Councillor Caroline Stock

Adults and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee - Monday 13th January, 2025 7.00 pm

The meeting began with a brief tribute to former Councillor Eva Greenspan, who had recently passed away. The committee then heard updates from the cabinet members for Health and Wellbeing and Adult Social Care about a recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of adult social care services in Barnet.

Budget Scrutiny, Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Thursday 12th December, 2024 7.00 pm

The committee considered a report on proposed changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme. It was noted that a separate public consultation was in progress, and the cabinet will consider the committee's views alongside the public consultation responses in February 2025. The committee recommended that the cabinet consider what other councils in London were doing. The committee also noted the Cabinet Forward Plan and considered a proposal to add the Open Door Homes acquisitions update to the plan for June 2025. There were no objections, so this was agreed. The committee noted the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme and agreed to move their meeting from 5 June to 12 June. They also agreed to consider the budget papers on 30 January to allow members to make comments ahead of the final budget being produced. Finally, the committee considered two reports on the council's budget: the Chief Finance Officer Report – 2024/25 Quarter 2 Financial Forecast and 2024/25 Budget Management and the Business Planning and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2025-2030. These reports revealed a challenging financial position for the council, with an anticipated overspend of £25 million for 2024/25. The committee recommended that the cabinet consider how the budget consultation might be improved in future years, potentially by adopting a themed approach where each department could be scrutinized separately.

Employment Sub-Committee - Monday 9th December, 2024 2.00 pm

The Employment Sub-Committee approved the commencement of consultation on changes to Barnet Council's senior management structure, as well as agreeing changes to the pay structure for grades A to E with effect from 1 April 2025.

Adults and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee - Thursday 21st November, 2024 7.00 pm

This meeting of the Adults Health and Overview and Scrutiny Subcommittee was a themed meeting about Public Health. There were detailed discussions and a presentation on the Public Health Grant, the state of adult social care in the borough, the Barnet Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2023-24, and the Adult Social Care Annual Complaints Report. The committee also received a verbal update on the Discharge to Assess Task and Finish Group Report, and received a presentation and update on the Public Health Work Plan and the renewal of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The committee noted all of the reports it received.

Planning Committee - Wednesday 20th November, 2024 7.00 pm

The meeting considered four planning applications. The committee voted to grant planning permission for all of the applications with the exception of 112D Park Road, Barnet, which was deferred to allow for additional objections and conditions to be made.