Agenda item

To consider motions referred from council assembly on the following:

• Social Care in Southwark
• Local Rail Services
• Improving Public Transport on the River

Social Care in Southwark

RESOLVED:

1.  That executive is grateful for the hard work and dedication of both the council’s own social care staff and those of partner organisations providing care in the borough.

2.  That executive regrets the publication of the recent draft report from the Care Quality Commission (CGC), without any input from the council because of the commission’s refusal to discuss their findings with the council and notes the significant flaws, inaccuracies and factual errors including:

a)  criticism of the the council’s customer service centre based on a small sample survey which ignored evidence from the council’s own customer service surveys showing increasing satisfaction.  The executive also notes that the inspector failed to visit the dedicated and specialist call centre dealing with the most vulnerable residents.

b)  contradictory assumptions about the council’s spending on adult social care including the claim that “the proportion of council spend directed to adult social care was in the lowest quartile nationally”, when the Audit Commission confirms that the council spends in the highest quartile nationally and the social care component of the council’s formula grant as calculated by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is in fact £22 million less than actual spending.

c)  failure to recognise the council’s beacon status for promoting cohesion, equality and driving out discrimination.

3.  Executive welcomes the statement by Labour Minister of State for Care Services, Phil Hope, who in his letter to the council on 2 December acknowledges that the council is not a poor performer.

4.  Executive believes that if the CQC report was a true reflection of a deterioration in service that this would have been picked up through complaints, MPs casework and council questions and motions.  Executive notes that Harriet Harman states in her most recent annual report that social care issues were just 1.5% of the total, for Simon Hughes these were just 2% of the total caseload and that opposition members asked not a single question on the quality of social care in the last two years.

5.  Executive supports the call for the findings to be subject to independent scrutiny to establish the facts, to allow the council to agree where improvement is actually needed and take action to improve services.

6.  Executive registers its extreme concern about the implications of Southwark NHS’ 5 year strategic plan.

Local Rail Services

RESOLVED:

1. That in light of the potentially detrimental effect on the amenity of the Herne Hill and Elephant and Castle area, it is viewed with serious concern the proposals by Network Rail and/or First Capital Connect to terminate the Thameslink Wimbledon loop services at Blackfriars. It is noted with concern amongst residents over adequate consultation and calls upon the executive and officers to liaise with other affected London boroughs to explore alternative options for the continuation of the current service providing through trains to Farringdon (for Cross Rail), to Kings Cross St Pancras (for Eurostar and other mainline services) and points north to Bedford.

2.  That the recent extension of SouthEastern services from Nunhead, Peckham Rye, Denmark Hill and Elephant & Castle stations through the Thameslink tunnel from Blackfriars to Kentish Town, providing through trains for residents in Nunhead, East Dulwich, Peckham Rye and Camberwell to City Thameslink, Farringdon, Kings Cross St Pancras and Kentish Town be welcomed. The proposal that these services should be retained on completion of the Thameslink programme in 2015 be supported and the executive agrees to lobby to protect these services and indeed for additional services and destinations to be added for these stations when the increased capacity through the Thameslink tunnel is available

3.  That the abysmal service currently being provided by First Capital Connect (FCC) be noted and the executive agrees to support local MPs and London Assembly members are supported in lobbying to ensure that a full service is restored, including removing the franchise from FCC if services do not improve rapidly, and to ensure that commuters are properly compensated for the disruption.

Improving Public Transport on the River

Executive notes:

1.  That the River Thames is an integral part of the London Borough of Southwark, not just as a landmark, but as part of our transport system.

2.  The recent publication of the report “At a Rate of Knots – Improving Public Transport on the Thames”, that contains a number of proposals to improve river transport.

The executive believes:

3.  That the restoration of the River Thames on the next edition of the standard tube map, recognising its potential as part of London’s transport network, should be welcomed.

4.  Improved river transport will attract more visitors to the borough, as demonstrated by the successful shuttle service which runs between Tate Modern and Tate Britain.

5.  The council’s plans to complete the Thames Path in Southwark will provide greater accessibility to river transport and enable visitors to explore the borough with greater ease.

6. That the potential for the expansion of river services exists, although it would wish to be assured that increased public subsidy for river services (as recommended by “At a Rate of Knots”) could be achieved without a knock-on effect on subsidy levels for those transport modes on which a wider range of Southwark residents rely, including buses, underground and mainline rail.

7.  That improving cross-river links is of equal importance to the borough. The executive therefore regrets the indications from the Mayor of London that Transport for London (TfL) is unlikely to contribute towards the development of a foot and cycle bridge over the Thames at Rotherhithe.

Executive agrees:

8. To consider how Southwark can promote greater awareness amongst our residents of existing river services and how they can use them.

9.  To request that Southwark’s transport policy team consider the proposals in the report, liaise with Transport for London (TfL) and the London Mayor’s office, produce a report to executive on their viability and how Southwark could support them.

10.  To request that Southwark’s transport policy team also consider as part of this report any public realm improvements associated with the completion of the Thames Path.

11.  To re-iterate support for a new foot and cycle river crossing in the east of the borough and writes to the Mayor of London asking him to reconsider his position on such a project.