Agenda and draft minutes

No apologies were received.

No declarations of interest were received

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting on 4 March 2025 were a correct record and that they be signed by the Chair.

1.    Miss Diane Morton, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, provided an update on the following:

a)    On 9 July, Miss Morton attended and spoke at a KCC-hosted engagement event for adult and children’s home care providers. The event marked the beginning of discussions on the future of the Council’s Care and Support in the Home contract, which was due to expire in 2027. It formed part of the early engagement to shape the next phase of home care delivery in Kent. The event provided valuable insight from providers on what was working well, where there were gaps, and the barriers to effective service delivery. This feedback would directly inform the development of a new commissioning approach. The focus was not solely on a new contract, but on transforming collaborative working to improve outcomes for people who draw on care and support. It was a positive event.

b)    On 2 July, a visit was made to Gravesham Place, one of Kent’s four Integrated Care Centres. The visit included engagement with staff and residents and provided an opportunity to observe the work being delivered on site. Discussions also took place around the role of technology-enabled care in supporting independent living. Plans were underway to establish a dedicated support pod at the centre, offering residents access to advice, referrals, and guidance on digital tools. Further visits to the remaining centres were scheduled for later in the summer as part of a wider programme of engagement.

c)    On 13 June, the Chairman, Richard Palmer, and Miss Morton hosted a Carers Week coffee morning at Sessions House in support of the Someone’s Listening campaign. Approximately 18 carers and cared-for individuals attended. The event provided an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the vital role of unpaid carers across Kent. Chris Jeffery, Co-Chair of the Kent Carers’ Strategy Group, delivered a short address highlighting the theme of hidden carers in the workforce; individuals balancing employment with caring responsibilities, often without formal recognition or support. Attendees were signposted to available advice and carers’ assessments via the Council’s website. The event formed part of wider efforts to raise awareness of carers’ needs and promote access to support across Kent.

d)    Alcohol Awareness Week took place from 7 to 13 July. This year’s theme focused on the relationship between alcohol use and work-related stress.

e)    Shared Lives Week took place from 23 to 27 June. The campaign encouraged residents to consider becoming Shared Lives carers, offering support from their own homes to adults who need care and companionship.

f)     Learning Disability Week took place from 19 to 25 June. In partnership with Mencap, the Council supported national efforts to challenge misconceptions and share real-life stories of people living with learning disabilities.

g)    As part of Learning Disability Week, an art exhibition was held in the Stone Hall at Sessions House, showcasing work by individuals with learning disabilities. Selected pieces will be displayed in the Cabinet Member’s office. Further information on this and other awareness campaigns is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 105.

Dave Shipton (Head of Finance, Policy, Planning, Strategy) was in attendance for this item

1. Mr Collins (Deputy Leader of Kent County Council) introduced the report that provided details of the outturn position for the financial year 2024-25. The Year ended with a with a revenue overspend of £20.2 million, representing 1.4% of the £1.43 billion budget. The overspend was primarily driven by pressures in Adult Social Care and Health, which accounted for £46.4 million, and reflected national trends across county councils. Approximately 40% of the overspend related to undelivered savings, much of which was expected to be achieved in future years.

Additional pressures were noted in Growth, Environment and Transport, due to changes in the national concessionary travel scheme and increased waste and highways costs. These were partially offset by underspends in Children’s Services, particularly in Home to School Transport, and in non-attributable costs, where higher investment returns and lower borrowing costs contributed to a £14 million underspend.

Schools delegated budgets overspent by £30.3 million, driven by rising demand for Special Educational Needs provision, increasing the Dedicated Schools Grant deficit to £97.5 million. This remained under review through the Department for Education’s Safety Valve programme, with further government proposals expected in the autumn.

The capital programme experienced significant slippage, with £253 million spent against a £429 million approved budget, and £185 million rephased into future years due to project delays.

2. Mr Shipton reminded Cabinet of the challenges in forecasting demand-led services. As part of the approved budget strategy for 2024–25, it was agreed that no centrally held contingency would be maintained. Consequently, any variance in demand forecasts would be absorbed by the General Reserve. This approach was adopted to improve transparency and to reinforce to managers that no central contingency was available. The associated risk was acknowledged, and the General Reserve was strengthened accordingly.

3. RESOLVED that Cabinet agree to:

a)    NOTE the capital and revenue outturn position for 2024-25

b)    AGREE that £0.6m is rolled forward to fund existing criteria (see Roll forward requests)

c)    AGREE the drawing down from General Fund Reserves to fund the 2024-25 overspend

d)    AGREE the capital slippage/re-phasing from 2024-25 will be added to the 2025-26 and later years capital budgets (as per Section 4)

e)    NOTE the review of the capital programme (as per Section 4)

f)     AGREE the proposed capital cash limit changes (as per Section 4)

g)    AGREE the changes made as a result of the Reserves Review (see Reserves)

David Whittle (Director of Strategy, Policy, Relationships & Corporate Assurance) was in attendance for this item

1.    Mr Whittle outlined the outlined the report for Quarter 4 (Q4, 2024/25) which covered the period January to March, prior to the May county elections. Of the 38 KPIs reported, 19 were rated Green (an increase of two), 9 Amber (a decrease of three), and 10 Red (an increase of one). With regards to Direction of Travel, 11 indicators showed a positive trend (the same as the previous Quarter), 22 were stable or with no clear trend (one more than the previous Quarter), and five were showing a negative trend (one fewer than the previous Quarter). Mr Whittle addressed the 10 KPIs that were rated RED, 5 of which had been rated Red for at least six consecutive quarters, though several showed marked improvement compared to the previous year. FOI and SAR volumes remained at historic highs, and EHCP timeliness continued to improve. No KPIs were rated Red under Growth, Economic Development and Communities, Environment and Transport, or Public Health portfolios. Mr Whittle drew Cabinet’s attention to strong performance in several areas, including: Emergency highway incidents attended within two hours (98% target met),Municipal waste to landfill (less than 1%), NHS Health Checks uptake and Drug and alcohol treatment completions exceeding targets. Furthermore, Mr Whittle set out the proposed KPI changes for 2025-2026, which were detailed in appendix 2 of the report.

Mr Whittle informed Cabinet that the Government had published a draft Local Government Outcomes Framework. The Chief Analyst and Analytics Team were assessing its implications, with any proposed changes to be brought back to Cabinet for consideration and approval.

2.    RESOLVED that Cabinet agree to:

NOTE the Quarter 4 Performance Report and the actions being taken to address areas where performance is not as targeted, and the proposed indicators for 2025/26.