The Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Adults is scheduled to meet on 16 December 2025 to discuss the extension of contracts with Age UK Oxfordshire for community support services. Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults, is expected to make a decision on these recommendations. The meeting will also cover standard items such as declarations of interest and approval of the minutes from the previous meeting.

Here's a breakdown of the key items:

Extension of Community Support Contracts with Age UK Oxfordshire

A report by the Director of Adult Social Care will be presented, including a recommendation to extend the contracts for both the Community Network Service (branded Community Links Oxfordshire) and the Urgent Community Link service provided by Age UK Oxfordshire.

• Community Network Service: A recommendation is scheduled to be discussed to extend the contract for 21 months, from 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2028.
• Urgent Community Link Service: A recommendation is scheduled to be discussed to extend this contract for the same period, but with a reduction in funding from Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

The report pack states that the Oxfordshire Way, the council's Adult Social Care strategic vision, is focused on:

Supporting people to live happy, healthy and independent lives Building community resilience and reducing reliance on formal care Delivering care closer to home, through strengths-based and personcentred approaches.

The report pack also notes that the services provided by Age UK Oxfordshire help to deliver the Oxfordshire Way.

Funding and Service Details

The Community Network Service is fully funded by Oxfordshire County Council and the Integrated Care Board. The Urgent Community Link service is jointly funded by Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford Health.

Oxford Health has decided to withdraw funding from the Urgent Care Response element of the Urgent Community Link contract from 1 April 2026. According to the report pack, the acuity of the patients in the community is too high for what Age UK Oxfordshire can offer . However, Oxford Health will continue to fund support in community hospitals for a limited period. This change will result in a reduction of two full-time equivalent staff members.

Service Impact and Performance

The Community Links Oxfordshire service aims to provide information, advice, and access to community support for adult residents with health and wellbeing needs. The Urgent Community Link service has two components:

• Urgent Hospital Discharge: Supports people being discharged from hospital with follow-up support in the community.
• Urgent Care Response: Supports frail, elderly people in the community to avoid hospital admissions.

The report pack states that internal analysis suggests that 46% of those referred to the Community Links Oxfordshire service no longer needed a service from the council. The report pack also highlights the story of Stephen, who received support from the Urgent Hospital Discharge service after a heart attack, in a short video.

Options Analysis

The preferred option is to extend both contracts for the maximum available period of 21 months, expiring on 31 March 2028. The report pack claims that this will allow for a more detailed evaluation of the services' impact and for Age UK Oxfordshire to improve outputs.

Other Items

• Declarations of Interest: Councillors are required to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests or other relevant interests.
• Minutes of the Previous Meeting: The minutes from the meeting held on 21 October 2025 will be presented for approval.
• Questions from County Councillors: County councillors may ask questions related to the Cabinet Member's delegated powers, with a limit of two questions per councillor.
• Petitions and Public Address: Members of the public may address the meeting or present petitions, subject to prior submission of requests.