The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee is scheduled to meet to discuss the council's communications strategy, and to review the work programmes of all the scrutiny boards.

Communications, Reputation and Insight

The committee is scheduled to receive a presentation on the council's communications strategy. According to the report pack, the presentation will cover the current position, as well as the focus for 2025-26.

The presentation highlights that a Local Government Association (LGA) peer review previously identified urgent improvements were needed, and that the council had been struggling to get its messages across to residents. The council is moving to control its narrative through direct communication, with a focus on being proactive rather than reactive.

The council's focus for 2025/26 includes:

• Improving the reputation of the council locally
• Improving the profile of the council and Coventry nationally
• Increasing resident awareness of council services and how to access them
• Myth-busting common misperceptions
• Greater awareness of what's happening in wards
• Horizon scanning to get ahead of issues
• Improving internal communications to support a One Council approach

The report pack notes that the forthcoming Household Survey shows an increase of 6% in resident satisfaction with the way the council runs things.

The presentation also sets out campaign priorities for September 2025 to March 2026, grouped into four themes:

• Working for you - focusing on where the council spends its money, voter registration, enforcement, and winter readiness.
• Fairer Cov - focusing on fostering and adoption, stop smoking, immunisations and the cost of living.
• Love Cov - focusing on the Love where you live campaign and the city centre.
• Click and Easy - focusing on council tax online, direct debit, and the Report It service.

The presentation includes examples of recent campaigns, including one about street lights in Spon End. According to the report pack, the Spon End campaign had 115,000 views on social media and secured BBC Midland Today coverage.

The presentation also highlights the 'You said, we did' feature, which discusses the council's budget and additional investment into areas that matter. The report pack states that this campaign targeted a younger audience and achieved 83,000 total views across 12 posts, with 50% of views coming from under 35s and 75% from residents who are typically hard to engage.

The presentation notes that the council monitors emerging issues and responds to regional and national policy decisions. It also plans to build automated campaigns linked to severe weather to help keep residents safe.

Scrutiny Work Programmes 2025/26

The committee is scheduled to review the work programmes of all the scrutiny boards. The report pack includes the work programmes for the following boards:

• Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee
• Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1)
• Education and Children's Services Scrutiny Board (2)
• Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3)
• Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4)
• Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5)

The report pack states that all scrutiny boards have met at least once this municipal year to agree their work programmes.

Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1)

The Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1) is scheduled to discuss the following topics:

• Cabinet Member Portfolio Priorities
• Reserves Position
• Procurement Strategy 2025-2030
• SME/VCSE Inclusion 2024/25
• Revenue and Capital Outturn 2024/25
• Proposals for a Task and Finish Group for 25/26
• Council Investment Portfolio
• Outturn Performance for the Tax year 2024/25
• Diversity and Inclusion, and Community Inclusion
• Workforce KPI's¹
• Staff Survey Results
• Recruitment, Retention and Sickness
• Distribution of Government funding
• Update following Implementation of the Spending, Saving and Council Tax Proposals 25/26
• Learning & Development
• Home to School Transport – August 2025

Education and Children's Services Scrutiny Board (2)

The Education and Children's Services Scrutiny Board (2) is scheduled to discuss the following topics:

• Cabinet Member Portfolio Priorities
• Outdoor Education
• The Complexities in Finding Homes for Children in Care
• Adoption Service Annual Reports
• Fostering Annual Report
• Progress on LGA Peer Review Action Plan
• Child-Friendly Cov
• Children in Care Pledge
• Children Absent from Education
• Safeguarding Annual Report
• Holiday Activities and Food Programme
• School Performance Data Annual Report
• SEND² Strategy Update
• Early Years Strategy and Best Start in Life
• Family First Partnership (Social Care Reform)
• Regional Placements
• School Places Sufficiency
• Kinship Strategy and Local Kinship Offer (25/26)
• MASH³ – Effective Support for Children and Families in Coventry
• Youth Provision in Coventry
• Health and Wellbeing in Schools
• Family Health and Lifestyles Service
• Behaviour Pathway
• Campaign on smart phones in school
• Children and Adolescents Mental Health Services (CAMHS)⁴ Local Transformation Plan April 2025 – March 2027
• Family Valued and Reunification Project
• Breakfast Clubs
• Child Sexual Exploitation
• Families First Partnership Programme

Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3)

The Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) is scheduled to discuss the following topics:

• Cabinet Member Portfolio Priorities
• Cycling and Walking Plan – Task & Finish Group
• EV charging point infrastructure Strategy roll-out
• Domestic Retrofit - Update
• Destination Coventry
• Greenpower Park - West Midlands Investment Zone
• Economic Development Strategy/Skills Strategy 25/26
• Heatline
• Update on Bus Delivery Options
• Very Light Rail – route identification
• One Coventry Approach to Apprenticeships
• Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan Task and Finish Group Recommendations
• Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund
• City Centre South Development
• CW Economic Development Strategy
• Visit to UK BIC⁵
• City Centre North
• Rail Update

Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4)

The Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4) is scheduled to discuss the following topics:

• Cabinet Member Portfolio Priorities
• CCTV in Taxis Task and Finish Group
• Street Lighting
• Fly-tipping performance 2024-25
• Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP)
• Update on Empty Properties
• Housing Strategy
• Pot-Holes and Road Surface Quality
• Litter picking
• Gully Cleaning Programme
• Alternative Accommodation
• Garden Waste
• Design Guides
• Road Safety and Parking Enforcement
• Additional Licensing Scheme progress report
• Renters Reform Bill
• Supported Exempt Accommodation
• Food Waste
• Heritage Strategy
• Planning Performance – Planning and Infrastructure Bill
• Collections Management Process

Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5)

The Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5) is scheduled to discuss the following topics:

• Adult Social Care Performance - Self-Assessment and Annual Report (Local Account) 2024/25
• Cabinet Member Portfolio Priorities
• Training of Care Staff supporting patients with Dementia
• Improving Lives – Impact on Adult Social Care
• Director of Public Health's Annual report
• Young person's risky behaviours service
• Prioritisation of NHS Services
• Digital Access to Health
• Family Health and Lifestyles Service
• Virtual Beds Update end of 25/26
• Update on The Physical Activity and Sport Strategy
• Primary Care
• Healthwatch Annual Report (April 26)
• UHCW⁶ Performance – to take place at the hospital
• ICB⁷ efficiency savings – 25/26 - Update on ICB Blueprint / ICB Clustering
• Integrated Health and Care Delivery Plan
• Safeguarding Adults Annual Report
• Disabled Facilities Grant
• Public Health and Social Care - Prevention
• Rugby St Cross
• Mental Health
• Community Pharmacists
• Trans/Non-binary/Intersex Health
• Ambulance Service / Fire Service / WMP⁸
• Sport Strategy
• Access to Dentistry and All age Oral Health
• Age UK
• UHCW - A&E Waiting Times
• Health and care of students in Coventry
• Neighbourhood Health Early Adopter Programme
• Impact of Climate Change on Health