham advised the house that “the Hansard report of what the noble Lord (Kennedy of Southwark) just said should be sent to the members of every overview and scrutiny committee throughout the country to get an insight into how these committees can effectively further local democracy”.

Impact of scrutiny

•  As well as those areas already outlined, a number of in depth reviews in Lewisham have had significant impact on policy development and performance of key services. Some examples:

• As a result of the severe financial pressures faced by Local Government, the Public Accounts Select Committee decided to carry out an in-depth review into Income Generation, considering ways of maximising income generation to help protect the services to residents in the borough. The review led to a comprehensive package of changes in the development of initiatives and Council policy

• Scrutiny in Lewisham has also looked at future infrastructure requirements locally. Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s review of the Centre for London’s work on ‘turning south London orange’ led it to recommend that the Council develop a strategic position on major infrastructure projects in the borough. Scrutiny urged decision makers to work proactively to consider how best to define Lewisham’s transport priorities. As a result of this the Public Transport Liaison Committee became a formal council body, recognising its importance and adding it to the other public services being held to account by member scrutiny. In London, public transport is key to regeneration and the daily lives of residents.

Challenges

• Lessons are still being learnt in relation to the delivery of scrutiny, particularly with regard to effective relationships. Scrutiny members feel that they are not always treated with full parity of esteem by all officers and members. There can be a perception that scrutiny members are “lower ranking” than executive members. This can lead to scrutiny members not always receiving the information they need to effectively carry out their role in a timely fashion. Some officers can also be put in an invidious position where their independence is called into question. Scrutiny members feel that sometimes it is challenging for legal officers to provide impartial advice to both executive and scrutiny. Scrutiny members feel that a cultural change can be necessary to ensure that all members and all officers value the democratic role of councillors, and that all members’ roles and responsibilities are supported and respected equally.

The full formal response can be read here:

References:

Overview and Scrutiny in Lewisham Mid-term review report

Public Spending in Lewisham scrutiny review report

Emergency services in Lewisham scrutiny review report

Cllr Alan Hall said: “Thank you for re-electing me Chair of Lewisham Co-operative Party and I look forward to a busy year.”  My report is below:

CHAIR’S REPORT TO AGM 2017 By Alan Hall

I think we will all remember 2016 as a very bad year with the vote for Brexit and the election of Donald Trump but the Cooperative movement keeps soldiering on and scoring successes in its grass roots organization. Like many Party branches, Lewisham Coop Party has worked hard to promote Co-ops at every opportunity and have successfully revived our organization.

LONDON CO-OP COUNCIL

I am a regular attendee of the London Co-op Party Council. The London Co-op Party Council supports a wide range of activities including promoting Co-op Councillors, Co-operative Housing and links with the London Labour Party and the Mayor and GLA.

FAIR TAX

Alongside fellow co-operator, Cllr Lord Roy Kennedy, I seconded a motion promoting Fair Tax in Lewisham. This is a campaign to introduce the Fair Tax Mark. It urged the Council to audit and report on progress to obtain Fair Tax accreditation and built on the motion passed on 20th July affirming the Council’s commitment to support co-operatives.

COOPERATION IN LEWISHAM COUNCIL’S BUDGET – LEWISHAM’S FIRST CO-OP PUB THE FELLOWSHIP INN AND THE REGENERATION AND PROTECTION OF SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY

As the lead on scrutiny and for backbench Labour councillors at the budget-setting meeting at Lewisham Council earlier this month, I was able to stress the importance of co-operatives in combatting austerity.

On the positive side of the balance sheet, we can be proud that Lewisham pays the London Living Wage and actively supports co-operation. We really can achieve more together than we do alone and as a board member of the Phoenix Housing Coop I was able to announce that we have managed to help guide the creation of Lewisham’s first Coop Pub! The Fellowship Inn in Bellingham is going to reopen in 12 months as a community pub with a theatre, cinema, micro-brewery and host a number of community initiatives including Lewisham Music Service, our latest co-operative initiative. Of course, Phoenix also hosts the Lewisham Plus Credit Union, which is doing amazing work in helping build financial resilience amongst the community.

LINKS WITH NICARAGUA AND CECOCAFEN COFFEE CO-OP

In April the Nicaraguan Ambassador to the UK, Guisell Morales-Echaverry, visited Lewisham and met with myself and secretary Liam Curran. She praised the Party’s efforts to build links with Cecocafen; a key regional coffee cooperative based in Lewisham’s twin town of Matagalpa and pledged her support.

In May, I hosted a dinner with Cecocafen’s board member Ivania Calderon Peralta as guest of honour. Ivania was also in London to launch the Fairtrade Foundation’s international fairer trade strategy: Fairtrade Can, I Can. Now that links are established, we are working with Cecocafen’s to try to promote their coffee and trying to get it available for sale in Lewisham. Around 30,000 people benefit from the work of Cecocafen and its shared resources that help poorer farmers access technology, higher production standards, marketing and education. Search Cecocafen and you can find out more about them.

THE PUSH TO KEEP IT CO-OP WINS!

2016 wasn’t all bad as also in May there was an overwhelming vote to keep the link between the Party and The Cooperative Group. Having contacted and spoken to Coop Party members, it was clear that Lewisham played its part in voting to retain the link.

LEWISHAM PEOPLE’S DAY JULY

Many Coop Party and Labour Party members were pleased to see the Lewisham Cooperative Party Stall at Lewisham People’s Day – probably the first ever but definitely the first in over a decade. We were able to distribute hundreds of leaflets from The Party’s head office promoting Co-ops generally, as well as promote the work of Co-ops in Lewisham and distribute free samples of Cecocafen Coffee. We were also able to display our new banner.

Alan Hall

Lewisham Coop Party Chair

February 2017

Councillor Alan Hall spoke on behalf of Lewisham Labour at the full Council Budget setting meeting on Wednesday, 22nd February to accept the Mayor of Lewisham’s proposed budget. He said:

“No-one likes us we don’t care!  That is not the motto of the London Borough of Lewisham.

We will be increasing local taxes on residents and businesses will be paying more as the Government cuts our overall budget. There is a perfect storm. We will be raising taxes whilst reducing services.

We do care: That’s why we are increasing Council tax by the 4.99% including the social care precept. There is a social care crisis in this country.

I met Janet Senior and David Austin our Finance Officers earlier today to discuss the Government’s final local government settlement that was announced this afternoon – very late in the day – we will still have £10 – 11 million shortfall in our existing social care budgets.

The precept will barely cover the cost of the London Living Wage.

Coupled with the NHS STP – Slash, Trash and Privatise plan -across South East London social care will be at least £230 million short. This will increase pressures on the local NHS. Councillor John Muldoon and I met the Chief Executive of Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and the Finance Director of King’s College NHS Foundation Trust recently. Both highlight underlying deficits in the tens of millions. This is real money and does affect patients.

Earlier today I saw a tweet from Councillor Christine Grice – a former senior director of Education here in Lewisham: She said ‘It’s a worrying time to be a school governor, budget cuts and teacher shortages now.’

She has the expertise and she is right. Many of you here today are school governors. I would like to ask the Council to monitor and support schools who find themselves in real difficulties. I applaud the Lewisham Schools’ Forum with their PFI Factor, top slice fund. Cooperating together to ease the pain of financial reductions.

We should remember over £200 million has been taken out of our budget since 2010 all in the name of austerity.

It has been said: ‘The Government chose austerity over growth”

Mayor Steve Bullock was absolutely right when he said this in our manifesto in 2014. It is a conscious policy to cut public expenditure.

Our budget is the expression of the Council’s priorities and by extension of our Labour values. The main one of fairness. And, in Lewisham – togetherness.

On the positive side of the balance sheet we can be proud that we pay the London Living Wage. That we build affordable and social housing, for example.

As a Council we support cooperation: We achieve more together than we do alone.

Co-operatives like:

• Credit Unions to make finance accessible 
• Youth First – our mutual youth service – protecting services for young people
• The Fellowship Inn – restoration and social regeneration in Bellingham cooperating with Phoenix Community Housing [I declare my interest]
• Most recently, Lewisham Music Service is secure. And, soon to be a new tenant in the Fellowship Inn a co-operative hub!

We must remember that the Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is trying to ameliorate the worst excesses of Tory policy. Chair, you taught him well at secondary school…

This is the penultimate budget that Steve will propose. He has steered us well. There is likely to be a Council who will face setting an unbalaned budget and it will not be us.

In these stormy economic waters local government finds itself social care is over two thirds of our budget.

No one likes us we don’t care

We do care

We care because we are Labour – I second this budget.”

Notes:

Full Council of the London Borough of Lewisham met on 22nd February 2017 and the  agenda and Budget Reports are here