The Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Panel was scheduled to consider the terms of reference for a new scrutiny review into barriers to immunisation uptake, and to receive an update on the improvement journey of Middlesbrough's Adult Social Care services in preparation for an upcoming Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. The Mayor was also scheduled to provide an update on addressing needs and disadvantage in Middlesbrough.

Scrutiny Review - Barriers to Immunisation Uptake - Terms of Reference

The Panel was scheduled to consider and approve the proposed Terms of Reference for a scrutiny review focused on improving childhood and adolescent immunisation uptake in Middlesbrough. This review was scheduled to follow an earlier presentation that highlighted variations in vaccination rates and identified several barriers, including issues with access to services, communication, consent, digital exclusion, and wider inequalities. The proposed review was scheduled to examine these factors in detail, assess the effectiveness of current arrangements, and identify opportunities for improvement. The review was scheduled to commence evidence gathering in November.

Adult Social Care Improvement Journey and Preparation for CQC Assurance

The Panel was scheduled to receive a presentation providing an overview of the improvements made to Middlesbrough's Adult Social Care services since a previous CQC assessment in February 2025, which had identified the service as Requires Improvement. The presentation was scheduled to cover progress in areas such as leadership and governance, workforce development, quality assurance, co-production, support for unpaid carers, prevention and early intervention, and partnership working. This update was in preparation for a forthcoming CQC assurance inspection, scheduled to commence on 2 November 2026. The presentation was scheduled to outline the Middlesbrough Better Together Vision and Strategy for Adult Social Care, workforce development initiatives, the establishment of a Quality and Practice Team, and efforts to embed strengths-based practice. It was also scheduled to detail progress in co-production, the development of preventative care models, and the introduction of a performance management framework. The presentation was expected to highlight areas of success, such as assessment timeliness and the performance of care providers, alongside areas still requiring improvement, including annual reviews and safeguarding timeliness.

Mayor's Update - Addressing Needs and Disadvantage

Mayor Chris Cooke¹ was scheduled to attend the meeting to provide the Panel with an update on the Council's efforts to address needs and disadvantage within Middlesbrough.

Overview and Scrutiny Board Update

The Chair of the Panel was scheduled to provide an update on items discussed at the most recent Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting.

Next Meeting

The date and time of the next meeting was scheduled to be noted as 24 November 2026, at 4:00 pm.