The Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) met to discuss the Grenfell Recovery Programme, social investment, and the council's financial performance. The committee reviewed the delivery, reach, and impact of the Grenfell Recovery Programme, examined the Social Investment Impact Report, and discussed the Quarter 1 Revenue and Capital Financial Monitoring Report.

Grenfell Recovery Programme

The committee reviewed the final report on the Grenfell Recovery Programme, a five-year initiative that began in 2019 with £50 million in funding to support the long-term recovery of bereaved individuals, survivors, and the local community following the Grenfell tragedy. The report provided key information about the delivery, reach, and impact of the services and initiatives that were part of the programme.

The report highlighted that as of June 2024, 748 bereaved individuals and survivors were accessing the Dedicated Service, representing over 96% of those eligible. All 201 households from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk were in permanent accommodation, with 69% of survey respondents rating the support provided by Grenfell Housing Services as good or excellent. Additionally, 1,103 children were supported by school provisions, and 2,356 children were supported by community-based provisions.

The committee discussed the importance of learning from the Grenfell tragedy and applying those lessons to future disaster recovery efforts. Councillors raised concerns about the initial recovery strategy, stating that it was contested by residents and lacked consultation. There was also discussion around the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the programme and the need for ongoing housing support for both Grenfell survivors and the wider community.

The committee heard that the NHS is still not able to confidently say that they have followed up with every single survivor.

The committee suggested two recommendations for the report:

• Reflect the impact of Covid-19 on the programme.
• Articulate the lessons learned in a more concise and joined-up way.

Social Investment Impact Report

The committee reviewed the Social Investment Impact Report, which evaluated the impact of activities related to social investment undertaken by the council, its suppliers, and the voluntary and community sector in the 2024/25 financial year. The report highlighted contributions in additional social value generated through council spending, such as the parks maintenance contract adding over £2.6 million in social value through new jobs, apprenticeships, volunteering opportunities, and employment support.

The report also examined the social return on investment (SROI) of property subsidies given to the voluntary community sector (VCS) through social investment leases. For example, the SROI for each £1 given in rental discount was £3.28 for the Children's Book Project, and £5.16 for Big Local at World's End Place.

Councillor Gregory Hammond, Chair of the Environment Select Committee, questioned the calculation of social value by Suez, a waste management company, stating that he struggled with the figure of £75 million in social value generated in the last year, and did not think it was justified in the text.

Councillor Sidney Yankson, Vice-Chair of the Audit & Transparency Committee, asked how the council compared the calculator used by GLL with their own.

Councillor Claire Simmons, Chair of the Housing and Communities Select Committee, raised concerns about fairness, transparency, and process in decisions related to housing management capital delivery social value, and how these decisions are made. She also expressed concern about the accuracy of information provided to scrutiny chairs by council officers.

The committee made a recommendation to put a clear protocol and process in place for how social value decisions on housing management contracts are being allocated.

Quarter 1 Revenue and Capital Financial Monitoring Report

The committee reviewed the Quarter 1 Revenue and Capital Financial Monitoring Report, which set out the forecast revenue and capital budget outturn position at the end of Quarter 1 2025/26. The report indicated a forecast nil variance position against a revised net budget of £217.667m for the General Fund revenue budget. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget position at Quarter 1 was a forecast underspend of £75k, including a budget transfer of £2.475m to the capital programme.

The overall position on the General Fund Capital Programme was a forecast net underspend of £9.216m against a revised budget of £108.195m. The overall position on the Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme was a forecast net underspend of £43.030m against a revised budget of £117.103m.

Councillor Hammond asked about a contract that had been terminated, and the potential litigation, and whether there was a penalty clause.

Councillor Joanna Gardner, Vice-Chair of the Housing and Communities Select Committee, raised concerns about the recurring theme of projected savings not being fully realised, and asked how the council could strengthen the delivery of savings in the future.

Councillor Mohammed Bakhtiar questioned a paragraph about waste and ending service contracts, and vehicles being procured without charging infrastructure in place.

Councillor Lucy Knight, Chair of the Adult Social Care and Health Select Committee, asked about the Oracle in-house support team, and whether it would be more cost-effective to keep the service outsourced in the long term.

Councillor Simmons asked if savings were risk-rated in the future, so that risky savings were discounted. She also asked about voluntary redundancy and whether there were any considerations for involuntary redundancy.

The committee discussed the new home delivery programme slippage, and whether it was driven by budgetary considerations.

Forward Plan and Work Programme

The committee reviewed the forward plan of key decisions and the overview and scrutiny work programme, and identified items for further scrutiny. The committee requested that the report to Leadership Team for the Cleanest Streets - Public Realm Enhancements KD1012564 be circulated. The committee requested more information on the Housing Management Performance Q1 and Q2 KD101136.