The People Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Oxfordshire County Council met on Thursday 4 June 2026 to discuss the Community Capacity Grants Programme, an update on the Shared Lives Service, and proposed changes to the Adult Social Care Contributions Policy. The committee also reviewed its forward work plan and noted the progress of previous recommendations.

Community Capacity Grants Programme

The committee was scheduled to consider a report on the Community Capacity Grants Programme, which aims to support grass-roots organisations in Oxfordshire. The programme, launched in 2022, provides funding to local organisations to help people live more independently and stay well within their communities. The report detailed the programme's administration, grant allocation processes, and summaries of the 2024/25 and 2025/26 programmes, including geographical breakdowns of awarded grants and impact on wellbeing. The report also highlighted challenges such as the programme being oversubscribed and the difficulty in definitively linking investment to the management of demand on adult social care. The committee was asked to consider the report and make any recommendations it wished to Cabinet.

Update on the Council's Shared Lives Service

An update on the Council's Shared Lives Service was scheduled for discussion. This service matches adults who need support to live independently with approved Shared Lives carers, where individuals live as part of the carer's household or receive support through regular visits. The report outlined the Oxfordshire scheme's current status, including the number of approved households and individuals supported, and the rigorous assessment process for carers. It detailed efforts to ensure equitable access to the scheme, particularly for younger adults and care leavers, and discussed strategies for recruiting and retaining carers. The report also highlighted the service's 'Good' rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and its 'Outstanding' rating in the caring component. The committee was asked to consider the support provided by the service and to support efforts to increase awareness of becoming a Shared Lives carer.

Consultation on Proposed Changes to Adult Social Care Contributions Policy

The committee was set to review a report on a public consultation regarding proposed changes to the Adult Social Care Contributions Policy. The report detailed three proposed changes: reducing the initial Disability Related Expenditure (DRE) allowance, introducing a charge for transport arranged by Adult Social Care, and introducing a charge for all telecare service users. The report explained the rationale behind these proposals, citing increasing demand for adult social care and significant financial challenges facing the council, including a budget shortfall and reductions in government funding. The consultation process, which was ongoing, aimed to gather views on how these changes might affect service users. The committee was asked to note the consultation and make recommendations on the specific proposals to be taken into account.

Committee Forward Work Plan

The committee was scheduled to review and agree its work programme for forthcoming meetings. This included considering any changes from previous iterations and taking into account the Cabinet Forward Plan and the Budget Management Monitoring Report. The forward work plan indicated future topics for discussion, including the Connect to Work programme, the Council's response to its CQC inspection, the Oxfordshire Adults Safeguarding Board Annual Report, and an update on the Oxfordshire Way.

Committee Action and Recommendation Tracker

The committee was to note the progress of previous recommendations and actions arising from earlier meetings. This item allows the committee to monitor the implementation of decisions made in past meetings.

Responses to Scrutiny Recommendations

The committee was scheduled to note the Cabinet's response to the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee's report on the Unpaid Carer Strategy. This item provides an update on how the Cabinet has addressed recommendations made by the committee in previous reports.