About the Commission
- Aim of the Commission
- The Commissioners
- Terms of Reference
- Project plan
- Topics and issues
- Timescales
- Meeting minutes
- Contact
Aim of the Commission
The aim of the Commission is to develop practical recommendations on how the council - working with others - can tackle inequality and promote fairness in the borough.
Haringey is a place of great opportunity and diversity. We have amazing assets, where 100% of our schools are good and outstanding, where most children reach a good level of development in their early years, with fantastic parks and green spaces, great transport infrastructure and nationally loved cultural institutions.
However, we want to ensure everyone is able to benefit from the best Haringey has to offer. Haringey is the sixth most deprived borough in London. That there are areas with very high levels of poverty and inequality on a range of outcomes is evident. There are huge challenges in ensuring access to decent housing; sustainable, better-paid employment; tackling social care, health and mental health issues; dealing with child poverty and helping our residents to manage growing household costs.
We will be taking evidence and testimony from residents, partner agencies, businesses, professionals and experts on a wide range of themes, and aim, from this to design new policies to improve outcomes and tackle inequality for Haringey residents for years to come.
The Commissioners
Councillor Kaushika Amin
Cllr Kaushika Amin - who represents Northumberland Park ward and is of Indian and Kenyan origin – has been a Cabinet member previously, is a former Haringey Mayor and has chaired a range of committees. She has lived in Tottenham for more than 35 years and raised her family in the borough.
Cllr Amin said:“We are committed to making Haringey a fairer and more equal borough and it is important to me that the voices of residents from all walks of life can be heard. I am looking forward to working closely with residents and my fellow commissioners and encourage residents to join us at the next event in Hornsey on 15 January.”
Professor Paul Watt
Paul is a Professor of Urban Studies in the Department of Geography at Birkbeck, University of London. His research interests span geography, sociology and social policy, with an over-arching focus on the relationship between social inequalities, space and place. His particular research specialisms include social housing, urban regeneration, homelessness, gentrification, post-industrial employment, suburbanisation, and the Olympic Games.
Paul has significant academic experience, having been a Reader at the Policy Research Institute, University of Wolverhampton, and taught at the University of East London and Buckinghamshire New University. He is on the editorial board of ‘City’. He has published four books and a large volume of academic papers and has made numerous media appearances.
Commission members
The following people are confirmed to be on the Commission:
- Lynette Charles - Chief Executive of Mind in Haringey
- Councillor Lucia das Neves - Chair of Overview and Scrutiny
- Dara de Burca - Local Resident and Director of Children and Young People at the Children’s Society
- Jeanelle De Gruchy - President of the Association of Directors of Public Health
- Councillor Erdal Dogan - Labour Councillor for Seven Sisters Ward
- Kellie Dorrington - Haringey Citizens Advice
- Matt Dykes - Trade Union Congress
- Councillor Scott Emery - Liberal Democrat Councillor for Muswell Hill
- Sharon Grant OBE - Public Voice
- Tony Hartney - Headteacher Gladesmore Community School and Crowland Primary School
- Tony Hoolaghan - Chief Operating Officer Haringey Clinical Commissioning Group
- Bibi Khan - LICS Wightman Road Mosque and Multi-Faith Forum
- Barbara Lisicki - Disability rights activist
- Paul Butler - Chief Executive of the Selby Trust
- Rabbi David Mason - Muswell Hill Synagogue and Multi-Faith Forum
- Radojka Miljevic - Local Resident and Partner at Campbell Tickell
- Helen Millichap - Borough Commander
- Dr Geoffrey Ocen - Chief Executive of the Bridge Renewal Trust
- Sean O’Donovan - Haringey Citizens Advice
- Rob Tao - Haringey Business Alliance
Catherine West MP will be attending the Commission meetings and events when available.
Further commissioners will be announced in due course.
Terms of Reference
The Terms of Reference were agreed following the first meeting of the Commission in September 2018.
Project plan
The project plan outlines the overall approach that has been agreed for the Fairness Commission, including planned engagement and the overall timeline.
Topics and issues
The Fairness Commission discussions in the initial engagement phase tended to focus on:
- Children, Young People and Education
- Debt and Poverty
- Jobs, Training and the Economy
- Health and Social Care
- Housing
- Communities and Neighbourhood
- Engagement with Public Services
Following completion of the initial engagement phase, the Commission’s future work will focus on a small number of topics, so that the Commission can explore them in sufficient depth to make meaningful recommendations. This prioritisation has been led by what we heard through the initial public engagement. The Commission will focus on the following issues over the next few months:
- Engagement with Public Services: communication, transparency and access
- Housing: insecure housing with a focus on temporary accommodation, homelessness and the private rental sector
- Children and Young People: spaces, support and school exclusions
- Communities and Neighbourhoods: capacity-building for community groups and organisations
- Communities and Neighbourhoods: community cohesion, integration, migration and safety
Timescales
The Commission will make final recommendations in autumn 2019.
There will be three main phases of the Commission.
July-September 2018 - Scoping
The focus of this phase will be to review the evidence on the causes of inequality in the Haringey context. We also welcome initial input into the commission through our e-form.
October 2018-March 2019 - Engagement
The focus during this time will be on engagement with residents, the voluntary sector, public sector partners, businesses and academic experts. Events will be posted on the Get involved page.
April - autumn 2019 - Recommendations
Pulling together the evidence gathered from the scoping phase and what we heard during the engagement, we will develop and publish the final recommendations.
Meeting minutes
Please note the first meeting minutes of the Fairness Commission approved as below.
- Minutes of meeting - 1 April 2019 (PDF, 135KB)
- DRAFT - minutes of meeting 17 September 2018 (PDF, 412KB)
Contact
You can contact the Commission at:
- Fairness Commission
5th Floor River Park House
225 High Road
Wood Green
N22 8HQ - Email: fairness@haringey.gov.uk
