The Croydon Council Cabinet met on Wednesday 15 October 2025, addressing a range of critical issues including the positive outcome of an adult social care inspection, the council's financial performance, and the handling of a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman decision. Key decisions included noting the Good rating for Adult Social Care and Health services, approving recommendations from the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, and agreeing to a series of actions to address financial performance and prevent future service failures.

Stage 1: Recommendations Arising from Scrutiny

The Cabinet received recommendations from the Scrutiny & Overview Committee, originating from their meeting on 22 July 2025, which focused on the Target Operating Model. The committee had highlighted potential opportunities for the Council to enhance its monitoring and evaluation of delivered work and to find more equitable funding solutions. The Cabinet agreed to receive these recommendations and provide a substantive response at a future meeting on 3 December 2025.

Adult Social Care and Health: Outcome of Care Quality Commission Inspection

Croydon's Adult Social Care and Health (ASCH) directorate achieved an overall rating of Good following its first statutory inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This was highlighted as an excellent outcome, particularly given the significant financial challenges and increasing demand for services. The report praised the strong leadership, effective governance, and compassionate staff, noting the innovative use of AI-enabled tools and the success of the Adults Living Independently programme. Areas for improvement identified included carer assessments, contingency planning, direct payment uptake, and strengthening co-production. The Cabinet agreed to note the report, provide feedback to inform the refreshed Adult Social Care and Health Strategy 2026-30, and celebrate the achievement with staff, residents, and partners.

Croydon Companies Supervision and Monitoring Panel: Update Report

An update was provided on the status of Croydon Council's companies, following the establishment of the Company Supervision and Monitoring Panel (CCSMP) in response to governance failings identified in a 2020 Grant Thornton report. The panel's work aims to ensure financial risks are addressed and company activity is tightly managed, with dormant companies being dissolved to remove unnecessary costs. The Cabinet agreed to delegate powers to the Corporate Director of Resources and S151 Officer, in consultation with the Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Finance, to exercise shareholder functions and dissolve companies, subject to due diligence. They also approved incorporating this authority into the CCSMP's Terms of Reference and noted the status of the Council's companies.

Annual Treasury Management Review 2024/25

The Cabinet reviewed the Council's Treasury Management activities for the year 2024/25, confirming compliance with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) codes of practice. The report demonstrated that all treasury activity remained within agreed limits, supported by strong internal controls. It was noted that general fund debt had been contained at £1.4 billion under the current administration, despite historic debt and capitalisation directions. The Cabinet agreed to consider the recommendations from the Audit and Governance Committee and recommend to Full Council the approval of the actual 2024/25 prudential and treasury indicators.

2025-26 Period 3 Financial Performance Report

This report detailed the Council's financial performance as at Period 3 (June 2025). It indicated a forecast General Fund revenue budget underspend of £21.8 million for the financial year-end, contributing to the Stabilisation Plan target and reducing the need for capitalisation directions. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) revenue budget was forecast to break even, and the capital programme had been reprofiled to focus resources on priority projects. The Cabinet noted the progress in Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) savings achievement and approved various General Fund capital additions, virements, and re-profiling. A decision was also made to remove two months of Financial Performance Reports from the Cabinet reporting cycle from 2025-26 onwards to prioritise officer time on more value-added activities.

Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman Decision: Finding of Fault Causing Injustice and Actions to Prevent Re-occurrence

The Cabinet addressed a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) decision from 27 June 2025, which found fault in Croydon's handling of a homelessness case. The complainant and his sisters suffered stress and injustice due to delays and poor communication. The Council accepted the Ombudsman's findings in full, endorsed a formal apology to the family, and agreed to implement service improvements outlined in an action plan to enhance complaints performance within the Housing department. The report was adopted as the Executive's formal response.

The meeting also included the introduction of Cabinet members and officers, confirmation of minutes from the previous meeting, and a disclosure of interests. No urgent business was raised. The meeting concluded with the unanimous agreement of all recommendations presented.