This week in Staffordshire:

Children in Care Face Uncertain Future as Funding for Crucial Support is Re-evaluated

A contentious decision regarding funding for return home interviews for children in the care of other local authorities (CICOLA) has sparked significant debate. The Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Monday to examine a cabinet member's decision to cease funding for these non-statutory, yet vital, safeguarding measures. The core of the issue lies in whether cutting this funding, intended to redirect resources to Staffordshire's own children placed out of county, will compromise the safety and well-being of vulnerable children.

Councillor Humpherson, who called in the decision, argued forcefully that ceasing these interviews presents significant safeguarding operational and governance risks. He highlighted that these children live in Staffordshire communities, attend local schools, and go missing within the county. Removing these interviews, he stated, reduces our visibility of risk, weakens multi-agency intelligence, and undermines our ability to meet statutory safeguarding duties. The concern is that this move could weaken the ability to identify exploitation and coercion, particularly for children who are already in a vulnerable situation.

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Lakin, defended the decision, stating that the report was misguided and misinformed. He argued that the funding for return home interviews is not being cut, but rather reallocated to ensure Staffordshire children placed outside the county receive necessary support. He also pointed out that the intelligence gathered from these interviews is not always shared with Staffordshire Council under the current system. However, Councillor Farrell raised concerns about the transparency of data and suggested the decision should go back to Cabinet for a full review, stating, I do think this is important, because clearly it's an emotive issue that people care about very strongly, that this goes back to Cabinet for a full Cabinet decision.

The committee ultimately voted to refer the decision back to the Cabinet member, with a recommendation for further scrutiny. This decision underscores the delicate balance between financial management and the paramount duty to safeguard children. The potential outcomes could range from improved resource allocation for Staffordshire's own children in care to a dangerous gap in safeguarding for vulnerable children placed within the county.

You can read the full transcript of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting here.

Council Approves Balanced Budget with Lower-Than-Expected Council Tax Rise

Staffordshire County Council's Cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2026-2031. Despite significant financial challenges, including rising inflation and increasing demand for services, the council has managed to deliver a balanced budget. This is a notable achievement, especially when compared to the financial difficulties faced by many other local authorities.

• Key Financials: The council has announced a council tax rise of 3.99%, which is lower than the maximum level anticipated by the government and lower than previous years' increases. This decision aims to ease the financial burden on residents while still ensuring essential services are maintained.
• Investment Priorities: The MTFS includes significant investments in key areas:
  • An additional £15 million over two years for highways, aimed at tackling the backlog of repairs and improving road infrastructure.
  • £3 million, rising to £5.5 million, for children and families services, which will fund up to 120 additional frontline staff. This investment is crucial for supporting vulnerable children, including those in care, and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
• Addressing Challenges: The strategy acknowledges the pressures of increasing demand for social care, rising inflation, and changes to government funding. The council has identified £21.7 million in savings to help balance the budget, ensuring that the council tax increase covers less than half of the required additional funding.
• Commitment to Services: Despite the financial constraints, the council has pledged to protect all frontline services and is actively investing in priorities such as children's services, education, and infrastructure. Councillor Screen, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience, highlighted the commitment to cleaner streets not just in terms of tidiness but also in fostering a sense of safety.

This balanced budget demonstrates the council's commitment to financial prudence while prioritising the needs of its residents, particularly the most vulnerable.

You can find more details on the Cabinet meeting and the MTFS here.

Footpath Diversions Approved Amidst Local Concerns

The Countryside and Rights of Way Panel met on Friday to consider several proposals for the diversion of public footpaths. While these decisions are often procedural, they can have a direct impact on local access and the character of rural areas.

• Keele Parish: A proposal to divert Public Footpath No. 6 was approved. The path will be moved away from the farmhouse and residential buildings, a move supported by the landowner for privacy and security reasons. While there were some objections from a neighbouring landowner and concerns from the parish council regarding gate widths, the panel was satisfied that the new route would be accessible and not significantly less convenient.
• Ellastone Parish: A similar diversion for Public Footpath No. 10 was also approved. The existing path runs close to the residential curtilage of Duncombe House, which is undergoing renovations. The new route will run through an open field. Objections were raised regarding views of ruins and the owners' social media presence, but the panel concluded that the diversion was necessary for security and privacy.
• Denstone Parish: The panel approved the diversion of Public Footpath No. 15. This diversion regularises a situation that has physically existed for many years, moving the path out of the residential curtilage. While there was an objection from the Peak and Northern Footpath Society regarding the width of a section of the path, this was addressed through agreement to install a gate and the path's long-standing acceptance by local users.
• Burton: Temporary and permanent diversions for Public Footpath No. 10 at Willington Quarry were approved. These diversions are necessary to allow for quarrying operations and subsequent site restoration, which will include the creation of ponds. While there was an objection from the Open Spaces Society regarding the path's link to other public rights-of-way, the panel found this objection to be factually incorrect and noted that the proposed new route will offer a pleasant walk around the restored quarry area.

These decisions highlight how the council manages public rights of way, balancing the needs of landowners and developers with the public's right to access the countryside.

You can review the decisions made by the Countryside and Rights of Way Panel here.

Other Matters

• The Cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss the Staffordshire Domestic Abuse Strategy 2025-2029, aiming to outline the council's approach to tackling domestic abuse. They also reviewed the Public Sector Equality Duty and the Delegated Decision Schedule. More details can be found here.
• The Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday to consider the council's Strategic Direction 2026-2028, the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2026-2031, and the Half Yearly Treasury Management Report. You can read more here.
• The Annual Business Rates Consultation Meeting took place on Thursday, focusing on proposals for business rates relief schemes and the council's overall strategy for supporting local businesses. Details are available here.

Upcoming Meetings

Here's a list of meetings scheduled for the next week:

• The Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee will meet on Monday 26 January 2026. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Cabinet will meet on Wednesday 21 January 2026. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Property Sub-Committee will meet on Wednesday 21 January 2026. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Safeguarding and Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee will meet on Thursday 22 January 2026. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Schools Forum will meet on Thursday 22 January 2026. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Cabinet will meet on Wednesday 28 January 2026. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Economy, Infrastructure and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee will meet on Thursday 29 January 2026. Here is a link to the meeting page.

This week in Staffordshire:

Care Home Commissioning Changes Could Limit Choice for Vulnerable Adults

The Staffordshire Council cabinet is scheduled to discuss significant changes to how the council commissions care home placements for adults aged 65 and over. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday. These changes could have a direct impact on the choices available to vulnerable adults needing care.

• The council is proposing changes to its pricing strategy for care home placements.
• The council is also proposing changes to its choice policy and top-up policy.
• A 'top-up fee' is a payment made by a third party (usually a family member) to cover the difference between the amount the council is willing to pay for care and the actual cost of the care home.
• The council consulted on these proposed changes, and a summary of the consultation responses is included in the report pack.
• These changes could limit the choices available to individuals and families, particularly those who cannot afford to pay top-up fees.
• The changes could also affect the quality of care provided in care homes, as providers may be forced to cut costs to meet the council's pricing strategy.

Council to Decide on Environmental Strategy Amid Climate Concerns

The Staffordshire Council cabinet is scheduled to discuss the council's environmental strategy. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday. With increasing concerns about climate change and its impact on local communities, the council's approach to environmental issues is under scrutiny.

• The Environmental Strategy document outlines the council's approach to environmental issues, including climate change, biodiversity, and waste management.
• The Appendix 1 - Environment Strategy document provides more detail on the proposed actions and targets.
• The Appendix 2 - Environmental Strategy Overview and Scrutiny Report contains a report from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the strategy.
• The council's previous environmental policies have been criticised by environmental groups for not being ambitious enough.
• The council has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050, but critics argue that the current strategy does not go far enough to achieve this goal.
• The council's environmental strategy will have a significant impact on the quality of life for residents, as well as the long-term sustainability of the county.

Pensions Committee to Discuss Investment Strategy Amid Economic Uncertainty

The Pensions Committee is scheduled to meet to discuss the Staffordshire Pension Fund's investment strategy. The meeting is scheduled for Friday. With ongoing economic uncertainty and market volatility, the committee's decisions about how to invest the fund's assets are crucial for ensuring the financial security of current and future pensioners.

• The committee will be presented with a draft Funding Strategy Statement (FSS) for the Staffordshire Pension Fund.
• The FSS is a document that sets out how the council plans to meet its pension obligations to its employees.
• The committee will also discuss the results of an audit of the Staffordshire Pension Fund.
• The committee will receive a presentation on the CEM Investment Benchmarking Results 2024 25.
• The council's pension fund has faced criticism in the past for its investments in fossil fuels.
• The committee's decisions about investment strategy will have a direct impact on the financial security of thousands of Staffordshire residents.

Other Matters

• The Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Property Sub-Committee is scheduled to discuss the proposed acquisition of land at Fradley South for development, and a review of the council's property investment strategy. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.
• The Pensions Board is scheduled receive an update on compliance with The Pensions Regulator's General Code of Practice. The meeting is scheduled for Friday.

This week in Staffordshire:

Village Green Status at Risk in Falmouth

The Countryside and Rights of Way Panel is considering an application to register land in Falmouth as a village green, a decision that could significantly impact local residents' access to recreational space. The panel is scheduled to meet on Friday.

• The application, NVG 35, was submitted under section 13 of the Commons Act 2006, which allows for land to be registered as a village green if it has been used for lawful sports and pastimes by a significant number of local inhabitants for at least 20 years.
• The Planning Inspector’s report, Appendix C Inspectors report NVG35, will be a key piece of evidence for the panel to consider.
• The panel will also discuss a separate application to record a public right of way under section 53 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which could affect access to other areas of the countryside.

The outcome of these applications will have a direct impact on the availability of green spaces and public access to the countryside in Staffordshire.

Council to Discuss IT Contract Audit

The Audit and Standards Committee was scheduled to discuss the Audit and Standards Report - Nexxus, concerning the contract that Staffordshire Council has with NEXXUS, a company that provides IT services to public sector organisations. The meeting took place on Tuesday.

Health and Safety Performance Under Review

The Audit and Standards Committee reviewed the Health Safety and Wellbeing Annual Performance Report 2024-25, which provided an overview of the council's performance in ensuring a safe and healthy working environment for its employees and the public. The meeting took place on Tuesday.

• Becky Lee, Director of Finance and Resources, stated that the health, safety and well-being service provided extensive support within household waste recycling centres and children's residential facilities.
• Lee stated that the council launched a new healthcare cash plan on the Vivout platform, offering employees access to 24-7 GP consultations and private prescription delivery.
• The council revised its guidance on asbestos management based on learning from Health and Safety Executive inspections.
• A new risk assessment module was launched to help with a more digitalised approach to risk assessment.
• The council established a working group to look at occupational road risk management.
• The VIVOT platform remains popular, with 3,461 employees registered and 1,173 actively using it in any three-month period.
• 1,720 employees accessed the Money Insights platform, which helps people understand how to stay out of debt and manage their money well.
• 2,569 salary advances were taken out by employees, helping frontline staff access their earnings as earned.
• The average time to an occupational health appointment was six days from referral, with 98% of cases having reports the next day.
• A pilot program called Safe and Well, which focused on short-term absence and early referrals, resulted in a 16% reduction in absence in health and care and a saving of £181,000.
• 80% of employees completed their workstation assessments online.
• The council launched its tree management strategy, along with materials and support and training.
• The council revised its construction design and management approach with its highways team.
• Overall absence increased during the period, standing at 11.83 days as of March 2025.
• Psychological absence and musculoskeletal conditions were the highest level of absences.
• 480 employees referred themselves into the physiotherapy service for support and help with musculoskeletal conditions.
• 489 employees accessed the counselling service, with the average time to a first session being seven days.
• The occupational health service received 1,668 referrals.
• 90% of maintained schools confirmed that they'd reviewed their fire risk assessment within the last 12 months.
• The HSE issued a notice of contravention letter and fee for intervention of £4,180 after a member of the public placed asbestos in a container at a household waste recycling centre.

Violence and Aggression in Schools

Councillor Craig Humphreyson raised concerns about the increase in violence and aggression at schools, particularly at one special school setting.

• Lee stated that meetings have been held with the school and education colleagues to look at their arrangements.
• The school is beyond capacity in terms of space requirements, making managing behaviours difficult.
• The number of children placed there is over its normal capacity.
• The school is trying to get some additional mobile classrooms, and there is an expansion project that has been initiated.
• Education psychologists have been sent in to look at what enhanced training is needed.
• The head has agreed not to be agreeing to extra placements.

Occupational Health Pilot

Councillor Andrew Clissett asked about the pilot that was produced on occupational health colleagues.

• Lee stated that the safe and well was to try and target that what sometimes starts as a short time of absence can have underlying reasons.
• By actually having conversations with people, the council gets to establish if that's really the reason they're absent.
• The occupational health service doesn't cost the County Council anything because it's a traded service.
• It cost $46,000 to run that pilot.

Workforce Data

Councillor Jeremy Pert asked about workforce data.

• Lee stated that she is happy to include that moving forward.
• The council will try to get the report to the July meeting next time.
• The council will be running a 12-month pilot of sessions of psychological support going in to really help teach the skills around resilience.

Internal Audit Progress

The Audit and Standards Committee received an update on the progress of the Internal Audit Plan 2025-26, highlighting key activities since the last committee meeting in September. The meeting took place on Tuesday.

• The report covered the period from April 2025 to November 21, 2025.
• Since the last audit committee back in September, there's been five additional pieces of audit work that have been requested, and they are detailed within this progress report and relate to payments to children in prison, compliance to audits in relation to ICT reviews, and a further grant verification exercise on the Innovate grant.
• As a result of those additional pieces of work, the council has cancelled six pieces, and they're attached as Appendix A to this report.
• The council is currently at 53% in terms of work as commenced.
• The council continues to do regular half-termly communications to schools, highlighting areas of good practice and where there are sort of common weaknesses highlighted during the course of schools' audits.
• The council has done some further communications in relation to the new offence of failing to prevent fraud, and that went out earlier this year.
• The council currently has a corporate fraud survey as well, which is currently live, and again, the council will feedback the results for the next progress report.
• The NFI and the Cabinet Office have reintroduced data matching in relation to care home residents and direct payment recipients, and checking that against the DWP's deceased data.
• The council is currently writing two draft reports at the moment in relating to two proactive exercises relating to purchase cards, one in relation to cash withdrawals, and the other in relation to the purchasing of gift cards that have been purchased via a purchase card.
• The council is also doing a proactive piece of work around send direct payments, and the council has just commenced an exercise on fuel card transactions as well.
• The council has had 17 fraud referrals to date, five of those are new ones since the September Audit Committee.
• The council currently has no high priority audit recommendations that are overdue, which is great news, with nine medium priority recommendations that are overdue, and 38 low priority recommendations that are overdue.

Scheme of Delegation

The Audit and Standards Committee considered a proposed addition to the Scheme of Delegation in relation to confidentiality agreements and non-disclosure agreements. The meeting took place on Tuesday.

• Paula Dalton, Legal Services Manager and Deputy Monitoring Officer, stated that the proposal is to add a delegation to all senior leadership team under miscellaneous category, which is for each delegation for bands A to C, to make a decision to enter into the agreements, the delegations to senior leadership team.
• The delegation would say, following advice from the county solicitor, so we would get legal advice before they entered into it, to authorise the authorised signatory to enter into a non-disclosure agreement.
• Dalton stated that there will be a report taken to the person that's giving the authority.
• Dalton stated that that would be recorded when we enter into the document.
• Dalton stated that when it's sealed, it would be recorded in the sealing of a paper trail to show that it had been properly authorised.
• Dalton stated that the council will try to use our own non-disclosure agreement or confidentiality agreement.
• Dalton stated that legal will be looking through those documents to make sure that there's nothing in there that we're signing up to that we shouldn't be signing up to.
• The request doesn't include employment contracts.

Nexxus Care Latko

The Audit and Standards Committee discussed a proposed addition to the scheme of delegation in relation to the appointment of board members of the Nexus Care Latko. The meeting took place on Tuesday.

• The recommendation before the committee is that the committee support the proposed measures set out in paragraph four of this report, and that the proposed addition to the scheme of delegation be endorsed and referred to full council, um, with the recommendation that it be approved and that the constitution and scheme of delegation be updated accordingly.
• This recommendation is an outstanding and overdue recommendation that should have been concluded in September 2025.
• The constitutional change provision simply brings the constitution in line with the amended shareholder agreement of Nexus.
• The change will remove the risk of ambiguity regarding the authority to approve, appoint or remove directors to the board of the Latko.

Other Matters

• The Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting scheduled for Monday was cancelled. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• No video was provided for the County Council meeting scheduled for Thursday. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Staffordshire Health and Wellbeing Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled. Here is a link to the meeting page.

Upcoming Meetings

Here's a list of meetings scheduled for the next week:

• The Cabinet will meet on Wednesday 17 December 2025. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Property Sub-Committee will meet on Wednesday 17 December 2025. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Pensions Committee will meet on Friday 19 December 2025. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Pensions Board will meet on Friday 19 December 2025. Here is a link to the meeting page.

This week in Staffordshire:

ICB's £306 Million Savings Plan: Cancer Care and Frontline Services in the Spotlight

The Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee grilled the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) on its plans to save £306 million, with a focus on potential impacts to cancer care and frontline services. The meeting took place on Monday.

• The ICB, responsible for planning and funding healthcare services, faces pressure to reduce spending while meeting national performance targets.
• Claire Finn, Interim Chief Finance Officer, stated that the ICB's allocation is circa £3.2 billion in 2025-26, an uplift of about £85 million from last year.
• The ICB has identified £306 million in efficiency savings, with £169 million relating directly to the ICB.
• Of the £169 million, £55 million relates to technical and planning items, £5.5 million to enhanced financial controls, £25.2 million to management cost savings, and £83.8 million to 24 schemes involving low-value expenditure or process changes.
• The ICB reported being £10.3 million behind on its efficiency programme at month seven, but expects to catch up later in the year.

Cancer Waiting Times Under Scrutiny

Concerns were raised about cancer waiting times, particularly in light of national targets for diagnosis and treatment.

• Councillor Catherine Brown, Shadow Portfolio Holder for Communities and Culture, expressed concern that cancer patients in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are waiting up to three months for treatment, calling for improved treatment times.
• Phil Smith, Chief Officer for System Development and Integration, clarified that the national standard is 62 days from referral to starting treatment, but the ICB aims to start treatment as soon as possible within that window.
• Smith acknowledged challenges with skin cancer referrals due to a surge in demand after the summer.
• Dr. Rachel Galliott, Interim Chief Medical Officer, emphasized the importance of early cancer detection and highlighted campaigns to encourage screening and testing.
• The ICB agreed to provide a breakdown of cancer waiting time figures by tumour site.

Frontline Services and Deficit Repayments

The committee also questioned the potential impact of deficit repayments on frontline services.

• Councillor Matthew Wallens, asked if any frontline services are exposed if the repayments become unmanageable after 2027-28.
• Finn stated that the ICB would protect frontline services by focusing on reducing waste and improving productivity.
• Finn noted that Staffordshire has the highest prescribing spend per capita of any ICB, but has improved to fourth-worst due to ongoing efficiency efforts.
• Galliott stated that the ICB is working to use resources more effectively, such as by ensuring the right patients are referred for the right diagnostic tests.

Continuing Healthcare and Children's Services

The committee also raised concerns about continuing healthcare and children's services.

• Councillor Colin Greatorex, asked for examples of how £51 million in savings in continuing healthcare has been achieved.
• Clare Underd, Director of Nursing for All Age Continuing Care, stated that savings have been achieved through lesser restrictive care, reducing unnecessary one-to-one support, and improving patient independence.
• Councillor Ann Edgeller, Shadow Portfolio Holder for Education and SEND, asked where children sit within the ICB's plans, particularly regarding early intervention.
• The ICB agreed to provide supplementary information on its focus on children and young people.

The ICB's efforts to balance financial constraints with the need to maintain and improve healthcare services will continue to be a key area of scrutiny.

Special Committee Appoints Political Assistant

A Special Committee met to appoint a political assistant. The meeting took place on Tuesday. The report pack included a recommendation to appoint a specific candidate to the role, but did not include details of other candidates or the interview process. No video was provided for the meeting.

Pensions Panel Discusses Responsible Investment and Fund Performance

The Pensions Panel met to discuss the Staffordshire Pension Fund's performance, responsible investment practices, and its investment portfolio. The meeting took place on Tuesday. The panel received reports from the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) and the Local Government Pension Scheme Collaborative (LGPSC) on responsible investment, covering topics such as voting, company engagements, climate change, and diversity and inclusion. No video was provided for the meeting.

Other Matters

• The Planning Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday was cancelled. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• No video was provided for the Safeguarding and Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday. Here is a link to the meeting page.

Upcoming Meetings

Here's a list of meetings scheduled for the next week:

• The Property Sub-Committee will meet on Wednesday 17 December 2025. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Cabinet will meet on Wednesday 17 December 2025. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Pensions Committee will meet on Friday 19 December 2025. Here is a link to the meeting page.
• The Pensions Board will meet on Friday 19 December 2025. Here is a link to the meeting page.