The Adult Social Care & Health Select Committee was scheduled to discuss the mobilisation of a new homecare framework, the findings of the Director of Public Health's annual report on children's health and wellbeing, and receive an update on the Suicide Prevention Strategy Working Group. The committee was also due to review its work programme for the upcoming municipal year.

Homecare Transformation and Mobilisation

The committee was scheduled to review the mobilisation of the Bi-borough Homecare Framework, which aims to improve continuity of care and enhance person-centred outcomes by allocating dedicated providers to defined neighbourhoods. This new model, which follows contract awards made in 2024, covers four service lots: neighbourhood homecare delivery, spot purchasing, complex care, and bridging and reablement. Twenty-two providers have been appointed for an estimated £78 million over seven years. The framework requires all providers to pay the London Living Wage and travel time, and has been co-designed with residents, care workers, and partners. Performance and quality will be overseen through monthly monitoring, quarterly contract meetings, structured audits, and multidisciplinary team reviews, utilising the CarePlace e-brokerage platform. The mobilisation process involves transitioning over 1,000 existing care packages through phased onboarding and neighbourhood rollout, with communication plans in place to minimise disruption. The report highlighted that under the previous model, 60% of weekly care hours were delivered by three main contractors, with the remaining 40% covered by spot providers. The total gross homecare budget for 2025/26 was £10.4 million. The new place-based model aims to move away from an activity-based approach to a payment system focusing on outcomes.

Director of Public Health Annual Report 2026: In Children's Own Words

The committee was scheduled to consider the Director of Public Health's Annual Report, which focuses on the health and wellbeing of school-aged children in Kensington and Chelsea, with a particular emphasis on their voices. The report draws on findings from a local health and wellbeing survey conducted in partnership with Children's Services and local schools, involving 1,952 pupils from eighteen primary schools, four secondary schools, and one special school. The report is structured around four key themes: Emotional Health and Wellbeing, Healthy Eating, Oral Health and Physical Activity, Alcohol, Smoking, Vaping and Drugs, and Relationships and Sexual Health. Key findings indicated rising emotional wellbeing and mental health needs, with one in five children and young people experiencing a diagnosable mental health condition. The report also highlighted challenges in healthy eating, with only 29% of primary and 16% of secondary pupils meeting the recommended 'five a day' intake, and noted that over one in three children leave primary school with an unhealthy weight. Vaping was identified as a growing concern, with 5% of Year 6 pupils and 18% of secondary pupils having tried it. The report also discussed health inequalities, noting that children in areas of higher deprivation face greater health challenges. Recommendations included prioritising children's voices in decision-making, strengthening whole-system collaboration, and focusing on prevention and equity, with targeted resources for areas of highest deprivation and need.

Suicide Prevention Strategy Working Group Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update from the Suicide Prevention Strategy Working Group. While the specific details of the update were not publicly available in the provided documents, the agenda indicated it would cover the strategy and focus on adult males as a high-risk group.

Work Programme

The committee was also scheduled to discuss its work programme for the upcoming municipal year. This included reviewing the current year's activities and identifying emerging priorities and issues for scrutiny in the 2026/27 municipal year. Potential topics for future discussion included an update on Neighbourhood Health Services, ADHD services, changes to specialist adult palliative care services, and the Adult Social Care and Public Health departmental budget. The committee was also to consider items such as the reconfiguration of mental health services and reports from the Care Quality Commission and Healthwatch.