The Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel of Worcestershire County Council met on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, to discuss the draft budget for 2026/27, review the performance of comments, compliments, and complaints procedures, and consider the panel's work programme. Key discussions revolved around the significant financial challenges facing the council, including the impact of the Provisional Local Government Settlement and the need for substantial savings, as well as an in-depth review of the council's complaint handling procedures across various services.

Budget Scrutiny 2026/27

The panel undertook a detailed examination of the draft budget for 2026/27, highlighting significant financial pressures and the council's strategy for addressing them. A major concern is the projected budget gap, which stands at £71.937 million for 2026/27, escalating to £285.780 million by 2028/29. This gap is attributed to increasing service demands, inflation, and a reduction in central government funding. The council is exploring options such as a 4.99% Council Tax increase, which would generate an additional £18 million, and has applied for Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from the government amounting to £71.9 million.

A critical issue raised was the escalating deficit in the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), which is projected to reach £194.1 million by March 2026 and £321.7 million by March 2027. While a statutory override is in place until March 2028, the long-term funding of this deficit remains a significant concern.

The panel noted that the council's current savings proposals for 2026/27 total £9.145 million, which is considered insufficient given the scale of the financial challenges. The report emphasised the need for transformation and additional savings to address the budget gap and reduce reliance on EFS and reserves. The council's approach to managing its finances, including the use of reserves and the potential for borrowing to fund the EFS, was also discussed. The panel was presented with detailed breakdowns of the draft budget for Corporate Services, Community Services, and Central Services, outlining proposed changes, inflation adjustments, and identified savings.

Performance of Comments, Compliments and Complaints

The panel reviewed the performance of the council's representation procedures for Children's Social Care, Adult Social Care, and Corporate Services for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The report detailed the number of complaints received, their outcomes, and the timescales for resolution.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) annual review letter for 2024/25. The letter highlighted ongoing concerns regarding the council's delay in complying with the Ombudsman's recommendations, although it also acknowledged positive engagement from council officers. In 2024/25, 77 complaints were submitted to the LGSCO, with 61% relating to Corporate Services, 27% to Adult Social Care, and 12% to Children's Social Care. The Ombudsman upheld 85% of complaints investigated, a slight improvement from the previous year. Compliance with the Ombudsman's recommendations remained at 100%, but the timeliness of these remedies was a concern, with 7 out of 25 upheld cases completed outside agreed timescales.

The report detailed performance metrics for complaint handling at Stage 1 and Stage 2 across different directorates. For Children's Social Care, Stage 1 complaints were resolved within timescales 86.7% of the time, a decrease from the previous year. Stage 2 resolutions saw a significant decline in timeliness, with only 43.59% completed within the extended timescale, attributed to a restructure within Children's Services and increased workload for adjudicating officers.

Adult Social Care complaints showed a high percentage of resolution within timescales, with 65% of low-risk complaints resolved within 35 days and 35% of moderate/high-risk complaints resolved within 35 days. Corporate complaints also showed an improvement in Stage 1 resolution times, with 88.86% completed within 20 days. However, Stage 2 resolutions saw a decline in timeliness, with 35.85% taking longer than 25 days, linked to an increase in the number of Stage 2 complaints being investigated in line with the Ombudsman's code.

The panel also considered examples of compliments received across various services, highlighting positive feedback for social workers, family support workers, youth mentors, and highway improvement projects. The report also outlined the council's procedures for managing vexatious complainants and the roles of Independent Investigating Officers and Independent Persons in complaint investigations.

Work Programme

The panel reviewed its work programme for 2025/26, considering potential future scrutiny items. The current work programme includes ongoing monitoring of the budget and performance of comments, compliments, and complaints. Potential future items for scrutiny include Artificial Intelligence (AI), a review of the Members' Case Management System, an examination of Worcestershire's volunteers and the voluntary and community sector (VCS) funding, and communication policies for social media. Other suggested items include a revised Workforce Strategy focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), a review of the Museums, Arts and Culture Strategy, and an update on the Household Support Fund in response to the cost of living crisis. The panel agreed to retain flexibility to address any urgent issues that may arise.