The Cabinet of Doncaster Council met on Wednesday 09 September 2026 to discuss the Youth Justice Plan 2026/27 to 2028/29, the Road Safety Strategy 2026, and the Quarter 1 2026-27 Finance and Performance Report. Updates were also received regarding the St Leger Homes Performance Report 2026/27 Quarter 1 and St Leger Homes' Annual Customer Feedback and Satisfaction Results.

Youth Justice Plan 2026/27 to 2028/29

The Cabinet considered the statutory Youth Justice Plan for 2026/27 to 2028/29, which outlines the work of the Youth Justice Service (YJS) in Doncaster. The plan, a requirement of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, aims to prevent offending by children and young persons. The report highlighted the YJS's success in meeting the needs of children and families, with positive feedback quoted from parents and young people. The plan detailed that the profile of young people most likely to come into contact with the Youth Justice System is a White Doncaster-born male aged between 16-17. The service's practice model is based on Child First principles, with a specialist offer tailored to individual needs to reduce re-offending and improve safety and well-being. The report noted the achievement of Turnaround programme targets, with a low re-offending rate among engaged children. The EPIC Hub, established to address youth-related anti-social behaviour, reported significant engagement with children. The YJS performance in preventing and diverting children from the Criminal Justice System was highlighted as strong, with 97% of children receiving a diversionary outcome not re-offending. The annual re-offending rate was reported as 28.8%, which, while higher than the target, was lower than the England rate. The plan also aimed to achieve a target of no more than two children known to the service receiving a custodial sentence. The report detailed the financial implications, with City of Doncaster Council allocating £1.068m to the YJS in 2026/27, supplemented by partner contributions. The Cabinet was recommended to support the Youth Justice Plan for approval by Full Council, with the aim of protecting citizens from youth offending and contributing to safer, more inclusive communities.

Road Safety Strategy 2026

The Cabinet was asked to endorse the new Road Safety Strategy 2026, which sets out an ambitious framework to improve safety across Doncaster's transport network with the ultimate goal of Vision Zero – that no one should be killed or seriously injured on the roads. Key targets include a 50% reduction in killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties by 2032, a 30% reduction in vulnerable road user casualties by 2032, and exceeding 90% compliance with speed limits on key routes. The strategy adopts a Safe System approach, recognising that road harm is preventable and that safety is a shared responsibility. It is structured around five pillars: Safe Vehicles, Safe Road Users, Safe Speeds, Safe Roads and Roadsides, and Post-Collision Response. The strategy places a strong emphasis on protecting vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, children, older people, and those with disabilities. Delivery will be data-driven and partnership-based, involving local authorities, police, health services, and community organisations. The Cabinet was asked to endorse the strategy, commit to its recommendations, and delegate authority to the Executive Director of Place and the Chief Finance Officer to deliver its objectives. The strategy aims to make everyday life in Doncaster safer, healthier, and more accessible, leading to fewer serious collisions, safer journeys for all road users, greater protection for vulnerable individuals, more opportunities for active travel, improved neighbourhoods, and stronger enforcement and education. The strategy aligns with national policy and best practice, supporting wider council objectives related to public health, climate change, economic growth, and creating safer communities.

Quarter 1 2026-27 Finance and Performance Report

The Cabinet reviewed the Quarter 1 Finance and Performance Report for 2026-27, which summarised the council's delivery against its Corporate Plan and Budget. The report highlighted the uncertain economic outlook, with inflation falling but remaining above the national target, and continued volatility due to energy costs, supply chain pressures, and geopolitical tensions. Locally, Doncaster's economy was performing broadly in line with comparable areas, with resilient employment rates but lower average earnings. The proportion of residents claiming out-of-work benefits was marginally higher than the average, particularly among younger adults. The council's Corporate Plan and budget are focused on delivering Doncaster Delivering Together, with progress noted in economic growth, regeneration, and future investment, including developments at Gateway One and digital and AI ambitions. Major strategic initiatives in neighbourhood renewal, the Biosphere, market development, and cultural heritage were also progressing. However, service budgets were forecasting a net overspend of £7.0 million, attributed to demand-led overspends and shortfalls against income and savings targets. Significant variances were noted in Adult Social Care (£3.2m overspend), Place (£2.3m overspend, including £1.3m in Waste), Children, Young People & Families (£0.7m overspend), and Culture & Commercialisation (£0.3m overspend). The council holds £5.6m in contingency funding, which would reduce the forecast overspend to £1.4m if fully applied, but this would limit flexibility for future in-year pressures. A £2.3m one-off risk reserve also remains available. A forecast overspend of £30.0m was reported against the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) High Needs Block, separate from the General Fund. The report detailed progress across the four Big Collaborations of the Corporate Plan: Economic & Housing Growth, City Centre regeneration, Renewing Neighbourhoods, and Learning & Culture. Specific achievements included progress on the Doncaster Humberhead Biosphere Reserve application, securing £4.6 million in Warm Homes funding, and preparations for additional electric vehicles in the council fleet. The report also detailed performance against various service standards, highlighting areas of success such as energy efficiency upgrades and volunteer levels in cultural services, alongside areas requiring improvement such as EHCP timescales and recycling rates.

St Leger Homes Performance Report 2026/27 Quarter 1

The Cabinet received an update on St Leger Homes of Doncaster's (SLHD) performance for Quarter 1 of the 2026/27 financial year. The report presented Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Regulatory Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs), with 41 KPIs agreed with City of Doncaster Council (CDC). Of the 28 measurable KPIs at the end of Q1, 18 were met or within tolerance of their targets. Areas performing well included Percentage of Current Rent Arrears against Annual Rent Debit (better than target), Average Days to Re-let Standard Properties (better than target), Percentage of Homes for which all required fire risk assessments have been carried out (meeting target), Legionella risk assessments (meeting target), Communal passenger lift safety checks (meeting target), and Percentage of homes not meeting Decent Homes Standard (better than target). Areas flagged as worse than target included Void rent loss, Gas Servicing, Asbestos management surveys, Electrical safety checks, and Damp and Mould inspections. Sickness absence per FTE was also worse than target. The report noted that local revenue expenditure was below target. Anti-social behaviour cases and hate incidents were better than target, as were the number of residents helped into training, education, or employment. The report also provided benchmarking data from Housemark, indicating SLHD's performance in relation to other housing organisations.

St Leger Homes' Annual Customer Feedback and Satisfaction Results

The Cabinet was presented with St Leger Homes of Doncaster's (SLHD) Annual Complaint and Service Improvement Report for 2025/26 and the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code self-assessment. The report detailed that 1,671 Stage 1 and 187 Stage 2 complaints were received during the year. SLHD maintained strong performance in responding to complaints within target timescales, with 99.76% of Stage 1 and 98.40% of Stage 2 complaints handled within the set deadlines. The report indicated that SLHD is compliant with the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code, with internal audit providing Substantial Assurance on complaint-handling processes. The main reasons for complaints were identified as time taken to deliver services, service delivery, and staffing issues. The report outlined improvement activities informed by complaint insight, including complaint clinics, repairs service improvements, clearer customer communication, and staff training. The Housing Ombudsman's determinations for 2025/26 were also reviewed, with findings ranging from no maladministration to service failure and maladministration in specific cases. The report highlighted that SLHD uses complaint learning to drive service improvements, with positive indicators in wider customer experience data, including satisfaction with repairs, home maintenance, safety, communication, and fair treatment. The Member Responsible for Complaints, Councillor Glyn Jones, and the Tenant Board Member Complaint Champion provided a positive response, noting SLHD's compliance with the Housing Ombudsman's Code and the use of complaint learning for service improvement.