At a meeting on 15 October 2025, the Croydon Council Cabinet reviewed the Adult Social Care and Health Directorate's 'Good' rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), approved recommendations from the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, and endorsed the Annual Treasury Management Review for 2024-25. The cabinet also approved a series of measures designed to address a fault relating to a homelessness case, and approved the 2025-26 Period 3 Financial Performance Report, including changes to the capital programme.

Adult Social Care and Health - Care Quality Commission Inspection

The cabinet noted and welcomed the Adult Social Care and Health (ASCH) directorate achieving a 'Good' rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following its first statutory assurance inspection¹. The report highlighted strong leadership, effective governance, and committed staff. Residents reported timely assessments and continuity of care. Innovation, particularly the use of AI-enabled tools, and the Adults Living Independently programme were also praised.

Areas for improvement were noted, including carers' assessments, contingency planning, direct payment uptake, and strengthening co-production. Councillor Yvette Hopley, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, congratulated everyone involved, noting the significant shift change in the department and the delivery of savings alongside the positive rating. Councillor Campbell echoed the positive sentiment, but asked how the cabinet member was removing barriers to direct payments, to which Councillor Hopley responded that a new contract should help with this process, alongside a big training programme being embedded with the social work teams.

2025-26 Period 3 Financial Performance Report

The cabinet approved the 2025-26 Period 3 Financial Performance Report, which showed a forecast general fund underspend of £21.8 million, reducing the capitalisation requirement from £136 million to £114.2 million. The report also noted that £21.3 million of the £25.1 million planned savings had been delivered, and that the housing revenue account was forecast to break even. Councillor Jason Cummings, Cabinet Member for Finance, highlighted that the £5.3 million improvement was split between corporate items and the departments themselves.

The report also detailed a plan to reduce the frequency of financial monitoring reports to Cabinet, removing the Period 4 and Period 7 reports to prioritise officer time. Councillor King stated that opposition councillors found this unacceptable and inconsistent with pledges to ensure transparent decision making. Councillor Cummings responded that the majority of councils in London had only had one report at this point in the year, and that he was happy to provide a more informal update if required.

Annual Treasury Management Review 2024-25

The cabinet endorsed the Annual Treasury Management Review 2024-25, which detailed how the council managed its borrowing and investment activity, confirming compliance with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) codes and the 2021 Prudential Code for Capital Finance. The report highlighted that general fund debt had been contained at £1.4 billion. Councillor Cummings noted that the Audit and Governance Committee had discussed the report on 18 September.

Councillor Young highlighted paragraph 5.29, regarding additional debt of £233 million being taken out to pay off £40 million and £13 million, and asked for clarification. Councillor Cummings clarified that debt and borrowing are not necessarily the same things, and that the overall debt position of the council had not increased.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Decision

The cabinet considered the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's (LGSCO) decision regarding a homelessness case, accepting the findings of fault and injustice. The complainant, referred to as Mr Y, and his sisters suffered stress and injustice due to delays and poor communication. Councillor Lynne Hale, Statutory Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Homes, offered a sincere apology to the family.

Councillor Reshikaran criticised the administration, stating that the injustices suffered by Mr Y occurred under Mayor Jason Perry's watch. Mayor Perry responded, stating that his administration had made huge strides to fix the mess of the housing department that the previous Labour Council had left behind.

Croydon Companies Supervision and Monitoring Panel Update Report

The cabinet approved the Croydon Companies Supervision and Monitoring Panel Update Report, which outlined the council's oversight of its companies, excluding Brick by Brick². The panel was established following an independent review to ensure proper oversight and statutory compliance. The report noted that dormant companies were being identified and dissolved to remove unnecessary costs.

Councillor Chris Clarke raised concerns about the Croydon Central Management Company Limited and the management of communal facilities at Fould, Bloom House, Chorus Apartments and Malcolm Wick's House [https://www.google.com/maps/search/Malcolm+Wick's+House+Croydon+Council/]. Jane West, corporate director for resources, responded that a project manager was now in place and that project meetings had been taking place.

The cabinet delegated authority to the corporate director of resources, in consultation with the executive mayor and cabinet member for finance, to exercise shareholder functions and dissolve companies, subject to legal and financial due diligence.

Stage 1: Recommendations Arising from Scrutiny

The cabinet received recommendations from the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, agreeing to provide a substantive response at the next cabinet meeting on 3 December 2025. Councillor Ben Hassler, Chair of the Scrutiny Committee, highlighted concerns about the target operating model progress and the omission of performance monitoring periods. Councillor Cummings responded regarding the period reports, stating that producing two reports at the same time seemed an unnecessary duplication.