The Impact of Scrutiny Advisory Committee of Hertfordshire Council convened on Friday, 14 June 2024, to discuss several key issues, including young people with barriers to employment, women's safety, and patient experience in local healthcare services. The committee reviewed and signed off on multiple recommendations, ensuring continued monitoring and progress through relevant cabinet panels.

Young People with Barriers to Employment

The committee examined the response to recommendations from the Young People with Barriers to Employment Scrutiny Review held on 23 June 2023. The Executive Member for Education, Libraries and Lifelong Learning highlighted the work of Services for Young People, particularly their engagement with skills forums and the Chamber of Commerce, focusing on vulnerable groups and leveraging the Care Leavers Charter.

Mark Watkin, Chairman of the Scrutiny Review, praised the efforts despite budget constraints and welcomed the development of the Employment Hub. The committee endorsed three key recommendations:

1. Securing Funding: Emphasised the need for continued funding for Hertfordshire County Council’s (HCC) Services for Young People, especially with the impending end of several budget streams, including those from the European Union.
2. Preventing NEET: Advocated for measures to prevent young people from becoming Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET), including the development of a recruitment hub linking schools, colleges, employers, and young people.
3. Holistic Corporate Parenting: Called for a more integrated approach to corporate parenting, involving collaboration with other Hertfordshire councils to support vulnerable young people.

The committee was satisfied with the officer responses and agreed to monitor progress through the Children, Young People & Families and the Education Libraries & Lifelong Learning Cabinet Panel business.

Women's Safety

The committee reviewed the response to recommendations from the Women’s Safety Scrutiny Review held on 27 September 2023. Stella Nash, Chairman of the Scrutiny Review, commended the ongoing efforts to support victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The committee endorsed four recommendations:

1. Raising Awareness: Stressed the importance of educating the public and professionals about VAWG, involving stakeholders like the police, schools, and employers.
2. Simplifying Support Pathways: Recommended creating a ‘one stop shop’ for support services to streamline access and enhance interagency collaboration.
3. Improving Data Collection: Highlighted the need for better data collection to accurately record instances of VAWG and encourage victims to come forward.
4. Extending Advocacy and Counselling Services: Called for improved access to advocacy and counselling services for survivors.

The committee acknowledged the challenges related to budgets but noted the ongoing efforts to secure external funding and expand community champions. The recommendations were signed off as complete, with continued monitoring through the appropriate Cabinet Panel.

Annual Patient Experience Scrutiny

The committee considered the response to recommendations from the Annual Patient Experience Scrutiny held on 19 June 2023, focusing on three key areas:

1. West Herts Teaching Hospital (WHTH): The committee expressed concern over the required £16m efficiency savings and sought assurance that patient experience and quality would not be compromised.
2. East & North Herts NHS Trust: Addressed the need for seamless transitions between different acute teams and health providers to improve patient care.
3. Integrated Care Board (ICB): Discussed the potential of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs) to enhance patient care and the importance of preparing carers for unexpected health deteriorations in loved ones. Also, addressed challenges with community paediatric waiting lists and the move towards a more integrated service model.

The committee was satisfied with the responses and agreed to monitor progress through the Health Scrutiny Committee (HSC).

Work Programme

The committee noted that the Obesity and HSAB Domestic Abuse and Dementia Scrutiny Reviews would be presented in December 2024. The dates of future meetings were also confirmed.

For further details, the full debate on these items can be found in the Impact of Scrutiny Advisory Committee - 1 March 2024 minutes.