The Adult Care and Health Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee of Bromley Council met on Tuesday 16 June 2026 to discuss a range of important issues concerning the provision of adult care and health services. Key topics included an update on the Adult Care and Health Portfolio Plan for 2025-26, a review of the Adult Services Transformation and Improvement Programme, and the Tackling Loneliness Strategy Action Plan. The committee also considered reports on the ACH Risk Register, contract awards for Sensory Enablement Services, and the final outturn report for 2025/26. Additionally, pre-decision scrutiny was provided for executive reports concerning the 0-19 Children's Public Health Service, permission to proceed with procurement for Supported Living services, and an extension to the Mental Health Community Services Partnership Agreement.

Appointment of Co-opted Members and Matters Outstanding

The committee was scheduled to discuss the appointment of co-opted members for the 2026-27 period. This included agreeing the appointment of two members to the South East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Gemma Turrell and Councillor Alwin Puthenpurakal. The committee was also set to agree co-opted member appointments to the Adult Care and Health PDS Committee itself. A review of matters outstanding from previous meetings was also on the agenda, with an update on the Tackling Loneliness Strategy Action Plan noting that information regarding funding for the Young Mums swimming programme and updated usage figures for Simply Connect Bromley had been circulated to members. The committee's forward work programme for 2026/27 was also presented for review.

Adult Care and Health Portfolio Plan 2025-26 End of Year Update

An update on the Adult Care and Health Portfolio Plan for the second half of the 2025-26 financial year was presented. The report indicated that progress had been made on all actions within the Portfolio Plan, which focuses on two key ambitions from the Making Bromley Even Better corporate strategy: enabling adults and older people to enjoy fulfilled lives and ageing well, and managing resources effectively to provide value for money. The plan aligns with the Adult Social Care Strategy and aims to support residents in ageing well, retaining independence, and making choices.

Adult Care and Health Services Risk Register Q4 Report

The committee was scheduled to review the Adult Care and Health Services' Risk Register for the fourth quarter of 2025/26. This report provides an overview of the key risks impacting the directorate's ability to deliver its priorities and objectives, along with the existing controls in place to mitigate these risks. The register identified nine key risks, including failure to deliver the financial strategy, failure to deliver effective Adult Social Care and Learning Disability services, and issues related to CQC assurance and provider failure. The report noted that since the previous review in February 2026, several high risks had been reduced to significant or medium risk levels due to mitigating actions.

Tackling Loneliness Strategy Action Plan 2022-2026 Update

An update on the delivery of the Tackling Loneliness Strategy Action Plan was presented. The strategy, approved in November 2021, aims to mitigate loneliness and improve the wellbeing of Bromley residents. Key highlights included the success of the Tackling Loneliness Workshop, with 861 participants to date, and positive feedback from the Bromley Well befriending services, where 100% of clients reported feeling more confident and less isolated. The Innovation Fund had supported eight new projects in its first round for 2025/26, with a total of 12 live innovation projects across Bromley aimed at reducing social isolation. The report also highlighted ongoing work with partners such as Clarion Futures and Mytime Active, and noted that the strategy itself would be updated in late 2026.

Adult Services Transformation and Improvement Programme Update

An update on the Adult Services Transformation and Improvement Programme was provided, detailing progress in delivering a more sustainable and efficient operating model. The programme aims to improve service quality and resident outcomes while delivering good quality and safe care. Key achievements since the previous report included the delivery of £2.222 million in savings in 2025/26, exceeding the target by £455k. The report highlighted the success of the front-door redesign and the introduction of Intelligent Lilli, a proactive home care monitoring system, as key drivers of savings. The programme also focused on resident involvement, with the development of a co-production approach and toolkit, and the launch of the One Bromley Involvement Charter.

Pre-Decision Scrutiny of Adult Care and Health Portfolio Holder Reports

The committee was scheduled to undertake pre-decision scrutiny of several reports relating to the Adult Care and Health Portfolio Holder's decisions.

Contract Award Report: Sensory Enablement Services (Part 1)

This report presented the results of the tendering process for Sensory Enablement Services, which support residents with hearing and vision impairments. The current contracts were due to expire on 30 September 2026, and a procurement exercise for a combined service was undertaken. The report detailed the evaluation process, which included input from residents, and recommended the award of a contract to a provider detailed in the accompanying Part 2 report. The proposed contract duration was three years with an option to extend for two further periods of two years.

ACH Outturn Report 2025/26

This report provided the final outturn position for the Adult Care and Health Portfolio for the 2025/26 financial year. It detailed a projected net overspend of £6,146k on controllable expenditure. The report broke down the variances by service area, with the largest overspend in Assessment and Care Management (£7,164k), primarily due to higher placement numbers and increased one-to-one support. Underspends were noted in Learning Disabilities, Mental Health, and the Integrated Commissioning Service. The report also highlighted that the cost pressures identified were projected to impact 2026/27, and outlined carry-forward requests for the portfolio.

Pre-Decision Scrutiny of Executive Reports

The committee was also scheduled to provide pre-decision scrutiny for executive reports.

Gateway Report: 0-19 Children's Public Health Service

This report sought permission to re-procure the 0-19 Public Health nursing services, which include health visiting and school nursing. The current contract, delivered by Bromley Healthcare, was due to expire on 30 September 2027, with no further extension options. The report proposed a competitive tender process under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) for a new five-year contract commencing 1 October 2027, with an estimated annual value of £5.080m. The increased cost reflected updated national guidance for the Healthy Child Programme and inflationary pressures. The report detailed the procurement strategy, evaluation criteria, and an indicative timeline.

Gateway 1: Permission to Proceed to Procurement for Supported Living

This report sought Executive approval to commence the procurement of a new care provider for supported living services at 109 and 111 Masons Hill and 18 and 19 Century Way. The current provider, Achieve Together, had indicated they did not wish to extend their contract, which expires in January 2027. The proposal was to tender for a new provider for an initial five-year term with a three-year extension option, at an estimated annual cost of £1.2m. The report emphasised the importance of supported living in promoting independence and choice for adults with learning disabilities.

Mental Health Community Services Partnership Agreement Extension

This report recommended the extension of the current partnership agreement with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust for the Council's Community Mental Health social work service. The agreement, established under Section 31 of the Mental Health Act 1999, had been reviewed, and while good progress had been made on implementing recommendations, further work was needed to ensure full compliance with the Care Act 2014 and safeguarding standards. The proposed two-year extension, from December 2026 to November 2028, would allow time for further improvements or for alternative arrangements to be made. The estimated cost for the extension was £3.8m.

Policy Development and Other Items

Contracts Register (Part 1)

The committee was presented with an extract from the Contracts Register as of May 2026, detailing contracts with a whole life value of £50k or higher. The report provided a summary for the Adult Care and Health Portfolio, indicating 55 active contracts. It also highlighted that no contracts were flagged as a concern, and detailed the risk index and procurement status for contracts approaching their end date. The register is a key tool for contract managers and is reviewed by various council bodies to ensure compliance and effective contract management.

The meeting also included standard items such as apologies for absence, declarations of interest, and questions from councillors and the public. Items marked for information only would not be debated unless a member requested a discussion.