Worcestershire County Council's cabinet met to discuss plans to get more people into work and the latest budget monitoring report. The cabinet approved the Get Worcestershire Working Plan, and also agreed to stop further work on the Redditch Railway Station project, recommending that the council remove it from the Capital Programme. Councillors also discussed the financial challenges facing the council, including overspends in adult and children's social care.

Get Worcestershire Working Plan Approved

The cabinet approved the Get Worcestershire Working Plan and authorised Mark Fitton, Strategic Director of Adults & Communities, to submit the plan to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for approval and implementation.

Councillor Alan Amos, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Business and Skills, introduced the report, highlighting the importance of getting people into work or back into work. The plan aims to address the two main causes of economic inactivity: ill health and lack of skills, with an emphasis on young people.

The Get Worcestershire Working Plan includes:

• Aims to reduce economic inactivity and support people into good work.
• Enhance productivity across the UK.
• Emphasis on local partnerships to find solutions to specific regional challenges.

The plan identifies several gaps in provision, including:

• Re-engagement provision for young people aged 16-19.
• More localised and contextualised support.
• Adult skills at Level 2 and 3¹.
• Self-employment support.
• Support for young people (16–24).
• All-age careers services.
• Work experience and volunteering placement schemes.
• Community support - social prescribing focused on employment.

The plan also outlines several systemic changes that need to be addressed to help Worcestershire transition towards a more effective employment and skills system, such as:

• Gaining an improved understanding of the needs of employers within the county.
• Improved visibility of entry points to services.
• Addressing the impact of funding cuts to adult skills budgets in Worcestershire.
• Challenging the short-term nature of funding.
• Creating greater flexibility in the use of funding to meet local need.

Councillor David Taylor, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for One Worcestershire, raised concerns about employment statistics for young people in Redditch, and asked Councillor Amos to engage with local businesses to support young people in securing full-time employment. Councillor Amos agreed to arrange a visit to the Redditch Youth Hub to see the work being done to support young people.

Councillor McVeigh raised concerns about the rising number of NEETs², and asked what could be done to ease the transition for care experienced young people. Councillor Amos responded that he would look into the matter.

Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring Report

Phil Rook, Chief Financial Officer, presented the Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring Report - Quarter 1 2025-26, which provided an overview of the council's financial position as of 30 June 2025. The report indicated a breakeven position after the use of reserves and exceptional financial support. However, the report also highlighted significant pressures on adult and children's social care, as well as home to school transport.

Councillor Rob Wharton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Finance and Efficiency, described the council's financial position as a financial emergency , and said that the administration was prepared to take difficult decisions to get the council back on track.

Councillor David Taylor said that the council was reassessing several ongoing projects, including the Redditch train station redevelopment. He said that the council did not believe that borrowing was the most responsible course for taxpayers.

Councillor Kent raised concerns about cuts to education provision and the impact on children spending long hours on buses. He also suggested looking at staffing changes and using artificial intelligence to find savings.

Councillor Bowen responded to Councillor Kent's comments, saying that the overspend in children's social care was due to the number of children placed in external fostering agencies and residential homes, and that this was a result of years of underinvestment in fostering.

Councillor Hardiman expressed disappointment about cuts to the roads maintenance budget, and suggested postponing the Hampton Bridge project instead.

Councillor Perks responded that the council was legally bound to provide a bridge, and that stopping the scheme would have a revenue impact of £16 million.

Councillor Jenkins raised concerns about cuts to capital investment, particularly in train stations. He said that these investments were important for improving connectivity and air quality.

Councillor McVeigh reported that the Local Government Association was lobbying to have the dedicated schools grant deficit cancelled, and to cap costs for children's social care.

Councillor Boatwright-Green asked how the council would address the issue of getting young people to training and apprenticeships, and raised concerns about the impact of bus service cuts.

Councillor Miller asked about the tree planting program in Dodderhill, and whether the council was planning to sell land to fill its pot.

Councillor May asked what the council's plan was for Worcestershire, and said that she was not seeing any evidence of a plan other than cuts.

Councillor Hardiman said that he felt as though the council was engaged in a search and sweep show , and that he saw no sign of how the council was going to reform the revenue budget.

Councillor Wharton responded that the council was working on a plan to address the revenue budget, and that he understood the frustration.

Councillor Taylor said that the decisions the council was going to make were going to affect people's jobs and lives, and that the council was working towards trying to improve the situation for residents.

The cabinet then agreed to the recommendations set out in paragraph one a to f of the report. This included a decision to stop further work on the Redditch Railway Station project, and recommending that the council remove it from the Capital Programme.