The Children's and Culture Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to consider a range of important items, including proposals for the repair of Lincoln Castle Walls, the future of the Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service, and grant funding for voluntary youth services. The committee was also set to review performance data for the Children's and Culture services and discuss its work programme.

Lincoln Castle Walls Repair Programme

The committee was scheduled to receive a report on proposed repairs to the Lincoln Castle Walls. This report was intended to inform the Executive's decision on 8 April 2026 regarding a multi-year programme of conservation works and planned preventative maintenance. The proposals aimed to bring the Castle walls to a safe and maintainable condition, addressing essential items identified in a wider condition survey. The report outlined priority repair scopes for phases 1, 2, and 3, detailing emergency structural investigations and repairs to the Observatory Tower, Lucy Tower, internal walls, and the wall walk. The potential impact of not progressing these works was also to be discussed, highlighting risks to public safety, operational continuity, heritage preservation, and income generation from the Castle, which is a significant tourist attraction. The report also detailed plans for a planned preventative maintenance schedule and explored opportunities to develop local skills in heritage conservation.

Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service

A report was scheduled for consideration regarding the Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service, which supports ethnic minority children aged 0 to five years and their families. The current contract for this non-statutory service is due to expire on 31 August 2026. The report was to present findings from a review and public consultation on the future of the service, with a recommendation to no longer commission it from September 2026. The reasons cited for this proposed change included prioritising funding for statutory services, contributing to the Council's financial sustainability, and removing identified duplication with other services. The report also highlighted that other local authorities do not typically operate separate early years inclusion services for ethnic minority children, often relying on universal early years provision supported by translation and interpretation services.

Grant Funding to Lincolnshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (LCVYS)

The committee was scheduled to consider a report on the grant funding provided to the Lincolnshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (LCVYS). The Council has provided grant funding to LCVYS since at least the 2011/12 financial year, with the current annual grant of £100,000 due to cease on 31 March 2026. This grant, funded from Council reserves, contributes to LCVYS's running costs, small grants to member organisations, and training and networking opportunities. The report was to outline the findings of a review and consultation on the future of this grant funding, with a recommendation to cease the funding from 1 April 2026. The reasons for this proposed cessation included the non-statutory nature of the grant, the need to support the Council's financial sustainability by removing a cost pressure, and the availability of alternative support options, including potential future funding from the government's Youth Matters strategy.

Service Level Performance Reporting

The committee was scheduled to receive a summary of the Children's and Culture Service Level Performance reporting against the Performance Framework 2025-26 for Quarter 3. This report details performance measures across different service areas, including whether targets were exceeded, achieved, or not met. For the Children are Healthy and Safe area, it was noted that the average time taken to move a child from care to an adoptive family and the average time taken to match a child to an adoptive family were performing well. However, the number of Children in Care (CiC) and the number of children subject to a child protection plan were reported as being above their respective targets. For Learn and Achieve, performance reporting was scheduled for Quarter 4. Under Readiness for Adult Life, performance for 16-17 year old Children in Care participating in learning and care leavers in suitable accommodation was reported as having achieved their targets. The Libraries and Heritage section indicated that contact with the heritage service, visits to the library website, community use of libraries, and overall visitor enjoyment of services had exceeded their targets. Visits to core libraries and mobile library services had also achieved their targets.

Children's and Culture Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to consider its work programme, with the aim of ensuring its scrutiny activity is focused where it can be of greatest benefit. The report outlined current items for the 6 March meeting, including the Lincoln Castle Walls repair programme, the Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service commissioning, LCVYS grant funding, and the quarterly performance report. Planned items for future meetings, including April, June, July, September, October, and November 2026, were also detailed, covering topics such as mainstream SEND hubs, the Edge of Care service, school admissions, attendance reports, and the performance of the library service contract. Members were invited to highlight any additional scrutiny activities for inclusion in the work programme.