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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
Resolved: to exclude the public for the following item(s) pursuant to Section 100A (4) and (5) of the Local Government Act 1972 and the relevant exempt paragraphs of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.
There were no declarations of interest received.
The minutes of the meetings held on 30th October 2025, 25th November 2025 and 11th December 2025 were approved as accurate record of proceedings.
There were no public items from the Cabinet Forward Work Programme for consideration.
There were no items from the Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme for consideration.
Members considered the Performance Monitoring items.
The Strategic Director of Social Services, Health and Housing provided members with an overview of the report. Members referred to page 59 of the report, it was noted that a key achievement under Cost of Living/Poverty Prevention was helping households to claim for additional income in relation to annual pension credit; 47% of targeted households had made successful claims for pension credit. Members questioned whether the remaining 53% of households were unsuccessful and what the outcomes of this were. Members asked for the number of affected people as opposed to percentage data. The Strategic Director advised members that the information was not available at the meeting and a written response would be circulated. Members noted that 717 two and three year olds benefitted from Flying Start funded childcare and questioned what the plans are to ensure that all two and three year olds received Flying Start places. The Strategic Director acknowledged the value of the programme but explained Flying Start did not sit within the Social Services Directorate. The Head of Children and Young People Services added that there was recognition within early intervention and prevention services of waiting lists. Work is being undertaken with colleagues in Education to reduce risks and improve the offer. The member thanked officers and agreed to raise their question with the Chair of Education Scrutiny. Following scrutiny, the report was noted.
The Strategic Director for Social Services, Health and Housing, provided a brief introduction to the annual report. Members asked the Director which achievements within the report he was most proud of. The Director stated that it was difficult to select one achievement, but expressed particular pride in the hard‑working staff across all Social Services departments, and the innovation and enthusiasm they bring to their roles. He also highlighted the significant efforts made to listen to residents and obtain feedback on the services provided, as well as the methods used to respond to suggestions for improvement. The Director referred to work undertaken around complaints and compliments, staff audits of cases, and engagement with families about their experiences, which have informed changes to service delivery as detailed in the report. Members also asked about the challenges expected in the coming year. The Director explained that the main challenge is the financial situation combined with increasing expectations of the social services function. He noted demographic changes, including a growing number of older and frailer people, which brings additional costs and complexity. As people live longer, services need to be adapted accordingly, and the report outlines some of the steps being taken to address these issues. Members queried why the report was presented to the committee later than usual. The Director advised that there had been difficulties this year, including staff sickness, which delayed the process. Normally, the report is prepared around September for submission to Council. It was confirmed that processes will be reviewed to ensure timelier preparation next year. Following scrutiny, the report was noted.
Officers referred to the Cabinet and Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programmes contained within the agenda pack; members were given the opportunity to request further items for consideration. With the agreement of the Chair the following changes have been made to the Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme: • Third Sector Overview Report has been removed from today's meeting, further discussions will be held with officers. • Permission to Remodel and Tender Housing Funded Homelessness Floating Support has been removed from the March meeting and will be reprogrammed in the new cycle of meetings. The scrutiny meeting planned for 5th of March has been moved to 19th March due to a clash with an additional scheduled Council meeting. Members commented it was important for the Third Sector report to be re-programmed into the Forward Work Programme. The Forward Work Programme was noted.
There were no urgent items.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: to exclude the public for the following item(s) pursuant to Section 100A (4) and (5) of the Local Government Act 1972 and the relevant exempt paragraphs of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.
Resolved: to exclude the public for the following item(s) pursuant to Section 100A (4) and (5) of the Local Government Act 1972 and the relevant exempt paragraphs of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.
Members considered the private items from the Cabinet Forward Work Programme.
Members considered the private performance monitoring items.
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