Aliya Sheikh - Councillor for Lewisham (Lewisham Central)

Councillor Aliya Sheikh

Labour Party Lewisham Central

Email: Aliya.Sheikh@lewisham.gov.uk

Council: Lewisham

Council Profile: View on council website

Committees: Council (Committee Member) Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Committee Member) Healthier Communities Select Committee (Chair) Standards Committee (Committee Member) Lewisham Central Assembly (Committee Member) Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Call-In) Corporate Parenting Group Standing Advisory Council of Religious Education (SACRE) (Committee Member) Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee Audit and Risk Committee (Committee Member) Mayor and Cabinet Improving Scrutiny Task and Finish Group Public Accounts Select Committee (Guest) Health and Wellbeing Board (Committee Member) South East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee Planning Committee B (Committee Member)

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Positions, Voting Record & Activity Summary

Last updated: 10 days ago

Councillor Aliya Sheikh has demonstrated a consistent and evolving commitment to public service across her council tenure, with a particularly strong and focused engagement in health-related matters in recent years. Her work has consistently revolved around scrutiny, governance, and ensuring the well-being of the community.

Key Themes and Priorities:

  • Health and Wellbeing: This has been Aliya Sheikh's most prominent and consistently developing area of focus. Her involvement spans from general health discussions to specific concerns about health inequalities, dental care access, and emerging health trends like gambling impacts and weight loss drugs.
  • Scrutiny and Governance: Aliya Sheikh has actively participated in and chaired committees dedicated to scrutinizing council decisions, budgets, and standards. This includes a strong presence on the Healthier Communities Select Committee, Standards Committee, and Audit & Risk Committee.
  • Community Engagement and Education: Her involvement in the Standing Advisory Council of Religious Education (SACRE) highlights an interest in educational matters and the importance of positive influences within the curriculum.

Evolution of Focus:

While Aliya Sheikh has shown a broad engagement with council activities throughout her service, her priorities have clearly sharpened and deepened in the health sector. Early involvement in committees like the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Standards Committee laid the groundwork for her more specialized and leadership-oriented role in health in later years. The detailed scrutiny of budget proposals and specific inquiries into service user impacts in 2025, followed by her direct leadership and engagement in health policy discussions in 2026, illustrate a significant evolution towards proactive health advocacy.

Most Significant Contributions (Especially in Recent Years):

In 2026, Aliya Sheikh has taken on a clear leadership role in health initiatives. Her chairing of the Healthier Communities Select Committee meeting, where she secured endorsement for the committee's Work Programme, signifies a proactive approach to shaping future health strategies. Her active participation and insightful questioning at the Health and Wellbeing Board, particularly her concerns about the separation of cultural humility and intelligence and her inquiries into GP surgery access, demonstrate a deep commitment to addressing complex health inequalities and ensuring equitable service delivery.

In 2025, her role as Chair of the Healthier Communities Select Committee was marked by rigorous scrutiny. Her detailed questioning of budget saving proposals, focusing on their impact on vulnerable service users, and her inquiries into dental care access and national recovery plans showcase her dedication to ensuring accountability and effective service provision. Her forward-thinking suggestions for future discussion topics, such as gambling-related health impacts, also indicate a proactive and responsive approach to emerging public health challenges.

Patterns and Consistent Areas of Interest:

Aliya Sheikh consistently demonstrates a commitment to thorough examination and questioning. Whether scrutinizing budget proposals, inquiring about performance measurement, or discussing curriculum influences, she seeks clarity and impact. Her sustained involvement in health-related committees and her leadership in these areas over multiple years underscore this as a core and enduring interest. Her participation in the Standards Committee also points to a consistent dedication to upholding ethical governance and accountability within the council.

Yearly Activity Timeline

In January 2026, Councillor Aliya Sheikh demonstrated leadership and engagement in health-related council activities. She chaired the Healthier Communities Select Committee meeting, where she provided updates on site visits and secured endorsement for the committee's Work Programme. Additionally, at the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting, she actively participated in discussions concerning health inequalities, specifically raising concerns about the potential negative implications of separating cultural humility and cultural intelligence, and inquiring about performance measurement and its impact on GP surgery access.

Monthly Activity in 2026

During January 2026, Councillor Aliya Sheikh was active in two council meetings. On January 7th, she chaired the Healthier Communities Select Committee meeting, where she reported on recent visits to Heather Close and Lewisham Hospital, and presented and had endorsed the committee's Work Programme. Later, on January 19th, at the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting, she participated in discussions regarding the Birmingham Lewisham African Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR). Councillor Sheikh voiced concerns about the potential negative impact of separating cultural humility and cultural intelligence, questioning,

if prioritizing one over the other could be harmful.
She also sought clarification on performance measurement for cultural intelligence and the potential consequences for GP surgery access.

Meetings in January 2026
Health and Wellbeing Board - Monday, 19th January, 2026 3.00 pm - 19 January 2026

During the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on January 19th, 2026, Councillor Aliya Sheikh contributed to the discussion on the Birmingham Lewisham African Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR) update. She expressed concern that separating cultural humility and cultural intelligence might detract from the overall objective of cultural understanding, questioning if prioritizing one over the other could be harmful. Councillor Sheikh also inquired about the methods for measuring the performance of cultural intelligence and asked about the potential impact on GP surgery access if the number of people utilizing them were to decrease.

Activity Timeline

Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.

69 meetings · Page 10 of 14

Standing Advisory Council of Religious Education (SACRE)

Standing Advisory Council of Religious Education (SACRE) - Wednesday, 20th November, 2024 6.30 pm

This meeting was scheduled to include a review of the minutes of the previous meeting, discussion of the provision of religious education in Lewisham's schools and consideration of the national guidance on the teaching of religious education.

November 20, 2024
Healthier Communities Select Committee

Healthier Communities Select Committee - Tuesday, 19th November, 2024 7.00 pm

This meeting of the Healthier Communities Select Committee included a discussion about the development of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams in Lewisham, and a presentation on the Council’s budget plans for 2025-26. It also included a performance update on the Council's Physical Activity Strategy.

November 19, 2024
Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee

Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee - Wednesday, 13th November, 2024 7.00 pm

This meeting of the Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee will focus on the Council's budget, and hear reports on the Main Grants Programme, the Library and Information Service and proposed budget savings for 2025/26. The committee will also be reviewing their work programme.

November 13, 2024
Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Call-In) CANCELLED

Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Call-In) - Tuesday, 5th November, 2024 7.00 pm

This meeting has been cancelled.

November 05, 2024
Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 5th November, 2024 7.00 pm

The Overview and Scrutiny committee were scheduled to discuss how the council responds to anti-social behaviour, how it could support community-led housing, and the Mayor's response to the committee's recommendations on how the council could adopt a trauma-informed approach to delivering its services.

November 05, 2024

Decisions from Meetings

87 decisions · Page 1 of 18

Statement of Accounts 2024-25

From: Council - Wednesday, 26th November, 2025 7.30 pm - November 26, 2025

... to note the contents of the report, approve agreed audit adjustments to the 2024/25 Statement of Accounts and Pension Fund Accounts, approve delegation to the Section 151 Officer to agree changes to audit adjustments, the final Statement of Accounts for publication, and changes to the Auditor’s Annual Report, and note the management representation letters and the Auditor’s Annual Report.

Recommendations Approved

Summary

Meetings Attended: 69

Average per Month: 3.3

Decisions Recorded: 87