The Cabinet of Kent County Council met on Thursday, 25 June 2026, to discuss a range of important issues, including the council's financial outturn for the 2025-26 year and its quarterly performance report. Key decisions were made regarding the approval of the revenue and capital budget monitoring report, which detailed an overspend for the year, and the noting of the quarterly performance report, which highlighted areas of concern alongside positive progress.

Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring Report Outturn 2025-2026

The Cabinet reviewed the revenue and capital budget monitoring outturn for the 2025-26 financial year. The report indicated a revenue overspend of £22.7 million, which will be funded from general reserves. This overspend was primarily driven by pressures within Adult Social Care & Health, which faced substantial demand and unachieved savings, resulting in an overspend of £42.9 million. Children, Young People & Education also experienced a small overspend of £0.9 million.

Despite the overall revenue overspend, the council managed to deliver £98.6 million of its £121.5 million savings target for the year. £13.3 million of undelivered savings are expected to be achieved in future years and have been rolled into the 2026-27 budget.

The capital programme saw a significant underspend of £105.8 million, largely due to the rephasing of projects into future years. Cabinet agreed to note the revenue and capital outturn position, approve the drawing down from general fund reserves to fund the 2025-26 overspend, and agreed to roll forward £0.8 million for existing criteria and £0.3 million for member grants. They also agreed to add capital slippage to future years' budgets and noted the review of the capital programme and proposed cash limit changes.

Quarterly Performance Report, Quarter 4, 2025/26

The Cabinet also received the quarterly performance report for the fourth quarter of 2025/26. Of the 39 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) monitored, 18 were rated Green (on target), 12 were Amber (met floor standard but not target), and nine were Red (did not meet floor standard). Seven indicators showed a positive trend, while four showed a negative trend.

Areas of concern included the percentage of complaints responded to within timescale (Customer Services), Freedom of Information Act requests completed within 20 working days (Governance and Law), and emergency highway incidents attended within two hours of notification (Environment and Transport). In Children, Young People and Education, the percentage of annual EHCP reviews waiting less than 12 months and the percentage of pupils with EHCPs placed in independent or out-of-county special schools were rated Red. The percentage of care leavers in education, employment or training also remained Red.

Positive performance was noted in areas such as the number of homes brought back into use through the No Use Empty programme (Growth and Communities), and the percentage of Early Years settings with Good or Outstanding Ofsted judgements (Education and Skills). The report also highlighted improvements in the percentage of case-holding social worker posts filled by permanent qualified social workers.

Cabinet noted the report and the actions being taken to address areas where performance was not meeting targets.

Cabinet Member Updates

Several Cabinet Members provided updates on their respective portfolios:

• Beverley Fordham, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, updated on the draft SEND reform plan for the Department for Education, which had been submitted on 19 June. She also highlighted a workshop in Gravesend where young people expressed a desire for lifelong learning skills, financial literacy, and earlier careers advice.
• Georgia Foster, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, shared details of her visits to Cliftonville Library, Westview Integrated Care Centre, and Milton Hague day services. She also noted Carers Week, Learning Disability Week, and Loneliness Awareness Week, emphasizing the invaluable contributions of unpaid carers.
• Mr Burwash, deputising for Richard Palmer, Cabinet Member for Communities and Regulatory Services, reported positively on the work of Community Wardens, the Community Safety Team, and Trading Standards, noting a significant sentence for a fraudster. He also highlighted the reopening of Folkestone Library and refurbishments to Cliftonville and Queenborough libraries.
• Jamie Henderson, Cabinet Member for Environment, Coastal Regeneration and Public Health, provided an update on the current heatwave warnings and advised residents to stay hydrated and check on vulnerable individuals. He also discussed the upcoming Kent Water Resilience Partnership meeting, preparations for a waste conference focusing on fly-tipping, and the launch of a new booking system for Household Waste Recycling Centres.
• Paul Webb, Cabinet Member for Integrated Children's Services, updated on his induction and visits to various children's services. He highlighted the landmark Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act, which received royal assent on 29 April, and its implications for local authorities.
• Peter Osborne, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, reported on Department for Transport funding, bids for the structures fund, and the consolidation of DFT funding for highways maintenance, active travel, and bus services. He also mentioned the upcoming Operation Brock for mid-July and the integration with Ringway, the new highways term maintenance contract.
• Christopher Hespe, Cabinet Member for Local Government Efficiency, provided an update on the DOLGE strategy and local government reorganisation. He noted significant interest in DOLGE from other local authorities and highlighted the continued reduction in long-term debt.
• Brian Collins, Deputy Leader of the Council, thanked officer colleagues and reflected on the council's first full financial year under the current administration, describing it as challenging but with improving financial control. He also expressed satisfaction with the progress made in libraries, noting the reopening of Folkestone Library as the first new library provision in 14 years.

The meeting concluded with thanks to all Cabinet Members and officers for their contributions.