The Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Adults is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, 16 December 2025 to discuss the proposed extension of contracts for Oxfordshire Community Links. Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults, is expected to consider a recommendation to extend the Community Network Service contract and the Urgent Community Link service contract with Age UK Oxfordshire. The meeting will also cover declarations of interest, questions from councillors, petitions and public addresses, and the approval of minutes from a previous meeting.

Oxfordshire Community Links

A report by the Director of Adult Social Care will be provided to Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults, regarding the Oxfordshire Community Links. The report recommends that Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults, approve the proposal to extend the Community Network Service contract with Age UK Oxfordshire for 21 months, from 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2028. The report also recommends that Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults, approve the proposal to extend the Urgent Community Link service contract with Age UK Oxfordshire for the same period, but with a reduction in funding from Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

The Community Network Service, branded as Community Links Oxfordshire, offers information and advice to adult residents in Oxfordshire with health and wellbeing needs. It aims to provide easy access to community support, reducing reliance on formal services. The service has four elements:

• Community Connectors working within the community
• Community Connectors working with Adult Social Care and Customer Service Centre
• Community development of Good Neighbour Schemes and Community Assets
• Live Well Oxfordshire platform enhancement.

The Urgent Community Link service is designed to support people being discharged from hospital and to help those in the community avoid hospital admissions. It has two elements:

• Urgent Hospital Discharge element supporting people being discharged from hospital and follow-up support in the community,
• Urgent Care Response element supporting the elderly, most frail already in the community, to avoid hospital admissions.

According to the report, Oxford Health has decided to withdraw funding from the Urgent Care Response element of the Urgent Community Link service from 1 April 2026. The report states that:

The acuity of the patients in the community is too high for what Age UK Oxfordshire can offer and it has been mutually agreed to withdraw this element of the contract. Oxford Health has concluded that funding is better invested in support for hospital discharges.

The report notes that this will result in a reduction of £66,384 in funding, equivalent to two full-time equivalent (FTE) Community Link Workers. However, the report claims that the impact on service delivery should be mitigated by a reduction in management.

The report suggests that the preferred option is to extend both contracts for 21 months, until 31 March 2028, as this will allow partners to refine how to evaluate the impact of the services and for Age UK Oxfordshire to seek greater efficiencies. The report also notes that early help and prevention contracts enhance the opportunity for people to stay well in their communities and reduce demand on the system as a whole.

Previous Minutes

The minutes from the previous meeting held on 21 October 2025 are scheduled for review.