Agenda, decisions and minutes

Received from Councillors Roulin Khondoker, Michelline Safi-Ngongo and Nurullah Turan.

Apologies for lateness received from Councillor Santiago Bell-Bradford.

None.

CONFIRMED

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2024 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.1.       To approve the proposal to amalgamate Duncombe and Montem Primary schools on the Duncombe site on 31 August 2024.

1.2.       To endorse the following commitments:

1.2.1.             To provide early, dedicated, professional support as part of a comprehensive needs led transition plan for pupils with Education, Health, and Care (EHC) Plans to support all aspects of transition. Additional resources will be allocated to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) team to work with individual children and their parents/carers to support their transition should the proposal proceed.  

1.2.2.             To facilitate a parent/carer group with representatives from both primary schools as part of the transition process to bring the two school communities together.

1.2.3.             That officers will work with the parent/carer group and school staff to mitigate the risks of air pollution through developing safer walking routes to school.

1.2.4.             That Schools HR will support any staff impacted by the proposed amalgamation.

1.2.5.             To support the cost of any new school uniform for displaced pupils, including pupils transferred to Duncombe.

1.2.6.             To provide additional capacity to the schools to support the amalgamation process.

DECISIONS

AGREED recommendations

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – as detailed in the report

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

In the absence of the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families, the report was introduced by Councillor Kaya Comer-Schwartz.

RESOLVED:

(a) To approve the proposal to amalgamate Duncombe and Montem Primary Schools on the Duncombe site on 31 August 2024.

(b) To endorse the following commitments:

(i) To provide early, dedicated, professional support as part of a comprehensive needs-led transition plan for pupils with Education, Health, and Care Plans to support all aspects of transition. Additional resources will be allocated to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Team to work with individual children and their parents/carers to support their transition. 

(ii) To facilitate a parent/carer group with representatives from both primary schools, as part of the transition process, to bring the two school communities together.

(iii) That officers will work with the parent/carer group and school staff to mitigate the risks of air pollution through developing safer walking routes to school.

(iv) That Schools’ Human Resources will support any staff impacted by the proposed amalgamation.

(v) To support the cost of any new school uniform for displaced pupils, including pupils transferred to Duncombe.

(vi) To provide additional capacity to the schools to support the amalgamation process.

Reasons for the decision – To contribute to the ongoing financial resilience of Islington’s school estate and to support the Council’s ambition to strengthen the resilience of all Council schools, ensuring that they were financially healthy and able to sustain a quality curriculum. There was a need to significantly reduce capacity in the Hornsey area to account for falling rolls and reduced demand for primary school places. Duncombe and Montem primary schools were the two community schools, after Pooles Park School, with the next highest vacancy rates in the Hornsey planning area. By operating from one site, the amalgamated school would have lower running costs and, due to the size of the buildings, could accommodate all existing pupils and operate as a two-form entry school, with bulge classes for the larger higher year groups.

The rationale underpinning the recommendation to retain the Duncombe Primary School name was that the current financial position at Duncombe was more positive, meaning that the newly amalgamated school would start in a better financial position which would safeguard the financial position of the School and help to secure the School’s long-term future.

Other options considered – all as detailed in the report of the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families.

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 To welcome the findings of the Making Children Visible Scrutiny Review

2.2 To agree the Executive responses to the recommendations of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee as set out in section 4 of this report.

2.3 To agree that officers report back on progress to the Children's Services Scrutiny Committee at a time agreed with the Scrutiny Committee

DECISIONS

AGREED recommendations

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – as detailed in the report

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

In the absence of the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families, the report was introduced by Councillor Kaya Comer-Schwartz.

RESOLVED:

(a) To welcome the findings of the “Making Children Visible” report of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee.

(b) To agree the Executive responses to the recommendations of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee, as set out in section 4 of the report of the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families.

(c) To agree that officers report back on progress to the Children's Services Scrutiny Committee at a time agreed with the Scrutiny Committee

Reasons for the decision – To respond to the recommendations outlined in the “Making Children Visible” report of the Children’s Services Scrutiny report, which highlighted key areas of improvement to services which impacted the overall development and wellbeing of children and young people in Islington

and to further improve how everyone  ensured the visibility of vulnerable children.

Other options considered – as detailed in the report in the report of the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families.

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none.

RECOMMENDATION

To approve the strategy for publication, to launch during Carers’ Week in June 2024.

DECISIONS

AGREED recommendation

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – as detailed in the report

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

In the absence of the Executive Member for Health and Social Care, the report was introduced by Councillor Diarmaid Ward.

RESOLVED:

To approve Islington’s Adult Carers Strategy 2024 – 2030, as attached to the report of the Executive Member for Health and Social Care, for publication during Carers’ Week in June 2024.

Reasons for the decision – The proposed partnership strategy which included Council-wide commitment, would enhance the support for adult carers in Islington by working collaboratively with the Council’s strategic partners focussing on 6 priorities consisting of: physical and emotional wellbeing, employment, feeling supported, transition to adulthood, respected as experts, communications and access to information to create a more supportive environment for carers.

Other options considered – all as detailed in the report

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none 

RECOMMENDATIONS

2,1. To agree to receipt of the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant for 2024/25 of £2,700,656, awarded by the Department of Health and Social Care.

2.2. To agree the allocation of £1,861,084.66 of the Council’s Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant to Camden and Islington NHS Trust (the “Trust”) via a Grant Agreement.

2.3. To agree that £90,000 is allocated from the Public Health reserves as a precautionary measure, should the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant be reduced for not meeting the in-year performance expectations outlined in the grant conditions.

DECISIONS

AGREED recommendations

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – as detailed in the report

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

In the absence of the Executive Member for Health and Social Care, the report was introduced by Councillor John Woolf.

RESOLVED:

(a) To agree to the receipt of the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant for 2024/25 of £2,700,656, awarded by the Department of Health and Social Care.

(b) To agree the allocation of £1,861,084.66 of the Council’s Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant to Camden and Islington NHS Trust, via a Grant Agreement.

(c) To agree that £90,000 be allocated from the Public Health reserves as a precautionary measure, should the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant be reduced for not meeting the in-year performance expectations outlined in the grant conditions.

Reasons for the decision –  The Department of Health and Social Care had awarded the Council the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant for the third consecutive year.Issuing the funding to the Camden and Islington NHS Trust in the form of a grant would ensure timely and effective delivery of the required outcomes.  The outcomes were (i) increasing the numbers of people accessing alcohol and substance misuse structured treatment, (ii) improving the number of people engaging with alcohol and substance misuse treatment on release from prison and (iii) increasing the number of people that entered residential rehabilitation.  These outcomes would be monitored by officers on a quarterly basis.

Other options considered – all as detailed in the report

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

Noted.

Noted.

Noting that Marina Lipscomb was due to retire from the Council at the end of this

month, the Leader proposed a vote of thanks to be placed on record to thank her

for her valuable service and advice over the years, particularly over the past year,

when she had held the position of Acting Director of Law and Governance and

Monitoring Officer.  On behalf of the Executive and the Council, she extended best

wishes to her for the future.

RESOLVED: accordingly.