The Health, Adult Social Care and Community Safety Scrutiny Commission met to discuss local health provision and priorities, the role of Healthwatch Southwark, and crime and disorder scrutiny. Key discussions included the financial pressures facing the South East London Integrated Care Board, the development of integrated neighbourhood health teams, and the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers moving on from Home Office accommodation. The commission also received an update on the Asylum Road Care Home project and discussed potential items for its future work programme.

Partnership Southwark

Darren Summers, Strategic Director for Integrated Health and Care/Southwark Place Executive Lead, presented on Partnership Southwark, a forum established in 2022 that brings together the council, NHS South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB), NHS providers, primary care, and the voluntary sector. The partnership aims to set shared priorities and oversee their integration. Mr. Summers highlighted significant financial pressures on the SEL ICB, including a 35% reduction in running costs and an underlying deficit of over £100 million.

The partnership has identified five strategic priorities: mental health (for children, young people, and adults), primary care access (particularly GP appointments), prevention and health inequalities, services for the elderly, and the development of neighbourhood health and care services. Progress is being made on integrated neighbourhood health teams, which are now aligned with council neighbourhoods and focus on children with complex needs, individuals with multiple long-term conditions, and frail elderly populations. Plans are in place to expand these teams to address serious mental illness and preventative care, with some health centres being repurposed for shared use and new centres planned in various locations.

Members raised concerns about workforce shortages, attributing them to pay not keeping pace with inflation and increased job pressures. The scale of cost reductions within the SEL ICB means some services may be affected, despite efforts to avoid negative impacts on patient outcomes. Opportunities for joint commissioning between the council and the ICB were noted as a way to improve efficiency and reduce duplication. The commission also discussed health inequalities related to deprivation, sex, gender, race, and sexual orientation, with efforts underway to address these through targeted outreach. Variations in service quality across providers were acknowledged, with regular reporting and follow-up planned. While translation and interpreting services are commissioned, gaps remain for certain communities. Long waiting times for mental health services were also discussed, with ongoing pressures despite increased investment.

An update will be provided on the neighbourhood health case studies, with a report back on the outcomes of the pilots, including when adult mental health will be included.

Healthwatch Southwark

Ruman Kallar, Research and Projects Officer from Healthwatch Southwark, presented the organisation's Annual Report 2025–26 and the report Housing, health and hope: Experiences of living in and moving on from asylum accommodation.

The Annual Report highlighted that Healthwatch Southwark engaged over 7,000 residents, collected feedback from over 300 individuals, and provided signposting and advocacy support. Research focused on health inequalities, including work with Latin American communities, disabled and autistic adults, and Black African and Caribbean men.

The Housing, health and hope report detailed the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers transitioning from Home Office accommodation. It identified poor living conditions, a lack of information, and significant health impacts, particularly for single adults and disabled individuals. Key findings included poor food quality, overcrowding, lack of privacy, and difficulties in securing housing. The report made recommendations to improve conditions, provide early information, prevent homelessness, and enhance inter-agency coordination. The council has begun implementing some recommendations, such as a pathway for single individuals with housing needs. Healthwatch requested the commission's support in holding the council and its partners accountable for implementing these recommendations, proposing six- and twelve-month follow-up reviews.

During the discussion, the potential impact of Healthwatch's decommissioning and the loss of its statutory Enter and View powers were discussed. Healthwatch indicated that these functions would likely transfer to the Integrated Care System for commissioning. Members commended the Housing, health and hope report for its accuracy.

Healthwatch will report back to the commission on the ability of the council to commission a service to conduct Enter and View visits following Healthwatch's abolition.

Crime and Disorder Scrutiny

Anthony Lewis, Interim Director of Community Safety and Integrated Enforcement, provided an overview of the statutory roles, powers, and best practices for community safety scrutiny. He explained the legal framework for community safety partnerships and the role of the Crime and Disorder Committee in holding these partnerships accountable, emphasising a focus on strategic, multi-agency collaboration rather than individual cases.

The commission noted that the November meeting would be dedicated to scrutinising the Crime and Disorder Partnership, with key partners, including the Police Borough Commander, in attendance. Members requested access to previous community safety partnership documents and suggested their future publication to enhance transparency.

Asylum Road Care Home Delivery Update

Members noted the update on the Asylum Road Care Home project, which detailed the signing of an Agreement for Lease in April 2026, allowing Andover Care Ltd to proceed with design. A pre-application agreement has been made with the Planning Authority, with the first design meeting held on 11 June 2026. A six-to-nine-month period is anticipated for the submission of the planning application. In parallel, a care home sector specialist is being sought to review the emerging design. Contact details for voluntary sector groups in the borough have been provided to Andover Care to initiate the consultation process. The project is reported to be progressing in line with anticipated timescales.

Work Programme

The commission discussed potential items for its work programme, noting that the final agreement of the programme would be made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in October. Members suggested several areas for future scrutiny, including:

• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform: A deep dive into the current SEND system and its effectiveness.
• Youth Guarantee: Exploring how to better support young people into employment and education.
• Care Leavers: A project-focused review of the support provided to care leavers.
• Falling School Rolls: Investigating the impact of declining pupil numbers on schools and the use of school buildings.
• Children's Mental Health: Addressing the growing concerns around children's mental wellbeing.
• Transition from Adolescent to Adult Mental Health Services: Examining the pathways and support available for young people moving into adult services.
• Ofsted Reports: Reviewing recent Ofsted findings related to local schools and services.
• Southwark Safeguarding Children's Partnership Report: An annual review of the partnership's work.
• Business Improvement Districts (BIDs): Understanding the role and impact of BIDs on the local economy.
• Southwark Works Initiative: Exploring its effectiveness in matching people with jobs, particularly those facing complex barriers.
• Local Economy and Education Nexus: Further investigation into the links between local economic development and educational outcomes.
• Youth Parliament Involvement: Ensuring the voice of young people is heard in council priorities.
• Castle Square Development: Monitoring the ongoing development and its impact on local businesses.
• Cabinet Responses to Draft Recommendations: Following up on previous recommendations made to the Cabinet.

The commission agreed to defer the formal agreement of the work programme until its next meeting in October, allowing for further information gathering and discussions with executive members and senior officers.