The Place and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday 16 June 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the financial aspects of children's social care, an update on the provisional budget outturn for 2025/26, and a discussion on the waste collections and cleansing review.

Children's Social Care Strategy, Impact, and Future Options

A significant item on the agenda is the scrutiny of the financial aspects of children's social care provision. The report pack details the West Northamptonshire Council Children's Social Care strategy, impact and future options, indicating a focus on the financial implications of this vital service. The documents highlight national pressures on children's services, including a significant increase in children in care and the rising costs of residential placements. The report notes that National data demonstrates that this is part of a wider systemic pressure across children's services, not an issue unique to Northamptonshire. It also details the Key Service Drivers of the Additional Demand, such as increased use of residential care and market pressures. The report outlines the Summary 2025/26 for demand-led budget pressures, with placements being the primary driver. The committee will also consider Alternative Scenarios to 2030/31, which explore the potential impact of reducing the number of children in care and shifting placement types from residential to fostering.

Provisional 2025/26 Budget Outturn

The committee is scheduled to receive a verbal update on the provisional outturn position for the 2025/26 budget. This follows previous discussions on revenue monitoring and the Medium Term Financial Strategy, where a forecast overspend was noted. The report pack indicates that the accounts are at a provisional outturn stage and will be finalised after agreement with auditors.

Waste Collections & Cleansing Review Update

A verbal update is scheduled regarding the Waste Collections & Cleansing Review. This follows previous discussions where the committee noted concerns about the performance report's timeliness and data accuracy, particularly regarding fly-tipping rates.

Budget Scrutiny Review Process

The committee is set to consider the process used for scrutinising West Northamptonshire Council's draft budget, with the aim of identifying opportunities for improvement. The report, titled Budget Scrutiny Review Process, outlines the stages followed in 2025/26, including committee meetings, budget briefings, and task and finish panel meetings. It references guidance from the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) on effective scrutiny of finance, which encourages a focus on the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) and the use of sub-groups to maximise capacity. The report highlights potential areas for strengthening the existing process, such as rebalancing the budget scrutiny process to increase focus on the development of the draft budget ahead of publication.

Review of Committee Work Programme

The committee will review and note its work programme for the upcoming period. The work programme document lists several topics scheduled for future consideration, including the Children's Trust and its budgetary position, the budget scrutiny process, and reports on the MTFP. It also indicates that the Section 106/CIL Task and Finish Panel is expected to present its final draft report on 2 September 2026.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at One Angel Square, Angel Street, Northampton, NN1 1ED.