The Board:

v  Noted that LBTH continues to work with colleagues across the partnership in terms of the cost-of-living crisis and that one of the most significant measures of support that the Council has been initiated with the Councils benefits service being responsible for administering claims for free school meals on behalf of the council’s education department and is available to children attending schools within Tower Hamlets.

v  Noted that 19,000 vouchers had gone out just before the Yuletide Festivities to those children eligible for free school meals, and 76% of those as of today have been cashed.

v  Noted details of the Healthy Start Scheme a national programme helping children of low-income families to be healthy who may be eligible for a free Healthy Start Card with money to spend on milk and healthy food and the value could be over £1,000 per child over their lifetime, if claimed from pregnancy to the child’s 4th birthday.

v  Noted that all the healthy start vouchers went out prior to the for all have all gone out just before the Yuletide Festivities and is a really significant measure to help struggling families.

v  Noted that that Barts Health is under such extreme pressure due to a multitude of complex factors across the whole health and care system. In many areas the Borough is seeing the highest levels of demand ever, combined with restricted capacity, increasing patient needs and high public expectation, culminating in the greatest pressure on the NHS in a generation.

v  Noted that the demand for places for younger pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is increasing. The number of pupils with Statements or Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs), requiring specialist provision to meet their needs, has risen in LBTH and the complexity of these needs is increasing which is putting considerable strain on the education system.

v  Noted that the pandemic has impacted on children’s literacy and mathematical skills, communication and language, physical development, and personal.

v  Noted separate report summarising research on the impact of the pandemic on learning finds attainment gap between socially disadvantaged pupils and their classmates has grown.

v  Noted there is some evidence that in primary schools, younger year groups have been the most significantly affected.

v  Noted that whilst the impact of coronavirus on the NHS has been unprecedented, the NHS now faces another unique challenge - restoring planned care to previous levels.  The staff responded incredibly well to each Covid-19 peak, and the NHS has learned lessons from the experience and is therefore better prepared to meet the next challenge.

v  Noted that three key themes have emerged that enables effective discharge planning: Improved communication, improved co-ordination of services and improved collaboration.

v  Noted that commissioner and provider organisations examine the local processes they have in place for discharge planning, ensuring that transfer of care between services is planned around the needs of patients, families, and carers at all times.

v  Noted that at a practitioner level, there needs to be willingness from nurses both in hospital and community to improve partnership working, to ensure that patients, carers, and families experience a seamless service when discharged from hospital to home, with good discharge planning and post-discharge support.

v  Noted that Health Watch are currently working with the London Ambulance Service on their engagement strategy for 2023-2028.  The most recent LAS strategy was published in 2018 and will run until the end of the 2022-23 financial year. LAS is in the process of engaging with stakeholders in order to develop a new strategy, which will be published early in the 2023-24 financial year. LAS has identified five ‘emerging themes’, which will be the basis for the new strategy. These themes are: (i) High quality emergency care; (ii) Effective coordination and delivery of urgent care; (iii) Creation of a great place to work; (iv) Support for the wider health system; and (v) Contribution to life in the capital.

v  Noted that Healthwatch is working with NHS North East London and Maternity Voices Partnerships to develop a better understanding of the choices women and pregnant people are making when it comes to antenatal care. When it comes to using maternity services, NHS North East London want to ensure all women and pregnant people have the best experience. The purpose of Maternity Choices engagement is to understand  whether service users felt they could make choices about their antenatal care. Moreover, this project aims to gain understanding as to why they chose to have their care in their chosen hospital, birth centre or a home birth.  The survey is led by 7 Healthwatch organizations across North East London – They are gathering responses through paper and online surveys, as well as face to face interviews. Once the survey has been closed, Healthwatch will share the findings from the survey responses with the North East London Local Maternity and Neonatal System – a partnership of organisations, women and their families working together to deliver improvements in maternity services in North East London.

v  Noted the establishment of Adult Safeguarding Champions whose role combines responsibility for strategy, operations, and oversight for an organisation in relation to adults at risk of harm.

v  Noted that The law defines self-neglect as an adult’s inability, due to physical or mental impairment, or diminished capacity, to perform essential self-care tasks including: (i) obtaining essential food, clothing, shelter, and medical care; (ii) obtaining goods and services necessary to maintain physical health, mental health; or (iii) managing one’s own financial affairs.  Despite understanding how an individual behaviour would affect health, the individual makes a conscious and voluntary decision to engage in acts that threaten his/her health or safety as a matter of personal choice.

v  Noted that Pension Credit (that is separate from the State Pension) provides extra money to help with living costs for those over State Pension age and on a low income. Pension Credit (i) can also help with housing costs such as ground rent or service charges; (ii) is also available for those who are a carer, severely disabled, or responsible for a child or young person; and (iii) can be claimed even if a pensioner has another income, savings, or their own home.

v  Noted that whilst a large number of vouchers to pensioners only 35% has been cashed, therefore partner agencies (e.g., home care providers and faith organizations) who are working with pensioners in poverty are asked to cash their vouchers at their local post office.

v  Noted that as the cold weather begins to bite and temperatures set to plummet over the coming days, Tower Hamlets Council has set up a series of warm hubs for residents who may be struggling to heat their homes due to soaring energy prices.  A network of warm hubs opened in December 2023 to provide people with a safe space to stay warm, socialise and have a hot drink.  Warm hubs will be running from a number of our Idea Stores and libraries every day during the winter.  Refreshments will be provided including hot drinks, squash, and biscuits. The warm hubs will also be hosting board game sessions to keep residents entertained.  Staff will also be on hand to signpost people to advice and support services if needed. 

v  Noted that In April, the Council will be getting a new tranche of the Household Support Fund (HSF) the Fund helps people experiencing immediate financial hardship to pay for food and household energy bills.  This is money the Council has been awarded by HM Government to help those in need and most affected by the cost-of-living crisis to support them to resolve their financial issues and can be accessed directly through the Council. 

In conclusion, the Chair thanked all for their updates on how agencies are engaging with and supporting local residents.