The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Monday 8 June 2026 to discuss the progress of the Grenfell Support Programme, review the committee's work programme for the upcoming year, and consider the council's forward plan of key decisions. The meeting also included an update on the recovery from a significant cyber-attack.

Update on the Grenfell Support Programme

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the delivery of the Grenfell Support Programme, which runs from 2024 to 2028. This programme is part of the restorative justice element of the Global Settlement Agreement and is funded by the Council and other parties. The report provided an overview of the reach, delivery, and impact of three key areas: the Dedicated Service for bereaved and survivors, the Grenfell Community Support programme, and the Education and Training Support. It also summarised key risks, issues, and lessons learned since the programme's inception, as well as feedback from the Independent Scrutiny Function (ISF) and the Council's progress in addressing their recommendations.

The Dedicated Service for bereaved and survivors offers an annual personal budget to support recovery needs and the option of a named Dedicated Service worker. In the last financial year (2025/26), personal budgets were paid across 2,119 requests to 749 individuals. The most popular support areas for these budgets were health and wellbeing, leisure activities, and housing. The report noted that 43% of bereaved and survivors opted in for support from the core team of Dedicated Service Workers. The cyber-attack in November 2025 did not compromise the case management system, but it was taken offline, requiring business continuity plans to be activated. Personal budget payments were maintained using the Council's emergency payment process.

The Grenfell Community Support programme, launched in January 2025, includes annual wellbeing grants for households living within 500m of the Grenfell Tower, free Kensington Leisure Centre memberships for residents in the same area, and a Grenfell Community Advocacy Team. The report indicated an increase in wellbeing grant payments and leisure centre membership take-up. The community activities pilot, launched in May 2026, focuses on enhancing wellbeing, group day trips, and creative activities. The ongoing impact of the cyber-attack had affected the timing of Year 2 grant payments.

The Education and Training Support programme, which opened the Grenfell Education Hub in September 2025, had seen over 300 children and young people register for support. The programme includes direct support contacts, professional engagement, and bursaries for educational and training goals. The cyber-attack had affected the timeliness of operational processes and data analysis. Recruitment challenges for Speech and Language Therapy and Educational Psychology roles were also noted.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to discuss the principles of effective scrutiny and work programme criteria to assist in developing the Annual Scrutiny Work Programme for 2026-27. The report outlined the services within the Overview and Scrutiny Committee's terms of reference, including Grenfell Partnerships, Transformation, Digital Data and Technology, Corporate Strategy, Communities and Culture, Community Safety, Resilience, the Resources Directorate, Customer Services, Communications, Public Affairs and the Mayoralty, and the Chief Executive's Office.

Key priorities for 2026-27 included the delivery of the Grenfell support programme, recovery from the cyber-attack, and the development of the new Council Plan. Opportunities for scrutiny involvement were identified across these areas. The committee was also asked to consider whether to continue with a paused Zero-Based Budgeting pilot project.

The Forward Plan and Key Decision Tracker

The committee was presented with the Forward Plan of Key Decisions, which outlines upcoming executive decisions that are likely to have a significant impact on the council's budget or local communities. The report explained the definition of a key decision and the role of the Forward Plan in enabling pre-decision scrutiny. This process allows scrutiny councillors to review decisions before they are made, providing a critical friend role to the executive.

The Forward Plan included a number of key decisions scheduled for June and July 2026, covering areas such as:

• Procurement and Property: The procurement strategy and contract award for a new open space at Lots Road, the future of short headleases at Mulberry Court, Beaufort House and 60 Nevern Square, and the sale of council-owned property at Ladbroke Grove.
• Housing: The adoption of a new Housing Improvement Plan, the Community Safety Plan, and decisions related to the Local Authority Housing Fund and temporary accommodation.
• Finance and Digital: An update on recovery from the cyber-attack and the adoption of a future ICT Strategy, and the Council Asset Strategy.
• Other Areas: Decisions related to the Crisis and Resilience Fund, the Annual Resilience Report, and the Treasury Management Outturn Report.

The committee was invited to review the Forward Plan and identify any key decisions that required further scrutiny, either by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or one of the select committees.

Cyber Attack Recovery Update

A separate agenda item was scheduled to provide an update on the Council's recovery from the cyber-attack that occurred in November 2025. This would include the latest information on system recovery, business impact, backlogs, and the Council's approach to managing the data breach. The report was also expected to seek approval for the Council's new ICT Strategy, which would set the foundations for future IT delivery.