The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to consider the Council's arrangements for supporting residents with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and to review its Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and Transformation Programme. The committee was also scheduled to receive an update from the Leader of the Council and to consider scrutiny recommendations and the Forward Plan.

Migrant Support and No Recourse to Public Funds

The committee was scheduled to review the Council's arrangements for supporting residents with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). This was to include an examination of the impact on housing and homelessness services and how current arrangements support the Council's Borough of Sanctuary commitments. The report highlighted that residents with NRPF are among the most vulnerable, facing restrictions on welfare benefits and housing assistance, which can lead to destitution, homelessness, and social exclusion. The Council has maintained a dedicated NRPF service since 2014, staffed by specialist social workers, which operates within Health and Adult Services. As of June 2026, 146 people were being supported by the NRPF team. The report also detailed the scale and nature of demand, noting an increase in assessments and a rise in single parents and single adults presenting to the service. Partnership working with community organisations, legal advice providers, and housing services was identified as crucial. The report also mentioned the impending appointment of an NRPF Housing Inspector to ensure accommodation standards and the implementation of Digital Health and Care Technology (DHACT) and Beam Notes to improve efficiency. The impact on housing and homelessness services was also to be considered, with the Housing Inclusion Service noting that while ineligible for homelessness assistance, individuals with NRPF may still have significant welfare and safeguarding needs. The report indicated that approximately 30% of Greenwich's rough sleeping cohort have NRPF, presenting challenges in securing accommodation and support, with outreach teams working with organisations like the Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network (LRMN) and Migrant Accommodation Pathways Support (MAPS).

Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and Transformation - Q1 Update

The committee was scheduled to consider the Quarter 1 2026/27 financial position, including the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account, as well as the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and Transformation Programme. The report indicated that at Quarter 1, the General Fund was forecast to remain broadly balanced, with a £0.1m adverse variance. This position included the planned use of £6.2m of earmarked reserves and centrally held budgets to address demand and inflationary pressures. A significant element of the discussion was expected to focus on savings slippage, with £9.9m forecast, comprising £5.0m related to timing, £4.3m to delivery issues, and £0.6m to savings assessed as no longer deliverable. Directorates were to be reviewing delivery plans and identifying alternative savings. The report also detailed the progress against service-led demand management savings targets, with £11.4m forecast to be delivered against a £15.5m target. Specific pressures were highlighted in Children's Services, Health and Adult Services, and Housing and Safer Communities. The Housing Revenue Account was forecasting an underspend of £1.2m, attributed to lower borrowing costs and reduced legal disrepair costs, partly offset by higher reactive repairs expenditure. The report also provided an update on reserves, forecasting a reduction from £205.5m to £199.4m, and detailed the Council's borrowing and capital financing position, noting a forecast increase in the Capital Financing Requirement (CFR) to £1.432bn by March 2028. A significant portion of the report was dedicated to the Strategic Asset Review, outlining progress to date and the intention to strengthen the Council's approach through a good corporate landlord model. This review aimed to ensure the Council has the right assets in the right condition and location, supporting service delivery, community needs, and financial sustainability. The report detailed how the review would be undertaken in stages, including consolidating evidence, segmenting the portfolio, and undertaking strategic asset challenges. The financial implications of the review were also discussed, including revenue savings targets and capital receipts generated.

Leader of the Council Update

The committee was scheduled to receive a verbal update from the Leader of the Council on the Council's progress and accomplishments over the previous 12 months, as well as their vision and strategic focus for the coming year.

Scrutiny Recommendations - Approval and Monitoring

The committee was scheduled to approve recommendations agreed by the Scrutiny Panels, as set out in a table, and agree that they be submitted to the Chief Executive. This agenda item aimed to consolidate all scrutiny recommendations requiring a decision or follow-up, providing a clear overview of outstanding items across all panels. Eleven new recommendations were to be presented for approval, covering areas such as youth participation, community safety performance management, resident engagement, workforce intelligence, and the use of Artificial Intelligence in Legal and Democratic Services.

Forward Plan

The committee was scheduled to note the upcoming executive decisions outlined in the Forward Plan for October 2026 to January 2027 and to determine if any of these items warranted further scrutiny. The Forward Plan provides transparency on key and non-key decisions to be taken by Cabinet, Cabinet Members, and Chief Officers, with individual notifications published on the Council's website. The report highlighted that the Forward Plan is a dynamic document, subject to change, and that current decision scheduling could be viewed on the Council's website. The committee was invited to request scrutiny of any items from the Forward Plan in accordance with agreed Work Programme arrangements.