This meeting was scheduled to receive updates on the Community Hubs Programme and plans for developing primary care access and Integrated Neighbourhood Teams in Central London. The agenda also included a discussion of the committee's work programme.

Development of Primary Care Access and Integrated Neighbourhood Teams in Central London

The committee was scheduled to receive a report from NHS North West London Integrated Care Board (ICB) that sets out the ICB's plans for strengthening general practice, improving same day access to GP primary care, and building on existing primary care networks, bringing together community services, social care, and the voluntary sector.

The ICB's report identifies the primary focus in primary care as improving access for patients and creating a solution that both increases access and capacity to offer access that is tailored to different population groups, such as the working age, parents and people experiencing homelessness.

The report argues that good access to primary care will also mean good access to wider health and care support as Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs) are further developed.

The ICB's report included a discussion of feedback from Healthwatch, which “promote and support the involvement of residents in the commissioning, provision, and scrutiny of local health and social care services”.

The ICB's report says that Healthwatch's research found that:

Face-to-Face appointments was most popular, followed by telephone, video call, then lastly online

The ICB's report says the committee was also scheduled to be provided with an independent research report by Healthwatch.

The Healthwatch report says that the findings:

are intended to help inform ongoing conversations about how primary care should be developed across NWL.

It goes on to say that:

A series of recommendations have been made in the report and Healthwatch have also advocated for a consultation to be carried out before any significant changes to current practices are made.

Community Hubs - Direction of Travel

The committee was scheduled to receive a report that provides an update on the Council’s proposed Community Hubs Programme. The report says that:

In 2022, Westminster City Council launched its new Fairer Westminster agenda, establishing a range of commitments to improve life outcomes for Westminster residents under five key pillars.

It goes on to say that:

The Fairer Westminster plan includes the delivery of a set of new ‘Community Hubs’ which should bring communities together to make it easy for everyone to access services and support across our neighbourhoods.

The report says the programme aims to:

improve outcomes on a local basis by improving access to joined up services and support – a priority identified through the Council’s Global Majority Communities JSNA, which highlighted that many of our communities do not experience effective access to support – and investing in additional community spaces to bring groups from across a given locality together

The report says that:

Officers have developed a programme approach, undertaken extensive community engagement to inform community hub proposals for Ernest Harriss House and Bayswater Children’s Centre community hubs and launched pilot ‘mini hubs’ at Charing Cross and Victoria Libraries.

It argues that:

The purpose of launching ‘mini hubs’ ahead of the official Programme Approach decision and wider programme launch has been to test and learn ‘what works’ in relation to improving access to services and support, and community connection.

It also says that:

This principle applies to the programme as a whole: each hub and the configuration and offer of services at each site should evolve over time to meet changing community needs.

The report says that:

It is anticipated that voluntary sector organisations may be well positioned to operate community hubs, particularly in relation to the programme’s aims of strengthening community connections and improving access to services and support.

It says that the council:

retains the ability to intervene or review arrangements if standards, reporting requirements and/or deliverables included contracts and/or service agreements are not met.

The report also states that:

The programme aims to commission a formal evaluation through which outcomes, deliverables and learnings are captured and fed into the programme’s development, and the wider organisation.

The report also contains a provisional budget for the programme, which it says is:

subject to ongoing review

2024/2025 Work Programme

The Committee was scheduled to discuss and shape its work programme for the municipal year 2024-2025.

The report, prepared by Linda Hunting, Policy and Scrutiny Advisor, says that:

The overall emphasis is to provide scrutiny with maximum opportunity to have impact and influence Council policy.

The report says that the committee:

considered the vision and purpose of scrutiny at Westminster

The report goes on to define the vision and purpose of scrutiny as:

Scrutiny is a vital function to promote transparency and accountability. On behalf of Westminster’s communities and stakeholders, local non-Executive Councillors will endeavour to ensure services in the City not only meet people’s needs but enhance lived experiences

The report sets out a list of topics that had been identified for potential inclusion in the work programme:

• Changing Futures
• Community Equalities Strategy
• Substance Misuse Services
• Community Hubs Programme
• Reablement Programme
• Healthy Weight and Preventative Services
• Prevention of Violence Against Woman and Girls
• LGBTQI+ Services in the Community
• ICB New models of Care
• Community Health and Wellbeing Workers
• Provisions for Learning Disabled Residents, including respite care
• Autism Strategy Delivery Strategy
• The Future of Place Based Partnerships

The report says that:

Each Committee has discretion to establish Task Groups and Single Member Studies to examine key issues in more detail.

It asks the committee:

to consider whether they would like to establish a Task Group or commission a Single Member Study.

The report also asks the committee:

to review the work undertaken in response to those recommendations and actions

that were made at prior meetings.

The report notes that the committee had received written briefings on a number of topics:

• The key findings from the Quarterly Performance Report and Finance Monitor from the Audit & Performance Committee
• The Community Independence Service (CIS)
• Aids and Adaptations
• The change of control at AT Medics Ltd from NHS NWL
• Healthwatch Kensington & Chelsea patient experience, April – June 2024
• Healthwatch Westminster patient experience, April – June 2024
• Healthwatch research on Intermediate care insights in the bi-borough
• Healthwatch research on the needs and experiences of homeless communities accessing primary mental healthcare services in Westminster
• Healthwatch research on Winter Wellbeing and Vaccine Hesitancy
• The work of the Inner West London Mental Health Services Reconfiguration Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC)
• The Crime and Disorder report and appendices which went to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding the Safer Westminster Partnership

The report also notes that the committee had:

carried out the following site visit:

• Paddington Green Health Centre and NHS NW London Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Healthcare Central London (HCL) / Capital House NW1

It concludes by noting that it is attached to three appendices:

• The Vulnerable Adults, Health and Communities Policy and Scrutiny Committee – Work Programme 2024/25
• The committee's Terms of Reference
• The committee's Recommendation and Action Tracker