The Overview and Scrutiny Board of Salford Council met to discuss the public engagement strategy for scrutiny, treasury management, budget monitoring reports, and the scrutiny work programme. The board was also scheduled to review the monitoring of recommendations and actions from previous meetings.

Public Engagement Strategy for Scrutiny

The board was scheduled to consider a draft Public Engagement Strategy for Scrutiny, which was developed in response to feedback from councillors and officers, and aligned with the Governance 360 Improvement Programme. The strategy was designed around three elements:

• Increasing awareness of scrutiny
• Shaping the scrutiny work programme
• Involving the public in ongoing scrutiny work

The report pack stated that public engagement with scrutiny in Salford is currently limited, and the strategy aims to improve communication, create opportunities for public input, and involve a wider range of voices in scrutiny activity.

The councillors were invited to comment on the draft strategy, suggest refinements, and agree on which elements should be piloted over the next 6–12 months. The report pack proposed the establishment of a Scrutiny Public Engagement Working Group to monitor progress and shape the final strategy.

Treasury Management

The board was scheduled to discuss the Treasury Management Outturn Report, which provided details of treasury management activity in 2024/25. According to the report pack, all treasury management activities undertaken during the year were in accordance with the principles in the Treasury Management Code and the council's approved Treasury Management Strategy. The report pack noted a favourable variance relating to interest costs for temporary borrowing and investment income.

The board was also scheduled to discuss the Treasury Management Quarter One Update Report, which provided details of treasury management activity in the first quarter of 2025/26. The report pack stated that all treasury management activities undertaken during the year were in accordance with the principles in the Treasury Management Code and the council's approved Treasury Management Strategy.

The report pack included an economic update and interest rate forecast from Arlingclose, the council's treasury management advisors. According to the forecast, the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) reduced the Bank Rate by twice, once in May and once in August, to 4%.

Budget Monitoring Reports

The board was scheduled to discuss the Quarter 1 Budget Monitoring Reports. According to the report pack, the forecast position for the year end was an overspend of £2.912m, with areas of significant pressure being offset by underspends in other areas and the use of £9.704m from earmarked reserves.

The report pack stated that the Innovate Programme is the council's cross-cutting internal transformation programme designed to address the intersecting challenges of rising demand, increasing complexity, and financial pressures.

The report pack also included details of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), which is split into two areas of school budget: the individual schools budget (ISB) and the non-delegated schools budget (NDSB). As of Quarter 1, Salford's DSG was forecasting a cumulative overspend of £24.326m, driven primarily by sustained pressures within the High Needs block.

Scrutiny Work Programme

The board was scheduled to receive a monthly update on the Scrutiny Work Programme. The report pack set out the current work programme and invited the board to review progress against each item, identify any changes in priority, scope or timing, and consider whether any items should be added, amended or removed.

Monitoring of Recommendations and Actions

The board was scheduled to note the updated recommendations and actions tracker, and comment on the reported progress, seeking clarification or further information as required. The report pack stated that regular monitoring of scrutiny recommendations supports transparency, accountability, and helps demonstrate the impact of scrutiny activity. The report also noted that lessons learnt from recent public interest reports and statutory interventions at other local authorities has identified weak internal governance, poor decision tracking, and a lack of follow-through as core features.

The report pack recommended that the monitoring of recommendations and actions continue to be a standing item on future agendas to ensure ongoing accountability and impact monitoring.