The Overview & Scrutiny Committee met on Monday 22 June 2026 to discuss proposed changes to committee memberships and the work programmes for the upcoming municipal year. The meeting also included a presentation on Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection reports for the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Committee and Commission Membership

The committee was scheduled to note the updated committee and commission memberships as of 12 June 2026. This included a correction to the Housing Scrutiny Commission membership, where Councillor Hellen Benavides replaced Councillor Graham Neale as the Liberal Democrats member.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspection Reports - South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

A presentation was scheduled from the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust regarding the outcomes of their recent CQC inspections. The reports indicated that while the Forensic pathway received a Good rating, Adult Community, Acute Adults, and Crisis services were rated as Requires Improvement. The Well-Led domain also required improvement. The presentation was expected to cover themes identified across all clinical pathway inspections, such as seclusion documentation, care plans, privacy and dignity, and mandatory training compliance. An action plan had been developed and submitted to the CQC on 19 March 2026. Specific actions for Southwark services included implementing a swing bed model for the Health Based Place of Safety, improving care plans and risk assessments with new software, addressing delays in Mental Health Act (MHA) assessments, and enhancing compliance with mandatory training.

Scrutiny Arrangements for 2026-27 - Appointment of Chair and Vice-Chair, Housing Scrutiny Commission

The committee was asked to reconsider the appointment of the Chair and Vice-Chair for the Housing Scrutiny Commission. This arose due to subsequent changes in the commission's membership after the initial appointments were made on 28 May 2026. A review of the procedure rules indicated that a councillor does not need to be a member of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to chair a scrutiny commission, clarifying the nomination process.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Commission Work Programmes 2026-27

The committee was set to consider potential scrutiny topics for the 2026-27 municipal year. However, the agreement of the annual work programmes was deferred until the October meetings. This delay was intended to allow time for information gathering, including meetings with executive members and senior officers, and to enable the public to suggest topics via the Scrutiny in Southwark platform. The proposed remits for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and its commissions, based on executive member portfolio responsibilities, were also noted.

Additionally, a supplemental agenda item proposed the renaming of the Health and Community Safety Scrutiny Commission to Health, Adult Social Care, and Community Safety Scrutiny Commission to better reflect its remit, particularly concerning adult social care, which is also covered by the Education and Local Economy Scrutiny Commission. The committee was to consider this and whether other commissions might also benefit from renaming.