The Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel met on Monday 24 November 2025 to discuss the annual update on library services and review performance and budget monitoring for the 2025-26 financial year. Key decisions included noting the continued strong recovery of library services post-pandemic, with digital borrowing exceeding pre-pandemic levels, and a commitment to further develop the Libraries Unlocked initiative. The panel also reviewed the council's financial position, noting an overall underspend in corporate services but an overspend in adult and children's social care, and discussed the ongoing challenges with the Dedicated Schools Grant.

Libraries Annual Update

The panel received a comprehensive annual update on Worcestershire's library services, highlighting a strong post-pandemic recovery. Hannah Perrott, Assistant Director for Communities, and Carol Brown, Head of Service for Libraries, Archives and Archaeology, presented the findings.

Library participation figures show a positive trend, with new library memberships, digital borrowing, and event attendance exceeding pre-pandemic levels. While overall library visits have plateaued at around 70%, in line with national trends, there has been a notable shift towards digital borrowing, with a 639% increase in digital issues since before the pandemic. This change in user behaviour, including a reduction in the frequency of visits, is being closely monitored.

A significant focus has been placed on evidencing the social value of libraries. An accredited social value engine tool calculated a return of £9.70 for every £1 invested in the Connect Group offer, which comprises informal groups for people to share interests. This initiative, largely volunteer-led, is seen as a core part of the library's health and well-being agenda.

New service developments include a Power of Libraries conference for teaching professionals, an auto-enrolment pilot at St Ann's Primary School to increase library membership among children, and a Memories and Me service for families and carers of individuals living with dementia. A new mobile community outreach offer, funded by the Arts Council, is set to launch in Spring 2026, aiming to improve digital access, deliver health and well-being benefits, and enhance children's literacy.

The Libraries Unlocked initiative, which extends library opening hours through technology, has been implemented in nine libraries, resulting in a 59% increase in opening hours and a 32% reduction in staffed hours. This has led to nearly £200,000 in staff savings without redundancies. While initial visitor numbers at phase two Libraries Unlocked locations have seen a slight dip, recovery is expected within two years, mirroring experiences in other library authorities. A third phase of Libraries Unlocked is underway, with Tenbury Library already live and Redditch Library scheduled to go live. Negotiations are ongoing for Bewdley, Hagley, and Alvechurch libraries.

The library strategy is currently being refreshed, with a new needs assessment and a review of performance against the current strategy informing a short-term refresh for 2026-2028, to align with the upcoming local government reorganisation.

Councillor May highlighted the success of the Summer Reading Challenge and the Knitter-natter class in Bromsgrove, praising the dementia care clinics and the co-location of services like the Job Centre and CTECH at Bromsgrove Library. Councillor Bales raised concerns about past consultation processes with staff regarding Libraries Unlocked and requested a further presentation to Bromsgrove District Council. Councillor Cross inquired about member input into the refreshed library strategy, and Councillor Turner questioned the engagement with younger age groups.

Councillor Cresswell, Cabinet Member for Environment and Communities, affirmed the council's commitment to expanding libraries and engaging with communities. He noted ongoing work to expand one of the libraries and expressed enthusiasm for the positive developments.

Performance and 2025-26 In-Year Budget Monitoring

The panel reviewed the council's performance and financial position for the second quarter of the 2025-26 financial year. Dave Corbett, Head of Finance and Efficiency, and Sharon Booth, Head of HR, ICT and Corporate Information Governance, presented the data.

Financial Performance: The overall financial position shows a breakeven forecast after the use of £11.3 million of reserves and £33.6 million of exceptional financial support. While adult and children's social care services are experiencing increased overspends, these are being mitigated by underspends in other services and corporate budgets. The council is still not utilising reserves at the predicted rate, partly due to reduced use of the contingency budget. A transfer of £6.5 million from uncommitted reserves to the finance risk reserve has been approved to enhance financial resilience. The year-end forecast for reserve usage is £72.5 million.

A significant concern raised was the escalating cost of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), with a 20% increase in demand over the last 12 months, leading to a projected deficit of £193.7 million by March 2026. This is a national issue, with government funding deemed insufficient to meet the rising need.

The capital programme for 2025-26 totals £159 million, with £39 million spent by the end of quarter two. Over half of this programme is funded externally.

Performance Highlights:

• Registration Services: Performance for birth and death registrations remains strong, with appointments offered within statutory timelines. The registration of deaths within five days has significantly improved, exceeding national and regional averages.
• Staff Engagement: The Your Voice staff survey shows improving engagement, with four priority areas identified for an organisational action plan: council vision, pride in working for the council, working environment, and engagement for the next survey.
• Sickness Rates: The cumulative sickness rate is trending above the target of 7 days per full-time equivalent, with musculoskeletal issues now the leading cause of absence. The council is implementing early intervention physiotherapy and reviewing its attendance policy.
• Staff Turnover: While currently rated green, the staff turnover rate is deteriorating relative to the previous year and the 14% target. This is attributed to flexible working opportunities, an aging workforce, and uncertainty surrounding local government reorganisation.
• Library Visits and Issues: Library visits have seen a slight decrease compared to the previous year, but issues, particularly digital ones, continue to rise. The Libraries Unlocked initiative is being monitored for its impact on visitor numbers. The library service budget is underspending due to a reduction in rates payable for The Hive following a successful rateable value revaluation.
• Museum Visits: Visits to county museums have seen a slight decrease, though the proportion of visits by children has increased.
• Countryside Standards: Countryside site standards have improved, with all three county council-managed sites retaining their Green Flag status.
• Bikeability: Training figures for Level 2 Bikeability are down compared to the previous year, while training for other levels has improved.

Key Discussions:

• Staff Sickness and Well-being: Councillors expressed concern about rising sickness rates, particularly musculoskeletal issues. Sharon Booth outlined initiatives including early intervention physiotherapy, an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), and a focus on well-being. Councillor May suggested Pilates classes, which are already offered as part of the council's well-being agenda.
• Staff Turnover and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR): Concerns were raised about the impact of LGR on staff morale and turnover. Sharon Booth acknowledged the anxiety caused by uncertainty and stated that while a formal action plan is not yet in place, the council is working to reassure staff and retain talent.
• High Needs Deficit: The significant overspend in high needs provision was a major point of discussion, with councillors expressing frustration at the lack of government resolution.
• Home-School Transport: Councillor Dunkley raised concerns about the cost and efficiency of home-school transport, suggesting potential savings by cutting out middlemen.
• Wildmoor Landfill Deposit: A discussion took place regarding the Wildmoor landfill site and potential environmental issues, with a commitment to investigate further.

Work Programme

The panel reviewed its work programme for the remainder of the 2025-26 financial year. Amendments were agreed, including bringing forward the review of the members' case management system to January 2026, and scheduling a discussion on Worcestershire Volunteers and their contribution, particularly in light of local government reorganisation. The panel also agreed to include a discussion on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the future work programme.