The Resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee of Manchester City Council met on Thursday 10 September 2026 to discuss the council's anti-poverty budget, the future of housing repairs and maintenance services, and an overview of key council decisions and its work programme. The meeting also included a review of the council's finance and HR system replacement.

Anti-Poverty Budget Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the council's current budgets and support mechanisms for delivering anti-poverty measures. The report detailed the council's core anti-poverty initiatives, including the Council Tax Support Scheme, Vulnerable Renters Fund, Housing Payments, Welfare Provision Scheme, and Discretionary Council Tax Payments. It also outlined additional funding provided to address the Cost-of-Living Crisis, such as the Household Support Fund, Crisis and Resilience Fund, Cost of Living Fund (Residents at Risk), and Council Tenants' Support Fund. Longer-term activity through the Making Manchester Fairer strategy was also to be discussed. The report highlighted that the council had voluntarily adopted the Socio-Economic Duty (SED) in October 2024, committing to consider poverty impacts in all budget and policy decisions. The total budgeted resources for anti-poverty measures in 2026/27 were approximately £46.190 million, with £18 million funded by central government and £28.190 million directly funded by the council. The report recommended that any underspend in the Cost-of-Living Budget be used to support longer-term anti-poverty and Making Manchester Fairer initiatives for young people.

Housing Repairs Insourcing and Recommissioning

A significant portion of the meeting was scheduled to focus on the future of housing repairs and maintenance services for directly managed council housing. The current contract with Equans is set to expire on 31 March 2027. The report presented a proposed combined model where the principal operational elements of the service would be brought into direct council management, with specialist functions recommissioned through externally procured arrangements. This approach aims to provide greater control over service delivery, workforce development, performance management, and customer experience, with an anticipated reduction in annual operating costs of approximately £4.8 million over the first five years. The proposed model includes an Internal Property Service for responsive repairs, voids, heating, electrical works, and other core trade competencies, alongside Specialist Managed Services for areas requiring specific accreditation or expertise, such as lift servicing and fire alarm systems. The report also noted potential capital implications for establishing the in-house service, including investment in ICT systems and depot facilities.

Overview Report

The committee was to receive an overview report from the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit, which included a Recommendations Monitor detailing responses to previous committee recommendations, a list of Key Decisions due to be made by the council within the committee's remit, and the committee's Work Programme. The report indicated that there were no outstanding recommendations from previous meetings. The Key Decisions section listed various upcoming decisions, including contract awards for business rates debt collection, electricity supply, transportation of bodies, and IT systems for parking and workplace adjustments. It also detailed proposed land disposals and lease renewals for various sites across the city, including Manchester Science Park, Lord North Street, and Cornbrook House. The committee was asked to agree its work programme for upcoming meetings.

Our New Finance & HR System - People and Money Programme

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the progress of the People and Money Programme, which aims to replace the council's existing finance and HR systems. The report detailed the implementation timeline for various components, including Concur for mileage and expenses, SuccessFactors for HR/Payroll, and S/4HANA for the finance system. The rationale for the new system was the current system's bespoke nature, cumbersome use, and reliance on a platform requiring costly extended support beyond 2030. The report highlighted that the project had reached the user acceptance testing phase and noted that while there had been delays, these were being managed. A confidential Part B report was also listed, outlining the financial position of this system replacement.

Other Business

The agenda also included standard items such as considering urgent business, appeals, and declarations of interest. A private meeting for committee members only was scheduled to take place before the main public meeting. The agenda also noted that the committee would consider excluding the press and public for an item containing exempt information.