The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to meet to discuss the council's financial performance and future budget plans, including the 2024/25 provisional financial outturn, and the draft budget and medium term financial strategy for 2026/27. The committee was also expected to review and update its work programme for the coming year.

Here's a more detailed look at the topics that were scheduled to be covered:

2026/27 Draft Budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy

The committee was scheduled to scrutinise a report on the business planning process for the 2026/27 budget and the five-year Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2026-31. The report noted that the council must set a balanced budget, and that short-term financial management is counter to sound governance. The MTFS was described as providing a financial framework for the delivery of the council's aims as set out in the Corporate Delivery Plan, and managing future budget risks. The report stated that the council was facing at least a £44 million budget gap for 2026/27, which would increase across the MTFS period. It also noted that ongoing use of reserves to balance the budget was not sustainable. The report included three recommendations for the cabinet:

• To note the council's current financial position.
• To note the agreed pressures for 2026/27 and any additional emerging budget challenges.
• To note the agreed revenue savings proposals.
• To note the risks and uncertainties that still remain.
• To note that the General Fund Revenue Budget, Capital Strategy, Capital Programme, HRA 2026/27 Budget and Business Plan and Treasury Management Strategy Statement will be presented to Cabinet on 11 February 2026.
• To note the new Capital Delivery Governance Framework.

The Capital Delivery Governance Framework was designed to standardise and strengthen the governance around capital programmes by establishing consistent processes including a single set of gateways for all general fund and HRA capital delivery, refreshed governance structures, guidance and templates.

2024/25 Provisional Financial Outturn

The committee was scheduled to scrutinise the provisional outturn for 2024/25 for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account (HRA), Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and the Capital Programme, compared to the original budget agreed by the council in March 2024.

The report noted that in 2024/25, the council spent £318 million on day to day services supporting 3,920 residents using adult social care services, 5,134 supported by children's social care, and 2,630 supported in temporary accommodation. It also spent £79.9 million on capital investment, and £90.4 million on day-to-day services for tenants living in the council's 16,024 social homes.

In-year pressures meant that the budget required additional financial support from the government of £10 million. Emergency response arrangements have been in place since early 2025 to deliver on a Financial Response and Recovery Plan, with the overall objective of reducing reliance on Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) in the future and improve the council's financial resilience and sustainability.

The report included several recommendations for the cabinet, including:

• Noting the provisional revenue and capital outturn for 2024/25.
• Approving the capital carry forwards.
• Approving the transfers to/from reserves.
• Approving the budget transfers.
• Noting the debt write-offs approved by officers in Quarter 4 of 2024/25.
• Approving the re-instatement of fees for Haringey Learns adult learning service in line with the policy for academic year 2025/26.

The report also included a proposed update to the Haringey Learns policy, reinstating fees for the academic year 2025/26. The fees have been waived since the Covid-19 lockdown.

Work Programme Update

The committee was expected to note the current 2025/26 work programme and propose any amendments. The draft work plan included in the agenda pack specified that the meeting scheduled for 18 September 2025 would include:

• Cabinet Member Questions - Leader of the Council
• Finance and Performance update – Q1

The report also noted that given the council's difficult financial situation, the terms of reference for Overview and Scrutiny had been updated to allow more prominent focus on budget monitoring and performance. This includes in-year finance and performance monitoring items on a quarterly basis.