The Cabinet of Doncaster Council met on Wednesday 7 October 2026 to discuss and approve several key strategies and service plans. Decisions were made regarding the Corporate Parenting and Care Leavers Strategy, the refreshed Get Doncaster Moving strategy, the Doncaster Dementia Strategy, and the future commissioning of the Integrated Community Equipment Loan Service.

Approval of the Corporate Parenting and Care Leavers Strategy: 2026-2029

The Cabinet approved the Corporate Parenting and Care Leavers Strategy for 2026-2029. This strategy reaffirms the council's commitment to children in care and care-experienced young people, outlining a whole-council and whole-place responsibility to provide care, ambition, encouragement, and support akin to that of a good parent. The strategy was co-produced with children in care and care-experienced young people, ensuring their voices, experiences, and priorities have shaped its seven strategic priorities: voice, rights, and influence; love, stability, and belonging; health, wellbeing, and therapeutic support; education, aspiration, and achievement; preparing for adulthood and the care leaver offer; inclusion, identity, and challenging stigma; and sufficiency, quality, and workforce. Councillor Sue Farmer, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, introduced the report, highlighting that the strategy aims to ensure care experience is never a barrier to opportunities or success. The strategy was endorsed, with arrangements for annual review and refresh with the Corporate Parenting Board and care-experienced young people noted.

Get Doncaster Moving Strategy Refresh

The Cabinet adopted the refreshed Get Doncaster Moving (GDM) strategy, aiming to promote physical activity and sport across the borough until 2030. Councillor James Church, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Public Health and Traded Services, presented the refreshed strategy, noting that while activity levels in Doncaster remain below the national average, there are positive signs of progress, with more adults and children meeting recommended activity levels and fewer being classed as inactive. The strategy acknowledges the persistent challenge of inequality, particularly in deprived communities, and will continue to focus on targeted, community-based work. The refreshed strategy builds on previous successes, including a strengthened network of over 750 organisations and 3,500 connections. Key themes for the next period include working with health partners, deepening neighbourhood working, supporting active workplaces, investing in parks and leisure centres, and continuing to grow the GDM network. The GDM Advisory Board and subgroups will oversee the delivery of the strategy.

Doncaster Dementia Strategy 2026-2031

The Cabinet approved the Doncaster Dementia Strategy for 2026-2031. This strategy aims to make Doncaster the most dementia-friendly city in the UK and has been developed through extensive co-production with people living with dementia, their carers, and partner organisations. Councillor David Nevett, Cabinet Member for Adults, Wellbeing and Culture, introduced the strategy, highlighting that there are currently an estimated 4,358 people living with dementia in Doncaster, a figure expected to rise to 5,385 by 2035. The strategy focuses on seven priority areas: leading well, preventing well, diagnosing well, supporting well, living well, caring well, and dying well. The strategy was presented by Wendy Sharps and Eileen Harrington, both members of the Doncaster Dementia Partnership Board, who shared their lived experiences and emphasised the importance of co-production and ensuring the strategy is accessible and addresses the needs of those affected by dementia.

Future Commissioning of Doncaster's Integrated Community Equipment Loan Service

The Cabinet approved the recommissioning of Doncaster's Integrated Community Equipment Loan Service (ICELS) through a collaborative procurement led by Sheffield City Council. This partnership includes the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. Councillor David Nevett, Cabinet Member for Adults, Wellbeing and Culture, explained that this collaborative approach aims to provide better value for money, allow for more effective equipment sharing across the region, reduce waste, and support consistent service quality. The current short-term contract with Medequip, put in place after the insolvency of the previous provider, Nottingham Rehab Supplies Ltd, is due to end in March 2027. The new arrangement is expected to ensure continuity of service for Doncaster residents, with the council retaining responsibility for its residents and local oversight of service quality. The collaborative approach is anticipated to lead to economies of scale, improved market interest, and more efficient use of commissioning capacity.