Councillor Gill Sargeant

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.

Council - Tuesday 15th October, 2024 7.00 pm

The meeting began with a series of speeches on the topic of Black History Month and then moved on to approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 July 2024, note the contents of a number of reports, appoint new officers, and approve a new constitution for the council. Two motions were debated and voted on: a motion to celebrate the achievements of the Labour administration, which was carried, and a motion to regret the government's decision to means-test Winter Fuel Allowance, which was lost.

Strategic Planning Committee - Monday 16th September, 2024 7.00 pm

The Strategic Planning Committee voted to grant planning permission for amendments to the Silk Park development in Hendon, subject to conditions and a Section 106 Agreement[^2] being signed.

Adults and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee - Thursday 5th September, 2024 7.00 pm

The committee discussed a report on children's oral health in Barnet. The committee was concerned that Barnet was the only borough in North Central London that did not provide a targeted fluoride varnishing programme for children, due to funding constraints. The committee requested data on how many children had been identified with safeguarding concerns from dental assessments or from the supervised toothbrushing scheme. There was disappointment that only 69% of Barnet's looked after children have had dental checks, which the Executive Director of Communities, Adults and Health agreed to raise with Tina McElligott, the Director of Children's Social Care. The committee also discussed whether there was any funding available to help people who have to travel to access NHS dentists, and asked the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to consider commissioning a mobile dental van, similar to some other boroughs.

Council - Tuesday 9th July, 2024 7.00 pm

Barnet Council met to discuss a range of issues including highways licensing fees, the capital strategy for 2024-2025, and the work programme for the Overview and Scrutiny committee. The council voted to increase a range of highways licensing fees, to note the updated capital strategy, and to note the Overview and Scrutiny annual report and work programme.