Agenda and draft minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, Town Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD. View directions
Contact: Ola Adeoye Email: Democracy@islington.gov.uk
Media
No. | Item |
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Apologies for Absence Additional documents: Minutes: There were no apologies for absence. |
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Declaration of Substitute Members Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of substitute members. |
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Declarations of Interest Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting Additional documents: Minutes:
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 7th November 2024 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them. |
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Chair's Report Additional documents: Minutes: None |
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Public Questions Additional documents: Minutes: None |
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Main Scrutiny Review 2024/25 - Witness Evidence - Additional documents: Minutes: Committee received a
presentation from Elly De Decker Chief Executive, Bromley by Bow
Centre. The following points were highlighted: · Bromley by Bow Centre is regarded as a Hub for the Community in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets and its purpose is to enable the community to thrive. · Centre commenced in 1984 when Andrew Mawson, a young priest, arrived in Bromley by Bow to find a run-down Church and church buildings with a small but passionate congregation who were keen to get to know the local people. · The centre operates on a 3 acre site and 25 years on it has developed into an internationally renowned model of health and community regeneration. · Members were reminded of the reality of social inequality in comparison to the neighbouring areas of the City of London, Canary Wharf & Dockland and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. · Members were informed that a following a review exercise undertaken regarding the social inequality of the area, it was concluded that health is principally driven by what is called ‘social determinants’ and that the Bromley by Bow model uniquely focuses on meeting both social needs and medical needs side by side. · The health profile of the community which the Centre caters for shows that healthy life expectancy for women is 56.6 year which is far lower than the average for men in Tower hamlets and indeed for women across London and England. · Also 24.5% of the patients register have a long-term health condition, with 9.1% of patients having multiple long-term conditions, compared to 8.6% of Tower Hamlets patients overall. · Bromley by Bow Centre offers the community a place and a space for residents in the community to come, visit and connect, offering a wide range of activities which can be flexible. It also provides a seamless journey in between activities and services. · The Centre also collaborates with health and local partners to broaden the offer and access specific expertise. · The Centre which operates as a community charity provides over 40 activities, operating on sites across the borough. Over 5,500 unique individuals are supported every year with a turnover of £3.0m a year. Currently it has 70 fulltime staff employed. · In terms of primary care partnership it offers services to over 50,000 patients, operating on 4 sites with a turnover of £10.5m and employs about 200 staff. · The health clinic is owned by a property developer specialising in the development of health building. · The Centre is essentially an expression of partnership of the church, charity, health and the local authority · Empowerment remains at the centre of what the Centre’s ethos, which is evident throughout with all of its services, the focus is on the person first, not their condition or problems, on achieving the person’s aspirations and for support to be tailored to their need and unique circumstances (e.g. life experience, age, gender, heritage, language, beliefs and identity). · The Centre recognises that the person, at the centre of the ‘service’ should drive decisions about their life and the flexibility ... view the full minutes text for item 57. |
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Quarterly Review Housing Performance (Q2 2024/25) Additional documents: Minutes: Committee received the Quarter 2 Performance Report from the Corporate Director, Homes and Neighbourhood. The following points were highlighted:
· Meeting was advised that performances continue to improve across most of the indicators, however in areas where reporting data shows between the lower and medium quartile, an Action Improvement Plan will be provided showing what actions the Service will undertake to improve the situation. · With regards to Tenancy Satisfaction Measures (TSM),it is welcome that the perception of residents is that the Council is improving , noting the 2% rise in comparison to last year. · Although Islington receives the 7th highest number of homeless applications in London, Islington has a lower rate of temporary accommodation compared to the London median, noting that no families or households live in bed and breakfast accommodation and the rate of temporary accommodation in Islington is lower than the latest published stats (June 2024) for other boroughs. · On the issue of non-emergency repairs, 81% were completed within target timescale (20 days) which is in in the upper London quartile and higher than the London median (79%). With regards to emergency repairs, 97% had been completed within timescale, which is in the upper London quartile and higher than the London median (91%). There has been an improvement in performance for both metrics compared to 2023/24 figures. · In response to how the Council is addressing anti-social behaviour, meeting was advised that when benchmarked with other London boroughs at year end in 2023/24, Islington performs in the upper quartile, with lower cases of antisocial behaviour compared to the London median, that over the past 12 months Council have achieved some improvements to improve efficiency, data collection, visibility, and accountability. A member welcomed the implementation of some effective tools to address anti -social behaviour and the work around raising awareness with residents. · Meeting was advised that with the proposed restructuring of Housing Management, resolution of cases would be quicker as officers will now manage 500 properties instead of 3000 properties. · In terms of performances of homelessness and households in temporary accommodation, meeting was advised that crisis is national, stating that there has been a noticeable 16.3% increase in the last 12 months, which is mirrored in Islington. · It was noted that although Islington has 14.2 people per thousand of the population it is considerably below the London average which is 18.85. · Meeting was informed that the number of people sleeping rough has increased in London and Islington, that a recent count undertaken conducted with members identified 18 people rough sleeping on Islington streets, however only 2 had local connection with Islington and they had been rehoused with the other 16 being given support and assistance. · Presently no families with children are in bed and breakfast accommodation which is beneficial to children in terms of their education and well-being. · It was noted that repairs improvement has not moved in the right direction, that a report on first time repairs would be scheduled for consideration at the next meeting. · Rent arrears have ... view the full minutes text for item 58. |
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Work Programme 2024/25 Additional documents: Minutes: Member requested that considering the Housing
Associations would be attending the February meeting, some of the
items listed in the work programme would need to be rescheduled. A
suggestion for members to submit questions ahead of HA’s
attendance so responses could be incorporated in their presentation
was noted.
RESOLVED: |