The Place and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee of West Northamptonshire Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday 16 June 2026. The agenda includes a review of the financial aspects of children's social care, an update on the provisional budget outturn for 2025/26, and a discussion on the waste collections and cleansing review. The committee will also consider the process for scrutinising the council's budget and review its work programme.

West Northamptonshire Council Children's Social Care Strategy

A significant portion of the meeting is scheduled to be dedicated to scrutinising the financial aspects of West Northamptonshire Council's¹ Children's Social Care strategy, impact, and future options. The report pack indicates that this discussion will focus on the financial implications of providing children's social care services. The documents highlight national pressures on children's services, including a significant increase in the number of children in care and the rising costs associated with residential placements. The report notes that National data demonstrates that this is part of a wider systemic pressure across children's services, not an issue unique to Northamptonshire. ² It also details the Key Service Drivers of the Additional Demand, which include increased use of residential care, market pressures and cost inflation, and placement sufficiency challenges. The report outlines the projected financial pressures for 2025/26, with a significant portion attributed to placements. Mitigation strategies are also detailed, including efforts to attract a permanent workforce, regular placement reviews, and regional commissioning approaches.

Provisional 2025/26 Budget Outturn

The committee is scheduled to receive a verbal update on the provisional outturn position for West Northamptonshire Council's 2025/26 budget. This will provide an overview of how the council's finances are performing against the planned budget for the current financial year.

Waste Collections & Cleansing Review Update

A verbal update is scheduled to be provided on the Waste Collections & Cleansing Review. This will likely cover progress and any findings or recommendations from the review of the council's waste collection and cleansing services.

Budget Scrutiny Review Process

The committee is set to consider the process used for scrutinising West Northamptonshire Council's draft budget, with the aim of identifying opportunities for improvement. The report pack outlines the current process, which typically involves committee meetings, budget briefings, and task and finish panel meetings. It also references guidance from the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny³ on effective finance scrutiny, suggesting potential areas for enhancement, such as earlier engagement in the budget development process. The report notes that Scrutiny of the development of the West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) draft budget represents a priority area of work for the Place and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee and is at the core of its annual work programme. ⁴

Review of Committee Work Programme

The committee will review and note its work programme for the upcoming period. This will likely involve confirming scheduled topics and potentially identifying new areas for scrutiny.