The Corporate Scrutiny Committee of North Northamptonshire Council met on Monday 29 June 2026 to discuss the council's financial performance for the fourth quarter of 2025/26 and to review the T20 methodology for transformation projects. Key outcomes included noting the council's financial performance, identifying areas for further scrutiny, and requesting senior representatives from the North Northamptonshire Children's Trust to attend the next meeting to discuss their financial position. The committee also reviewed and provided feedback on the proposed T20 project framework.

Finance and Performance 2025/26 - Q4

The committee received an update on the council's financial performance for the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. Dean Mitchell, Director of Finance and Accountancy, presented the report, highlighting a projected overspend of £13.8 million in the General Fund, an underspend of £75,000 in the Housing Revenue Account, and a deficit of £21.8 million for the Dedicated Schools Grant. The main pressures identified were within children's services (£13.6 million) and home-to-school transport (£3 million). Favourable variances included a £2 million release from the Corporate Contingency Budget and an increase in funding for the Extended Producer Responsibility Grant (£2.6 million). The council's reserves had reduced by approximately £13.5 million.

Councillor Helen Harrison raised concerns about the deliverability of budgets, particularly in adult social care, given the current financial state and the amount drawn from reserves. Matthew Jenkins, Director of Commissioning, reassured the committee that learning from previous years had been incorporated into the current budget, with a new savings line for demand interventions in adult social care. He also highlighted the progress made on the extra care strategy, which aims to enable people to live more independently for longer, benefiting both residents and the council's budget.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on the overspend within the Children's Trust. Councillor Harrison expressed ongoing concern about the council's oversight and control of the Children's Trust budget, drawing a comparison to the more intensive scrutiny applied to adult social care pressures. Councillor Graham Cheatley, Executive Member for Finance, Efficiency and Change, shared these concerns and supported the recommendation to invite senior representatives from the Children's Trust to the next meeting for a dedicated update. Libby Caulfield, Corporate Director of Transformation and Strategy, stated that relationships with the Trust leadership were strong and collaborative, with Trust leaders actively engaged in T20 design and scoping sessions.

The committee resolved to:

• Note the performance of the council as measured by the available indicators as at Period 12 (Q4) 2025/26.
• Identify items for further detailed scrutiny or recommend to another committee to do so.
• Request that senior representatives from the North Northamptonshire Children's Trust, including senior finance officers, attend the next meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee to provide a dedicated update on the Children's Trust financial position, budget overspend, and mitigation actions.

Councillor Ben Jameson inquired about the schemes contributing to the £29 million slippage in the capital programme. Dean Mitchell explained that the delays were due to various factors including planning, procurement, and delivery partners, with the children's directorate and the place directorate accounting for the majority of the slippage. Schemes mentioned included those related to schools' capacity, Corby Town Fund, and local transport grants. The committee noted that the capital programme would be re-phased and presented in a future report.

Developing the T20 Methodology: Project Framework

Libby Caulfield, Corporate Director of Transformation and Strategy, presented the T20 project framework, explaining that T20 is a strategy to rationalise and prioritise transformation resources around the council's most critical priorities. The previous approach, which involved up to 120 projects, was deemed no longer fit for purpose due to budget pressures. The T20 approach aims to focus on no more than 20 key projects.

The new framework introduces a more structured and disciplined approach covering the full project lifecycle, from concept to post-closure benefit tracking. Key features include:

• Design Authority: Enabling services will have sight of all projects before approval to assess deliverability.
• Transformation Board: Chaired by the Chief Executive and attended by the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT), this board will govern the projects, with Senior Responsible Officers (SROs) accountable for each project's progress and impact.
• Baseline Setting and Benefits Tracking: Every project will be required to clearly define its objectives, starting position, and how success will be measured, including financial targets.

The committee discussed the one in, one out principle for bringing new projects into T20, the potential for deprioritising projects if urgent new ones arise, and how staff are trained to recognise priorities. Libby Caulfield assured the committee that the Transformation Board would meet monthly and review project performance rigorously, with the possibility of stopping projects that are not delivering. She also highlighted the extensive engagement with staff to gather ideas for T20 and the development of a culture of change offer to support smaller service-led improvements. The framework is expected to be implemented with reporting on savings from March 2027.

The committee resolved to:

• Note the progress made in developing the project framework.
• Review the proposed project framework and consider whether it provides appropriate assurance in relation to deliverability, governance, and impact tracking.
• Provide feedback to inform further refinement before adoption.

Corporate Scrutiny Work Programme 2026/27

Raj Sohal, Scrutiny Officer, presented the Corporate Scrutiny Work Programme for 2026/27. The next meeting, scheduled for 18 August, will include items on budget performance monitoring, KPIs, and a transformation update from Libby Caulfield. The committee will also begin shaping the budget scrutiny process for the following year. Councillor Helen Harrison reminded the committee of the earlier resolution to bring forward a specific item on the Children's Trust, which Raj Sohal confirmed would be organised.

The committee resolved to note the Scrutiny Work Programme as it relates to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee.

Minutes of Meeting held on 27th April 2026

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 27 April 2026 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.