This meeting of the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee included a presentation about the Council’s mental health promotion activities, an update on preparations for the upcoming Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of Adult Social Care services and consideration of the Scrutiny work programme.

Mental Health Promotion

This was a presentation of the work being done to deliver the Waltham Forest Mental Health Promotion Strategy 2023-26. The strategy is delivered in partnership with the local NHS. The meeting was an opportunity for the Committee to review and scrutinise the work and make recommendations for change or improvement where needed.

The strategy aims to improve mental wellbeing and prevent mental health problems in all Waltham Forest residents. It seeks to reduce inequalities by targeting services to those at greatest risk of mental health problems. The strategy is structured around four themes: tackling stigma, social determinants of mental health, self-help and early intervention.

The report highlighted the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis on mental wellbeing and anxiety levels. It included a summary of what has been achieved since the strategy was published in December 2023, with particular focus on the four groups that have been prioritised for targeted action during the first two years:

• Expectant and new parents
• Black and South Asian men
• Residents with long term physical health conditions
• Unpaid carers.

Progress made included:

• The launch of a new Parent and Baby Emotional Wellbeing service in March 2024, which had supported 397 parents by the end of January 2025, with 83% reporting improved mental wellbeing following the intervention.
• The establishment of three wellbeing cafes for residents with low level mental health needs, offering a 12 week set of sessions based on the ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’ and signposting to other sources of support.
• Continuation of delivery of the Schools Mental Health Charter, a programme that encourages schools to implement a whole school approach to promoting mental wellbeing and preventing mental health problems.
• Development of an extensive programme of work to reduce inequalities in the mental health of Black boys and young men, following a recommendation from the Marmot Review to improve the health equity system in Waltham Forest.

Key actions proposed for the coming year include a full evaluation of the Parent and Baby Emotional Wellbeing service; reviewing and refreshing the Schools Mental Health Charter; allocating a proportion of Community Chest small grants funding to projects that aim to improve the mental wellbeing of Black boys and young men; and continuing to develop the programme of work on the mental health of Black boys and young men by securing resources and delivery structures.

Adult Social Care CQC Inspection Preparation Update

This report provided an update on preparations for the upcoming CQC inspection of adult social care services.

The new CQC framework for assessing local authority adult social care services assesses councils on four themes, including:

• How they work with people
• How they provide support
• How they ensure safety within the system
• How well led they are.

These themes are underpinned by a number of ‘quality statements’ which assess aspects of service quality such as whether ‘people’s needs and goals are at the centre of their care and support’ or whether ‘staff feel respected, supported and valued’.

The CQC inspection process is multi-faceted and incorporates review of publicly available data on adult social care services; an information return including data, self-assessment and case tracking; and a 3 day on-site visit during which CQC inspectors will interview practitioners, managers, residents and carers, providers, partner organisations, and the leadership of the Council.

The report highlighted the following areas of activity that are being undertaken to prepare for the inspection:

• The self-assessment document is being updated and reviewed by subject experts and the senior leadership of the service.
• A dry run of the data requests in the information return was scheduled to be undertaken, including up to date numbers on waiting lists.
• A mobilisation plan, including logistics and timelines was being finalised, along with a welcome pack for CQC inspectors.
• Contact with providers and partners has been made through a provider forum meeting, a voluntary sector workshop and a meeting with Carers First. Further meetings were planned, including socialising the self-assessment document with providers and partners.
• The CQC Preparation group, which meets fortnightly, was in the process of finalising a CQC Preparation action plan requiring input from all staff across the service.

The Scrutiny Report

This report was a summary of progress against the Committee’s work programme.

The report included a review of actions and recommendations from the previous meeting, as well as a draft Forward Plan for the remainder of the municipal year.

The Forward Plan sets out a number of pre-decision items, including the procurement of substance misuse services and the future of the Markhouse Centre. It also set out potential items for inclusion on the plan, including:

• An introduction to local health and care services
• A report on accessibility to GP and other primary care services
• An update on the adult social care CQC inspection preparation
• A report on the local mental health promotion strategy
• A review of the Marmot Inequalities Report.¹

The Committee were asked to comment on the plan and to make suggestions for further areas of work they would like to see included.