The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee is scheduled to discuss the 2025-26 Quarter 2 Finance and Performance Improvement Report, St Leger Homes of Doncaster Limited Key Performance Indicators and Tenant Satisfaction Measures, and the Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan and Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions. The meeting will cover a range of topics, including the council's financial performance, housing, and scrutiny work plan.

2025-26 Quarter 2 Finance and Performance Improvement

The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee will be asked to note and comment on the 2025-26 Quarter 2 Finance and Performance Improvement Report. The report covers the second quarter of the 2025-26 financial year and notes that the council continues to operate within the framework of its established Corporate Plan. The report highlights that the economic outlook remains uncertain, with inflation above the UK target and rising national debt costs posing fiscal challenges. However, there are signs of optimism locally, with Doncaster's economy performing close to regional benchmarks.

The projected outturn position at quarter 2 is a £5.2m overspend, which is a reduction of £1.4m compared to quarter 1. Key variances include:

• Adults Social Care overspend of £6.3m
• Culture & Commercialisation is overspending by £1.0m
• Place is overspending by £1.5m (including £1.1m on Waste)
• Children, Young People & Families by £1.5m (including £1.1m on Childrens Social Care)

The report also notes that the Dedicated Schools Grant position has deteriorated further and currently a £19.1m in-year deficit is projected.

The report also covers a number of topics relating to the council's 'Great 8 Priorities':

• Tackling Climate Change The council and St Leger Homes Doncaster are administering 5 separate domestic energy efficiency schemes. There is a range of activity underway to help reduce costs to the council and schools through externally funded solar and battery works to 5 sites. Tree planting 'season 5' starts in November, with a range of externally funded activity planned on council-owned land and the wider public estate.
• Building Opportunities for Healthier, Happier & Longer Lives for All The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Doncaster's adult social care services as 'Good'. Doncaster has been selected as a Wave One site for the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP), a major NHS England initiative aimed at transforming local health and care delivery. Choose Kindness sponsored the Heart of Doncaster Awards for the third consecutive year.
• Creating Safer, Stronger, Greener & Cleaner Communities Where Everyone Belongs Over the past year, delivery of the City Centre Locality Plan has accelerated, focusing on safety, environmental quality, and community engagement through the Safer City campaign. Work is ongoing to refresh the Community Safety Strategy for the 2026–2029. In August, a dedicated week of action took place in Hexthorpe, where partners joined forces to tackle key issues raised by residents in the area. City of Doncaster Council has been recognised by the Office for Veterans' Affairs as an exemplar authority for its outstanding commitment to the Armed Forces community.
• Nurturing a Child & Family-Friendly Borough Preparations for the Families First Partnership Programme are progressing well. Children, Young People and Families have developed a training programme for front line staff to improve practice around understanding and recording children's identity. The council continues to deliver high quality youth services, further strengthened by Doncaster's selection for the Local Youth Transformation Pilot.
• Building Transport & Digital Connections Fit for the Future Significant progress was made toward reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Works have commenced, funded by UK Government, to deliver improvements to public realm within Moorends. City of Doncaster was also successful in the latest round of the Safer Roads Fund bid. During this quarter Doncaster welcomed tech leaders from across the UK for the groundbreaking of Gateway One, the city's new digital tech hub.
• Promoting the Borough & Its Cultural, Sporting & Heritage Opportunities A varied programme of events took place in quarter 2, these included Doncaster's Balloon Festival, Music in the Park (Cusworth Hall), Doncaster Pride, Railway 200's touring exhibition, DN One Live, Doncaster St Leger Festival. Culture Services' UKRI-funded creative health work is progressing through two strands: research into engagement with the History Health Happiness programme, and delivery of five art sessions to 25 participants via the Culture Hub project with New Beginnings. Culture services is on track at quarter 2 to reach 1 million visitors by the end of quarter 4.
• Fit for Purpose Council This quarter the Customer Experience Strategy, Accessibility Workstream has been working on implementing the Sign Video App, which allows deaf customers to use a British Sign Language Interpreter Video Service when accessing council services over the telephone or face to face in the Council's One Stop Shop.

The report also includes a Workforce section, which notes that in quarter 2 2390 applications have been received for roles at City of Doncaster Council. Work is ongoing to review the support that can be offered to candidates on the council's website with the aim of recruitment process being as inclusive and accessible as possible to all.

The report also includes a Financial Position section, which provides a summary and further details by service area.

The report also includes a Capital Budget section, which notes that the 2025/26 capital programme consists of 433 schemes with an estimated spend of £207.1m which has reduced by £11m in the quarter.

The report also includes a Collection Fund section, which details the current position on the Collection Fund for Council Tax and Business Rates.

The report also includes a Schools Funding & Dedicated Schools Grant – High Needs Block section, which notes that based on current information available at quarter 2, an overspend of £19.1m is forecast on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) high needs block services for 2025/26.

The report also includes a Reserves section, which notes that as part of the strategy to streamline and reduce the number of specific earmarked reserves, a review has been undertaken with a view to repurposing balances no longer required for their original purposes.

The report also includes a Strategic Risks section, which notes that there are 13 strategic risks, and they have all been updated for quarter 2.

Finally, the report includes a Market Asset Management (MAM) Doncaster Ltd section, which notes that the occupancy levels in Doncaster have decreased from 87% to 86% and there are six vacancies in the Goose Hill Market, eight vacancies in International Food Hall and two vacancies in the Fish Market.

St Leger Homes of Doncaster Limited Key Performance Indicators and Tenant Satisfaction Measures

The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee will also be asked to note the progress of St Leger Homes of Doncaster Limited's (SLHD) performance and the contribution SLHD makes to supporting City of Doncaster Council's (CDC) strategic priorities. 41 KPIs, including the 22 Regulatory Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM)¹, were agreed with City of Doncaster Council (CDC) at the start of the 2025/26 financial year. At the end of Quarter 2 (Q2), 17 of the 28 KPIs being measured at quarter end were met or were within agreed tolerances of target.

Key performance indicators discussed in the report include:

• Percentage of Current Rent Arrears against Annual rent debit
• Void rent loss (lettable voids)
• Average Days to Re-let Standard Properties
• Average number of nights in hotel accommodation
• Percentage of Settled Accommodation at Prevention Stage
• Stage 1 and 2 Complaints relative to the size of the landlord (per 1,000 properties)
• Complaints responded to within target timescale
• Tenancy Turnover %
• Percentage of repairs completed at first visit
• Percentage of Emergency and Non-Emergency Repairs completed within target timescales
• Gas Servicing - % of dwellings with a valid gas safety certificate
• Fire - % homes for which all required fire risk assessments have been carried out
• Asbestos - % homes for which all required asbestos management surveys or reinspections have been carried out
• Legionella - % homes for which all required risk assessments have been carried out
• Lifts - % homes for which all required communal passenger lift safety checks have been carried out.
• Electrical - % Domestic properties with a satisfactory EICR up to five years old.
• Number of Days Lost to Sickness per Full Time Equivalent (FTE)
• Percentage of Local Revenue Expenditure
• Number of ASB cases per 1,000 properties, and Number of ASB cases per 1,000 properties of which involve hate incidents
• Number of Tenants or Residents Helped into Training, Education or Employment
• Tenant satisfaction with the overall service from the landlord %
• Percentage of Homes Not meeting Decent Homes Standard %

The report also includes a section on Benchmarking KPIs - Housemark monthly pulse survey – July and August 2025 – 'IN MONTH' PERFORMANCE.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan and Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee will also discuss its work plan for 2025/26. Items on the work plan include:

• Statement of Licensing
• Youth Justice Plan
• Dementia
• Priorities for the forthcoming year including local authority statutory responsibilities for children and young people.
• Youth Council and Young Advisors – priorities.
• Tenancy Strategy
• Streetscene overview
• Community Safety Strategy
• Families First Programme – social care reforms, policy change and impact
• Levelling Up Round 3 - Mexborough Regeneration/Thorne and Moorends
• Major Schemes - Waterfront/Waterdale
• Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy

The committee will also consider the council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions, which sets out details of all Key Decisions expected to be taken during the next four months by either the Cabinet collectively, The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Portfolio Holders or Officers. The Forward Plan includes decisions relating to:

• 'Your Care and Support: Doncaster's Adult Social Care Local Account 2026'
• 'Doncaster's Carers' Journey 2026'
• School Admission Arrangements 2026/27
• The Council Tax Base for 2026/27
• Grant funding from the LUF 3 fund for Mexborough Market, Retail Units and MSCP Demolition Project.
• A managed 3 year programme of disposals to support the delivery of the Council's Capital Programme.
• A developer to deliver a regeneration scheme for Waterdale and Colonnades.
• The Borough Strategy (Doncaster Delivering Together) mid-point refresh
• The Capital Strategy & Capital Budget 2026/27 - 2029/30
• The Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2026/27 - 2029/30
• The Revenue Budget 2026/27 - 2028/29.
• The Housing Revenue Account Budget 2026/27 to 2029/30
• The Council's Corporate Plan 2026/27.
• The level of the Council Tax for 2026/27 and to pass appropriate statutory resolutions including the Council Tax requirement for 2026/27.
• Quarter 3 2025-26 Finance and Performance Report
• St Leger Homes Performance Report 2025/26 Quarter 3