The External Partnerships Select Committee noted the performance of revenue grants given by the council. They also received a presentation about the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System and discussed their future work programme.

Revenue Grants

The committee reviewed the performance of a number of local organisations that receive revenue grants from the council. The committee heard that achievement against the agreed service level agreements had been good.

Overall, achievement against the agreed SLAs has been good and organisations have consistently demonstrated positive outcomes in relation to objectives agreed with the Council, and in bringing added value to the Borough with additional work, fundraising and projects. Revenue Grants Update - EPSC Dec 2024

However, the committee also heard that the council is forecasting a greater than expected budget gap.

The financial position of the Council has changed as the anticipated budgetary gap in the Mid Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) published in February 2024 is now showing a greater than expected unfavourable variance of £5.73 million Revenue Grants Update - EPSC Dec 2024

As a result, the four organisations that receive ring-fenced funding from the council - Citizens Advice Surrey Heath, The Hope Hub, Voluntary Support North Surrey and Surrey Heath Age Concern - have been told that the council may not be able to guarantee the same level of funding for 2025/26. Camberley & Districts Job Club, who do not receive ringfenced funding will not be recommended for funding in 2025/26.

The committee heard that officers are preparing a Community and Equality Impact assessment to support Councillors in their decision-making about revenue grants funding in 2025/26.

Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System

Jack Wagstaff, Place Based Leader at North West Surrey Integrated Care Partnership, delivered a presentation to the committee about the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System.

Committee Work Programme

The committee discussed their work programme for the remainder of the municipal year.

It was confirmed that the committee would be meeting with Surrey Police on 12 March 2025. This meeting will fulfill the committee's role as the council's designated Crime and Disorder committee.

To sit as the Council’s designated Crime and Disorder committee in order to: • Scrutinise the current performance of Policing within Surrey Heath. • Scrutinise Surrey Heath Beat’s actions against the Police and Crime Panel for Surrey 2021-2025. Identify areas for greater collaboration with the Council’s Community Safety function. Committee Work Programme

The committee also discussed the possibility of inviting representatives from Accent Housing to a future meeting. The committee noted that it had previously sought to ask questions of Accent Housing about their complaints process and the performance of their maintenance service.

• To scrutinise the Accent Complaints process and how complaints are reviewed internally. • To receive a breakdown of received complaints by theme (as to ascertain where service improvements could be made and where Councillors could help reconfigure customers’ expectations if unreasonable). • A general update in regards to the performance of the maintenance service. Committee Work Programme

The committee noted that there had also been requests to meet with Surrey Fire & Rescue and Boom Community Bank. The committee agreed to delegate the addition of these items to their work programme to officers.