The Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) meeting was scheduled to cover a range of important topics, including an update on the Northumberland Children and Adults Safeguarding Partnership (NCASP) annual report, an overview of dentistry provision in Northumberland, and a summary of the Heart of Blyth project. The committee was also set to review its work programme and forward plan.

Northumberland Children and Adults Safeguarding Partnership Annual Report

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the progress, achievements, and challenges of the Northumberland Children and Adults Safeguarding Partnership (NCASP) for the period of October 2024 to April 2025. This report serves as a supplement to the previous annual report and aims to provide assurance on safeguarding effectiveness and guide future strategic planning. It reflects NCASP's commitment to safeguarding children and adults in line with statutory guidance such as Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023¹ and the Care Act 2014². The report details the work of various subgroups, including the Practice Learning Group, Child Safeguarding Practice Review Group, Safeguarding Adults Review Group, and the Safer in Education Group, highlighting key achievements, challenges, and future focus areas.

Dentistry in Northumberland

Colleagues from the NHS were expected to attend to provide an overview of the current dentistry provision within Northumberland. This discussion was intended to cover the state of dental services in the area and any planned actions to improve them.

Heart of Blyth Project

A summary of the delivery of the Heart of Blyth project was scheduled to be presented to the committee. This project, part of the Shaping Places for Healthier Lives programme, aimed to understand how local authorities could apply a systems approach to address public health challenges, focusing on health inequalities, local partnerships, and ensuring lasting changes beyond the funding period. The presentation was expected to cover the project's background, engagement process, key learnings, what was delivered, and how the learning has been embedded.

Reports of the Scrutiny Officer

Forward Plan

The committee was scheduled to note the latest Forward Plan of key decisions. Any further changes to this plan were to be reported at the meeting.

Health and Wellbeing OSC Work Programme

The committee was due to consider the work programme and monitoring report for the Health and Wellbeing OSC for the 2025/26 council year. Following discussions, topics such as dentistry, audiology, and an ambulance service review were marked for inclusion in the work programme.

The next meeting of the Health and Wellbeing OSC was scheduled for 3 March 2026.