The Corporate Scrutiny Committee met on Monday 27 April 2026 to discuss the future of the Ward Member Empowerment Fund, the development of a focused transformation portfolio, and the budget scrutiny recommendation tracker. Key decisions included the proposed reduction and reallocation of the Ward Member Empowerment Fund to a new Youth Empowerment Grant Scheme, and the endorsement of a new methodology for prioritising transformation projects.

Empowerment Funding Review

The committee discussed proposals to withdraw the Ward Member Empowerment Fund and establish a new Youth Empowerment Grant Scheme. Councillor Trevor Conway spoke in favour of empowering young people, highlighting the valuable work of the Youth Advisory Council and the potential impact of dedicated funding. The report outlined plans to reduce the Ward Member Empowerment Fund by 50% to £68,000 for the 2026/27 financial year, with a three-month application window. The remaining £68,000 would be allocated to develop a Youth Empowerment Grant Scheme, co-designed with the Youth Advisory Council and supported by officers.

During the debate, Councillor Ben Jameson questioned the impact of centralising decision-making on local responsiveness. Councillor Dennis McLean raised concerns about potential disadvantages for single-ward councillors compared to multi-ward councillors. Councillor Helen Harrison expressed a desire for greater honesty about phasing out the fund, while Councillor David Howes felt the reduction in funding for ward members was a hit and questioned the connection between the two schemes.

Ultimately, the committee recommended that the Ward Member Empowerment Fund be revised, with a reduced allocation of £68,000 for a three-month period in 2026/27. It was also recommended that the fund be formally withdrawn after this period, with any unused funding returned to the general revenue fund. Furthermore, £68,000 was recommended for allocation to develop a Youth Empowerment Grant Scheme with the Youth Advisory Council, targeting a September 2026 launch. The committee also agreed to recommend that individual councillors be allocated £1,000 each, with the option to pool funds if they wished, and that the application window for the remaining Ward Member Empowerment Fund should run for a full year, rather than the proposed three months, despite officer advice on resource implications.

Developing a Focused Transformation Portfolio (T20)

Libby Caulfield, Director of Transformation and Strategy, presented proposals for a new methodology to prioritise, govern, and align transformation activity with the council's financial strategy. The current approach involves managing approximately 70 live projects with an additional 30 in development, which the report suggests is too dispersed. The new T20 portfolio aims to focus on a smaller number of high-impact programmes that deliver the greatest benefit for residents, contribute significantly to the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), and address persistent system, demand, or performance issues.

Councillor Helen Harrison welcomed the common sense approach but questioned whether children's services, a key risk area, would be included in the transformation efforts. Libby Caulfield confirmed that children's services would be integrated into the T20 planning, with collaboration between the Children's Trust and other services. Councillor Dennis McLean raised concerns about the focus and willingness of the Children's Trust to trim costs. Claire Edwards, Executive Director of Finance, emphasised that transformation is essential for delivering the budget gap and that difficult decisions would need to be made. Councillor Paul Brooke questioned how the remaining 80% of projects, not part of the T20, would be monitored. Libby Caulfield explained that a project status report (PSR) would be repeated monthly to track progress and that a project framework would be introduced to ensure consistency.

The committee recommended that the Corporate Scrutiny Committee supports the development of the T20 methodology, subject to ensuring clear alignment with the MTFP, a transparent and evidence-based prioritisation framework, defined governance and accountability, and a balanced approach that maintains service-led improvement alongside the focused transformation portfolio.

Budget Scrutiny 2026/27 - Recommendation Tracker

Chris Stephenson, Scrutiny Manager, presented the Scrutiny Recommendation Tracker for the 2026/27 financial year. The tracker monitors the delivery of recommendations made during the budget scrutiny process. The committee was informed that nine recommendations had already been completed, and six were not yet due to start.

A significant point of discussion arose regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the council's services. Councillor Paulbrook inquired about Nora (AI tool), which Matthew, from Adult Social Care, explained is an AI tool used for occupational therapy initial assessments to help prioritise cases and manage demand. Guy, from Waste Management services, also mentioned a similar AI voice assistant called NOVA (voice assistant) used for waste management calls. Both officers highlighted the importance of transparency with users and the potential for AI to improve efficiency and focus resources. The committee expressed interest in learning more about the council's use of AI and how it aligns with transformation efforts. The committee agreed to the proposed monitoring arrangements for the tracker, with reports to be made quarterly.