The Healthier Communities Select Committee is scheduled to convene on Tuesday 3 November 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the council's budget reduction proposals for 2027/28, an examination of the Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board's annual report for 2025-26, and an update on the committee's work programme.

2027/28 Budget Reductions Report

A significant portion of the meeting is dedicated to reviewing proposals for budget reductions totalling £64.469 million over the four-year period from 2027/28 to 2030/31. The council is currently forecasting a gross overspend of £9.9 million for the 2026/27 financial year. The report outlines that identified savings for 2027/28 amount to £16.888 million, with further savings of £11.784 million projected for 2028/29 and 2029/30. These proposals are categorised into themes such as service re-design, demand management and prevention, invest to save, and income generation. The committee is asked to review specific savings proposals within its remit, including those related to Adult Social Care and Health (ASC&H-01 to ASC&H-11), Children and Young People (CYP-01 to CYP-03), Place (PLACE-18, PLACE-23, PLACE-24, PLACE-26), and Corporate Resources (CR-01, CR-03, CR-04, CR-09, CR-11, CR-13). The report also highlights that further proposals totalling at least £30 million need to be developed to ensure a balanced budget for 2027/28 without relying on reserves.

Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) Annual Report 2025-26

The committee will receive an overview of the partnership work undertaken by the Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) and its partner agencies between April 2025 and March 2026. The report, which is for information only, includes a message from the Independent Chair, Mr. Ben Mant, summarising delivery in 2025-26, details of Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs), and information on seeking the views of members of the public. It also covers communication and engagement examples, testing the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements, the development of policies and strategies, the prevalence of abuse locally, and the impact of learning activities. The report notes that the LSAB budget has remained unchanged since 2015, with 90% allocated to staffing costs. Key performance targets for 2025-26 are presented, indicating that while most targets were met or exceeded, there is room for improvement in areas such as concluding enquiries within target timescales and ensuring all desired outcomes are recorded. The report highlights persistent themes in SARs, including mental ill-health, professional curiosity, and race discrimination, and outlines changes made in response, such as updated Mental Health Act guidance and a new Missing Adults Framework. The LSAB website is noted as a valuable resource with a significant increase in user engagement.

Select Committee Work Programme

An update on the committee's work programme will be provided, allowing members to review the attached programme and the forward plan of key decisions. The committee will have the opportunity to consider any urgent or necessary changes to its work programme and to specify any additional information required for upcoming agenda items. The report reiterates the importance of keeping the work programme focused, balanced, timely, and realistic, with any proposed additions or amendments being carefully considered to ensure the committee's scrutiny efforts are directed where they can add the most value. The work programme includes topics such as Mental Health, Dementia, Adult Social Care performance, and the Budget, with specific lines of enquiry outlined for each.

The meeting will also address other items, including the minutes of the previous meeting and declarations of interest.