The Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee of Camden Council met on Tuesday 14 July 2026 to discuss updates on adult social care services, review the directorate's performance, and plan future work. Key topics included citizen expectations for adult social care, performance insights, and the committee's work programme.

Update from the Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care

The committee was scheduled to receive an update from Councillor Kemi Atolagbe, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care, on the activities within her portfolio. This update was intended to highlight key pieces of work, successes, and identify challenges and opportunities for the coming months. The report indicated that Adult Social Care was experiencing sustained demand, particularly for assessments, reviews, and occupational therapy, with pressures at the front of the system leading to longer waiting times for some individuals. Safeguarding remained a significant area of activity, with increased referral rates to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and complex concerns being addressed. Work was also underway to finalise the Safeguarding Adults Board priorities and prepare the statutory annual report. The update was also expected to cover progress on the Safe and Secure Transitions work, aimed at strengthening the cross-service response for young people moving into adulthood, and the recommissioning strategy for Reach Out Camden, the borough's prevention and early intervention mental health offer. Additionally, progress on the All-Age Accommodation Plan was to be detailed, focusing on developing an accommodation pipeline, sustaining current assets, and developing new models of care and support.

We Care - Citizen Expectations for Adult Social Care

A significant item on the agenda was the We Care - Citizen Expectations for Adult Social Care report, which introduced the findings from Camden's borough-wide conversation on Adult Social Care, known as Who Cares? . This project, involving over 1,500 residents, aimed to increase public understanding of adult social care and explore what matters most to residents. The report was expected to set out key findings, the Council's reflections, and implications for the future direction of Adult Social Care in Camden. The We Care: Citizens' Expectations document, developed by a representative residents' panel, was intended to outline what residents believe should be expected from individuals, communities, the workforce, Camden Council, and Central Government in creating the conditions for people to live and age well. The committee was invited to note these findings and comment on how further conversations about adult social care could be supported, including the role of councillors.

Insight, Learning and Impact Report - Adults and Health Directorate - Quarter 4/End of Year 2025-26

The committee was scheduled to consider the Insight, Learning and Impact Report for the Adults and Health Directorate, covering the period April 2025 to March 2026. This report focused on the performance of each division within the directorate, with Council Directors providing narratives on key areas of challenge, opportunity, and learning. The report was divided into three sections: a summary table of key responses from individual services, more detailed narratives of those responses, and a data dashboard containing performance data for the year. The report highlighted challenges such as increasing demand and complexity in Adult Social Care, pressures on supported accommodation, and rising demand for Welfare Rights support. Opportunities included engaging the voluntary and community sector in the new health and social care neighbourhood model and developing new approaches to homecare and reablement. Learning points focused on strengthening the learning and development offer for Adult Social Care staff and improving system-level insight through data collaboration.

Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee Work Programme and Action Tracker

Finally, the committee was due to review its work programme for 2026-27 and track actions from previous meetings. This included considering proposed items for future scrutiny, such as updates on the West and North London Integrated Care Board, falls prevention, and the progress of the Who Cares? initiative. The action tracker would provide an overview of outstanding actions from past meetings and their current status.

The meeting was scheduled to be held in the Council Chamber at Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE.