To receive apologies for absence, including notifications of any changes to the membership of the Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Bryant. 

It was reported that, in accordance with the wishes of the Liberal Democrat Group, the membership of the Sub-Board had been amended to include Councillor Long in place of Councillor Douglas-Dunbar.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board held on 4 September 2025.

The minutes of the meeting of the Sub-Board held on 4 September 2025 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairwoman.

No declarations of interest were made. 

To receive a presentation on the submitted Women’s Safety and Domestic Abuse Strategy Report. 

The Partnership Manager - Sarah Omell, the Strategic Lead Community Protection – Dave Parsons and the Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence, Communication and Strategy Lead - Shirley Beauchamp presented the submitted Women’s Safety and Domestic Abuse Strategy report and responded to Members questions. 

The Board raised the following questions:

·         had funding been applied for to fund the proposed Behavioural Change workstream for domestic abuse perpetrators;

·         what work was carried out within schools to educate children regarding online pornography;

·         how do schools educate children on the action to take if domestic abuse if witnessed at their home;

·         if a child was identified at school as a victim of sexual abuse, what action could be taken without parental consent;

·         what support could Torbay Council provide to local organisations and charities who provide support to LBGTQ+ residents within the Bay; and

·         how confident was the Team that the funds would be secured for the Drive Programme.

The following responses were provided:

·         the Team was currently investigating available sources of funding to be applied for to secure funds to introduce the Behavioural Change workstream for domestic abuse perpetrators;

·         regular visits to schools were carried out to explain to children, the dangers of accessing online pornography;

·         if a child was identified in school as being affected by domestic violence at home, then a member of the Torbay Domestic Abuse Service would visit the school to speak with the child;

·         parental consent from at least one parent had to be sought to allow for a member of the Torbay Domestic Abuse Service to speak with a child who had been identified as a victim of sexual abuse.  However, if it was identified that the abuser was a parent, then the Team could work with safeguarding and pastoral support Teams at school;

·         officers were aware of trolling being received by Intercom Trust staff since the recent announcement of biological sex ruling and suggested that Members and officers should consider what further actions could be taken by Torbay Council to support Intercom Trust and local residents; and

·         the funding that had been applied for the Drive Programme, would not all be allocated to Torbay as this scheme was for the region and collaborative work with other local authorities was being carried out. 

Resolved (unanimously):

1.    that the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board request that the Director of Adult and Community Services to work with Community Safety Partnership to consider what actions they could take together to publicly demonstrate their commitment to inclusion and diversity with support from the Safer Communities Team;

2.    that the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board request assurance that the recently published Relationships, Health and Sexual Education programme is being implemented in Torbay schools and that a report is brought back to a future meeting with Members of the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board along with the Portfolio Holder be invited to attend;

3.    that the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

To receive a presentation on the submitted Multiple Complex Needs (MCN) Alliance Review Report. 

The Public Health Consultant – Bruce Bell, the Head of Housing Need, Lianne Hancock, Torbay Domestic Abuse Service Manager – Claudia O’Neill and the General Manager for Public Health Services at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust – Simon Acton provided an overview of the submitted Multiple Complex Needs (MCN) Alliance Review Report and responded to questions from Members. 

The Board raised the following questions:

·         was the Alliance working as well as it could be to benefit local residents;

·         when residents were allocated accommodation in safe houses, would this be considered temporary accommodation;

·         how much work was carried out by the Alliance with other local organisations and voluntary groups for example ‘Unleashed’ charity;

·         had the closure of the Haven affected the numbers of residents staying in accommodation at the hostel; and

·         how often were meetings held by the three services that constitute the Alliance.

The following responses were provided:

·         the hostel located at Factory Row forms part of the single homelessness pathway, supporting a holistic assessment approach.  The hostel benefits from co-location of services, enabling streamlined support and strong links with drug and alcohol services. The facility was well-regarded, though its location may need review.  The Alliance was functioning effectively, with joined-up working ensuring that individuals only need to tell their story once, enhancing continuity and quality of care;

·         safe houses allocated were classed as temporary accommodation but were allocated as a higher priority;

·         Torbay Domestic Abuse Service works effectively with a range of voluntary organisations, demonstrating strong partnership working. While it had not partnered with Unleashed, the Factory Row Hostel Service had.  The Alliance comprises three core services, but also collaborates with wider organisations.  Work was currently underway to establish governance structures, which would support the integration of additional partners moving forward into the Alliance;

·         the closure of the Haven had resulted in increased use of the facilities located at the Factory Row Hostel; and

·         the three services meet regularly through monthly strategic group meetings and a joint operational group, which includes service managers.  There have been numerous meetings held, and working relationships are strong.  The benefits of partnership working at an operational level between staff were becoming evident, however more work was needed to demonstrate the transformational requirements of the Alliance Agreement and the resultant benefits for people who engage with the Alliance.  It had been identified that there was a need to better implement, articulate and capture these outcomes.  With a clear strategy now in place and implementation underway, there was optimism that the expected improvements will be realised.

Resolved (unanimously):

1.    that the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board notes the Multiple Complex Needs (MCN) Alliance Review report;

2.    that the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board recognise the variance in key process metrics across service in Growth In Action (GiA) and the need for improvement where decline had been noted;

3.    that the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board note that assurance would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

To receive an update on the implementation of the actions of the Sub-Board and consider any further actions required (as set out in the submitted action tracker).

The Sub-Board noted the submitted action tracker.