The Overview and Scrutiny Board of Middlesbrough Council were scheduled to meet on Wednesday 17 September 2025. The agenda included an update from the Executive Member for Education and Culture, a review of the Executive Forward Work Programme, and a discussion on the draft terms of reference for a review of poverty in Middlesbrough. The board was also scheduled to receive updates from scrutiny chairs.

Poverty Review

The board was scheduled to discuss and agree on the terms of reference for its review of Poverty, its impact, and efforts to tackle it. The review was to have a policy lens and focus on current and planned policy initiatives to address poverty in Middlesbrough.

The draft terms of reference included:

• Understanding the definition of poverty and its meaning for Middlesbrough.
• Understanding the causes and impact of poverty in Middlesbrough, with a focus on demographics.
• Exploring the council's strategies, plans, and policies to address and alleviate poverty.
• Understanding the work being done with external stakeholders to address and alleviate poverty in Middlesbrough.

Executive Forward Work Programme

The board was scheduled to consider the Executive Forward Work Programme, which outlines upcoming decisions to be made by the executive. The board could decide to review these items in advance of any decisions being made.

Several items on the forward plan were identified as requiring more information:

• Development of Middlehaven Proposals to commence preparatory work for the comprehensive redevelopment of Middlehaven
• Capital Investment in Council Buildings Proposals to invest in major reconfiguration and repair of Council buildings
• Investment in Homelessness Proposals for investment alongside a social investor to purchase properties to reduce the expenditure on temporary accommodation

Other items listed on the Executive Forward Plan included:

• Information Strategy 2025-2029
• People Scrutiny Panel Report on Children Missing Education (CME)
• Domestic Abuse Strategy 2025-2028
• Levick Court Development of Respite Provision and partnership working with TEWV[^1] [^1]: It is not clear what TEWV refers to.
• Place Scrutiny Report – Home to School Transport Service
• EXEMPT Waste Disposal Options
• Longlands Road sustainable transport improvements
• Household Support Fund 2025/26 amendment
• Treasury Management Mid Year Review - 2025/26
• Service Response to Final Report of the Place Scrutiny Panel
• Annual Treasury Management Strategy and Prudential Indicators 2026/27 to 2029/30
• Revenue and Capital Budget - Forecast Year-end Outturn position at Quarter Two 2025/26
• Recovery Solutions Delivery Model

Executive Member Update - Education and Culture

The Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for Education and Culture was scheduled to provide an update on their portfolio. The report pack included an overview of priorities for Education, Culture, and Other Areas.

Priorities for Education included:

• Working with schools to reduce exclusions and suspensions
• Supporting schools to improve attendance
• Preventing young people from entering the Youth Justice System
• Creating access to facilities to improve Early Years childhood experiences
• Enhancing creative ways of learning
• Grant support for schools

Priorities for Culture included:

• Supporting schools through cultural development
• Increasing capacity of events team
• Supporting child literacy
• Creating access to facilities to improve childhood experiences
• Enhancing creative ways of learning

Priorities for Other Areas included:

• Supporting DA[^2] service partners in a cohesive way [^2]: It is not clear what DA refers to.
• Challenging DA service partners, particularly the ICB[^3] [^3]: It is not clear what ICB refers to.
• Highlighting the need for a senior collections Officer
• Providing support and ideas to the events team around civics events with other councillors and veterans
• Expanding the impact of the multibank with partners
• Working with the North East Child Poverty Commission
• Ensuring policy change is embedded across the council in a crosscutting approach
• Embedding findings and outcomes from the poverty sprint.