The Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee has agreed to review the council's reablement service as part of its work programme for the upcoming year. The decision was made during a meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, where Councillor Oliur Rahman requested the service be added to a future agenda.
The committee's broader scrutiny review for the year will focus on how effectively partners are working together to support healthy and independent ageing through prevention and neighbourhood-based approaches. This review will examine various aspects of ageing, including social isolation, falls prevention, frailty, cardiovascular and cognitive health, and neighbourhood working.
During the meeting, the committee also discussed the council's approach to healthy ageing, reviewing public health performance and adult social care outcomes. Presentations highlighted that while Islington has a relatively small older adult population, it is projected to grow significantly by 2045. The older adult population in Islington (defined as those aged 65 and over) is projected to grow by 46% by 2045, which equates to approximately 7,000 additional older residents. Growth is expected across all sub-age groups within this category.
A key concern raised was that for men and women aged 65 in Islington, more than half of their remaining life expectancy is spent in poor health. The primary reasons identified for this are the environmental and social determinants of health, which play a larger role than individual behaviours. These include poverty and deprivation, with Islington being the fourth highest local authority for income deprivation affecting older people. Structural determinants like loneliness and the stigma associated with ageism also have an outsized effect on health as populations get older. Age discrimination, in particular, has been associated with increased risks of heart disease, stroke, and depression, while loneliness has been linked to declining brain health, frailty, and early death. Environmental determinants, such as the quality of homes and streets, food systems, and transport networks, also have direct and indirect impacts on the health of older adults.
Public health performance in Quarter 3 of 2025/26 showed positive results across most indicators. The council exceeded targets in smoking cessation, with a successful quit rate of 60% and 429 people accessing support. Drug and alcohol support saw 2,108 individuals accessing treatment, exceeding the target. Health visiting achieved 96% coverage for New Birth Visits and 90% for 6-8-week reviews. Healthy Start Vouchers were taken up by 1,807 families. However, childhood immunisations, specifically MMR2 coverage, remained a challenge at 67.1%, below the target of 70%. Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) prescriptions were also below target at 212 in Q3.
For Adult Social Care in Quarter 4 of 2025/26, performance was strong overall. 83% of residents receiving short-term support did not require ongoing long-term care, exceeding the target of 75%. 71% of service users receiving long-term support had their care plans reviewed, exceeding the target of 70%. Direct Payments were utilized by 30% of community service users. Safeguarding performance remained a strength, with 96% of service users reporting their desired outcomes were achieved and 92% of Section 42 safeguarding enquiries resulting in identified risks being reduced or removed. A key area for investigation was new admissions to residential and nursing care homes, which increased to 197, exceeding the target of 190.
The scrutiny initiation document for the review into healthy and independent ageing was approved, outlining the scope and objectives. This includes assessing the availability and reach of preventative interventions. These interventions include falls prevention, frailty support, cardiovascular and cognitive health support, social isolation and loneliness support, and neighbourhood working. The reach of these specific interventions is not detailed with exact figures, but the proportion of residents aged 65+ who are active for at least 150 minutes a week has increased in Islington from 52.7% to 60.3%. Just over a third of older adults receiving Adult Social Care report as much social contact as they would like.
The committee will examine how partners identify and support residents at risk of frailty or declining independence, and review the effectiveness of key programmes. These programmes include those addressing social isolation and loneliness, falls prevention, frailty support, and heart health and dementia prevention, diagnosis, and support.
The committee will also consider how services help residents maintain independence and community connection. This includes examining 'neighbourhood-based approaches' and 'neighbourhood working' as key strategies. The scrutiny review initiation document states that the committee will examine how Council, NHS and voluntary sector partners work together at neighbourhood level, including referral pathways, shared prevention priorities, resident experience of fragmentation or gaps, and opportunities to strengthen the neighbourhood model.
The Public Health report also mentions integrated community aging team or the developing neighborhood health program
as approaches to preventing decline and preserving independence. Additionally, the Adult Social Care report notes the development of 60 new Extra Care Housing units at Holloway Park
as a future measure to support ambitions related to care home admissions, which can be seen as a form of neighbourhood-based support.
Agenda frontsheet 22nd Sep 2026 Public reports pack 22nd Sep 2026