The Health and Wellbeing Board met on Thursday 11 September 2025 to discuss the council's response to a recent Ofsted inspection of children's services, the Harrow Safeguarding Adult Board's annual report, and the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment. Key decisions included noting the findings of the Ofsted inspection and approving the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment for publication.

Council Response to the Recent Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services (ILACS) January 2025

The Board was presented with the findings of the Ofsted Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services (ILACS), which took place in January 2025. While acknowledging strengths in areas such as early help, the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), and the response to missing children and exploitation, the inspection resulted in an overall Inadequate judgement due to significant shortfalls in the experiences and progress of care leavers.

Parmjit Chahal, Strategic Director of Children's Services, explained that the inadequate judgement for care leavers was a limiting judgement and that the council had fully accepted the findings. An immediate action plan had been developed, leading to the creation of a new, separate Leaving Care Service. This includes reviewing all previously closed care leaver cases, allocating personal advisors to those with additional needs, and increasing the number of care leavers with an allocated worker. The council has also been served with a Formal Improvement Notice by the Department for Education, with an advisor appointed to support and challenge the improvement journey.

Councillor Hitesh Karia, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, highlighted that two of the three key areas inspected were rated as very good, bordering on outstanding, demonstrating the effort and skills within the team. He emphasised that the Department for Education's intervention was a light touch and an opportunity for system change to create a sustainable model for children's services.

The Board was asked to note the contents of the ILACS Inspection findings, the report, and the ILACS Improvement Plan. This was agreed, with the understanding that there is a statutory responsibility to deliver safeguarding services to children and care leavers up to the age of 25.

Harrow Safeguarding Adult Board (HSAB) Annual Report 2024/25

Lesley Hutchinson, Independent Chair of the Harrow Safeguarding Adult Board (HSAB), presented the board's annual report for 2024/25. The report details the board's activities, achievements, and areas for focus, all within the framework of the Care Act 2014.

Key achievements highlighted include the development of a new Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) Protocol, the launch of the How Safe Do You Feel campaign to raise awareness of domestic abuse, and the reinstatement of the Disability Hate Crime Action Group. The board has also focused on strengthening partnerships, including a joint conference with the Children's Safeguarding Partnership on Contextual Safeguarding, and has been working to improve assurance through a High-Risk Multi-Agency Panel and a Quality Assurance Framework.

Councillor Pritesh Patel, Portfolio Holder for Cleaner Streets and Public Safety, commended the significant work done by Lesley Hutchinson and her team, noting that the HSAB was not operating as it should have been prior to her involvement. He raised a question about the origin of Section 42 safeguarding inquiries, seeking to understand where they regularly come from and if there are areas needing improvement in accessing information, particularly for hidden individuals. Lesley Hutchinson explained that concerns can originate from anywhere and are decided upon through local authority teams and multi-agency arrangements. The board monitors agencies and data intelligence to identify any anomalies or gaps.

A discussion also took place regarding the budget, with Councillor Patel expressing concern about the disparity in contributions from partners, particularly the Metropolitan Police's £5,000 contribution compared to the council's expenditure. Lesley Hutchinson explained that this £5,000 contribution is standard for London boroughs and that discussions are ongoing with MOPAC (the funding body) to address this.

The Board was asked to note the work carried out by HSAB during 2024/2025 and to identify any areas they would like HSAB to consider.

Harrow Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025-2028

Joel, representing Healthy Dialogues Ltd, presented the Harrow Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for 2025-2028. The PNA is a statutory requirement for Health and Wellbeing Boards, conducted every three years to assess the scale and quantity of community pharmacy services in Harrow.

The assessment concluded that Harrow is well-served by its 51 community pharmacies and 5 distance selling pharmacies. All residents are within a 20-minute public transport journey to a pharmacy, and there is good distribution in relation to population density and GP access. The report found no gaps in current or future access to essential, advanced, or locally commissioned pharmaceutical services, nor were any improvements identified that would enhance access.

Councillor Norman Stevenson, Portfolio Holder for Business, Employment & Property, asked about the process of working with developers on new housing sites to ensure provision of amenities like GP surgeries and pharmacies. Joel explained that the PNA process considers housing development sites and associated amenities to understand the potential population impact.

Councillor Aisha Coombes raised a question about whether a list of pharmacies and the services they provide is available, and if these services are evenly distributed. Joel confirmed that the report includes a listing of services and key metrics, and that an appendix detailing this information would be circulated.

The Board was asked to sign off the Harrow Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) 2025-2028 for publication and to delegate authority to the PNA Steering Group to report any significant changes to pharmaceutical services. This was agreed.

The Prevention Approach of a Health and Wellbeing Board

Laurence Gibson, Director of Public Health, presented a proposal for a systematic approach to prevention for the Health and Wellbeing Board. He outlined three levels of prevention: primary (aimed at a well population), secondary (for those at risk), and tertiary (for those with existing health issues).

Mr Gibson proposed focusing on six key areas for the board's attention: frailty and winter planning, wellbeing of children, weight management and nutrition, mental health and A&E presentations, economic wellbeing, and smoking. He suggested that over the next six to seven meetings, each item would be explored in detail, with public health coordinating papers to outline the prevention approach and potential roles for all partners.

Councillor Norman Stevenson suggested that prevention should be the flagship action of the board, which was agreed. Councillor Ghazanfar Ali also raised the issue of care leavers, asking board members to consider creating opportunities for them, such as employment or shadowing, and suggested exploring the idea of adopting care experienced young people as a protected characteristic.

The Board agreed to adopt prevention as its flagship action.

Any Other Business

Councillor Norman Stevenson proposed that prevention be the flagship action of the board, which was agreed. Councillor Ghazanfar Ali also raised the issue of care leavers, asking board members to consider creating opportunities for them, such as employment or shadowing, and suggested exploring the idea of adopting care experienced young people as a protected characteristic.

The meeting concluded with the agreement to adopt prevention as the board's flagship action.