The Scrutiny Board (Strategy and Resources) of Leeds Council are scheduled to meet on 13 October 2025 to discuss the 2025 staff survey, financial health reporting, and the board's work programme. As part of the financial health reporting, the board are expected to discuss overspending, with colleagues from the Adults and Health directorate attending to answer questions. The meeting will also cover routine items such as appeals against refusal of inspection of documents and declarations of interest.

Financial Health Reporting

The board are scheduled to receive an update on the council's financial position, including the revenue budget, Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), and Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The report pack includes the Financial Health Monitoring 2025/26 report, which is due to be considered at the Executive Board on 15 October 2025.

The report pack indicates that colleagues from the Adults and Health directorate are expected to be present to address questions, as part of a more detailed approach to financial monitoring. This approach is intended to provide periodic coverage of directorates where over-spending is projected.

The report pack notes that at Month 4, the Adults and Health directorate was projecting a £12.4m overspend at year end. The Net Managed Budget for 2025-26 for Adult Social Care is £199.48m. The report pack states that reflected in the 2025-26 Net Managed Budget are in-year 2025-26 Budget Action Plan savings targets of £35.95m, plus £0.40m non-delivery of 2023-24 & 2024-25 savings targets for Telecare, taking total Budget Action Plan savings to £36.349m.

The Local Government Association says that Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is funding allocated to local authorities to fund maintained schools and academies. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) is a ring-fenced account within a council's overall budget that relates to its landlord function.

Staff Survey 2025

The board are scheduled to receive a report from the Assistant Chief Executive (People, Digital & Change) that provides details on the 2025 staff survey. The Staff Survey Report indicates that 14,194 staff were asked to complete the survey, with 7,479 responding, representing an overall response rate of 53%.

The report pack states that the staff survey offers valuable feedback to help the council gauge progress against its Best Place to Work ambitions and provides an important measure relating to the Organisation Plan and People Strategy outcomes. The survey offers a voice to all colleagues at the council and provides an insight into how staff feel about their job, their team, their workplace and employer.

The report pack states that in the 2025 survey, colleagues gave an overall satisfaction score for their jobs at Leeds City Council as 7.3 out of 10. The report pack also indicates that offline engagement and career progression are council priorities.

The report pack states that the board will receive further updates and reports as this important work progresses, making links to the current and future scrutiny work programme as appropriate, starting with a more detailed service by service and demographic analysis in November 2025.

The council's People Strategy 2020-25 sets out its ambition to be the Best Place to Work with a clear focus on creating a great all round employee experience for all staff, with the support of their leaders and managers working in a positive organisational culture, driven by council values.

Work Programme

The board are scheduled to consider the Scrutiny Board's work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year. The report pack includes the Work Programme Cover Report and the Draft SR Work Programme 25-26.

The report pack states that the work programme reflects initial discussion held at the 16 June board meeting through the Sources of Work report. The Scrutiny Board Procedure Rules also state that, where appropriate, all terms of reference for work undertaken by Scrutiny Boards will include 'to review how and to what effect consideration has been given to the impact of a service or policy on all equality areas, as set out in the Council's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Scheme'.