The Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) meeting was scheduled to discuss key strategic documents for Adult Social Care, including progress on Next Steps and commissioning intentions. The committee was also set to review the annual report on complaints concerning Adult Social Care and Continuing Health Care Services.

Adult Social Care - Progressing our Next Steps and Commissioning Intentions

The committee was scheduled to consider a report seeking approval from Cabinet to publish several key strategic documents related to Adult Social Care. These documents aim to support the continuous improvement of the council's Adult Social Care offer, enhance engagement and co-production with stakeholders, and develop the external care market to meet future needs.

The report highlighted that Cabinet, at its meeting on 12 May 2026, had considered and approved the publication of the Adult Social Care Next Steps – One year Update addendum , Adult Social Care Commissioning Plans 2025-27 , and the Northumberland Market Position Statement .¹

The Adult Social Care Next Steps document, originally published in Autumn 2024, outlines the main issues the department needs to address and the actions being taken. The addendum provides an update on progress, with a particular focus on prevention and early intervention services. This strategy is crucial for managing demand and financial challenges, especially given the predicted growth in the ageing population in Northumberland. The document also aims to provide clarity for current and prospective care providers regarding the type of services the council wishes to see developed.

The Northumberland Market Position Statement offers an overview of the county's current social care market for 2026/27 and the council's commissioning intentions for the coming years. It details the local context, market pressures, and ambitions to support strategic objectives, aiming to help providers understand opportunities for tendering and service development.

The Adult Social Care Commissioning Plans 2025-27 outline the council's strategic commissioning intentions. These plans include an engagement exercise with residents regarding daytime activities and a continued focus on the prevention agenda, which may lead to a need for different types of services. The plans also emphasise the delivery of Extra Care Housing and Supported Living ambitions, promoting independence, social inclusion, and community support. Extra Care Housing is presented as a viable alternative to traditional homecare and residential care, offering purpose-built accommodation with on-site support. The council has an ambitious plan to deliver up to 600 units of Extra Care across the county by 2030.

Complaints Annual Report 2024-25: Adult Social Care and Continuing Health Care Services

The committee was scheduled to receive the annual report on complaints relating to Adult Social Care and Continuing Health Care (CHC) services in Northumberland for the period 2024-25. The report details the activities of the complaints service, how customer experiences are gathered, and an overview of feedback received.

It outlines how complaints are handled, providing statistical information for 2024/25, and highlights matters of general note arising from these complaints, including examples where actions have been or are to be taken to improve services. The report also covers decisions made by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Health Service Ombudsman regarding complaints about adult services.

The report indicated an increase in the number of complaints received in 2024/25 compared to previous years, with Adult Social Care receiving 70 complaints and CHC receiving 14. The majority of Adult Social Care complaints related to assessments and care planning, followed by finance/funding and the quality or standard of service. For CHC complaints, the primary subject matter was assessments and care planning, followed by failure to follow procedure and quality or standard of service. The report noted that while most complaints were resolved locally, a small number were referred to the Ombudsman, with no upheld decisions from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in 2024/25.

The report also detailed the number of enquiries and compliments received, with compliments significantly outnumbering complaints. It highlighted the importance of learning from feedback to improve services and outlined future plans for handling complaints, including a continued focus on prompt enquiry resolution and manager support for local complaint resolution.

Health and Wellbeing Board Minutes

The committee was also scheduled to scrutinise the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Board meetings held on 14 May 2026 and 9 April 2026. These minutes would provide an overview of issues considered and agreed by the Board, offering context for the committee's discussions.

Forward Plan and Work Programme

Additionally, the committee was due to note the latest Forward Plan of key decisions and consider the Health and Wellbeing OSC Work Programme for 2026. This would provide an overview of future planned discussions and the committee's ongoing scrutiny activities.