The Ealing Council Cabinet will consider a report on changes that could be made to the way it provides library services in the borough. They will also consider reports that relate to the council's work on the 0-19 Healthy Child Programme and capital works that are required at schools across the borough. We don't know for certain whether any of these topics will actually be discussed, or whether any decisions will be made.

Proposed changes to library services

The Cabinet are expected to review the way the council delivers library services across the borough in response to the toughest financial challenges. The report sets out the council's plans to transfer the running of Greenford Library to the Young Ealing Foundation who will run it as a Community Managed Library (CML).

They are also scheduled to discuss a proposal to invite bids from community organisations to run Wood End Library as a CML. There will also be discussion of a consultation with residents on plans to convert Jubilee Gardens Library and Northolt Leisure Centre Library to CMLs.

If no community organisations come forward to run the libraries, the council says it will consult on plans to operate the libraries using Self Operated Library (SOL) technology. SOLs are a way of operating libraries that does not require them to be staffed. They allow people to access library buildings and borrow books using automated systems.

The Cabinet are also expected to discuss the council's reasoning behind these plans. The report states that it believes that:

The council continued to face the toughest financial challenges following continued significant and sustained real terms cuts in government grants, alongside rising demand for council services.

It goes on to say that:

The council had considered the option of maintaining the current level of library provision but did not believe this was feasible given the need to deliver a balanced budget.

The council is required by law to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all people who live, work, or study in the borough. This legal duty is set out in the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.

0-19 Healthy Child Programme

The Cabinet are expected to review a report on plans to award a new contract for the delivery of the 0-19 Healthy Child Programme (HCP) to the Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH).

The report proposes that the new contract should begin in October 2025 and last for six years, with the option of extending it for a further four years. The HCP comprises four services: the Health Visiting Service, the Family Nurse Partnership, the School Nursing Service and the Child Weight Management service.

The council is legally obliged to deliver these services to all children in the borough. This duty is set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which says that local authorities must:

make arrangements for the provision to people in their area of the health services which— (a) are specified in regulations, and (b) are, or are similar to, services provided as part of the National Health Service.

Children’s Services Capital Approvals

The Cabinet are also scheduled to review a report on proposed capital works at schools in the borough. The report asks the Cabinet to approve plans to spend £11m on high priority condition works to school buildings.

These works include a range of maintenance and improvement projects that are needed to ensure that school buildings are safe and fit for purpose. This work will be funded using a number of sources, including the existing High Priority Condition Works budget, which currently contains £14.686m, £2m from Section 106 planning contributions, and a grant of up to £1.265m from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS). Section 106 contributions are financial contributions that developers make to local authorities as part of the planning process. They are used to fund infrastructure and community improvements that are needed as a result of new development.

The report also asks the Cabinet to approve a contract to Oakland Building Services Limited for work on Phase 4 of the John Chilton School building project at Wood End Academy. This work will cost an estimated £1.574m and will be funded from a mixture of the existing Schools SEN Expansion Programme budget and the High Priority Condition Works budget. The John Chilton School is a special school for children with autism. It currently has two sites in Ealing: one on Fleming Road and one on the site of Wood End Academy in Northolt.