The Children's and Culture Scrutiny Committee of Lincolnshire Council met on Friday, 06 March 2026, to discuss several key issues including the Council's budget for 2026/27, proposed repairs to Lincoln Castle walls, and the future of the 'Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service'. The committee supported the proposed Children's Services budget for 2026/27 and provided comments for the Executive's consideration. They also supported recommendations regarding the 'Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service' and the grant funding for the Lincolnshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (LCVYS), with the latter set to cease in March 2026.

Council Budget 2026/27

The committee considered the Council's budget proposals for 2026/27, focusing on the implications for Children's Services and Culture. The Executive Director of Children's Services and Deputy Chief Executive outlined proposals that aimed to balance the medium-term financial position, acknowledging ongoing risks from rising demands and costs. Proposed savings of £0.41 million were identified in Children's Education, alongside cost pressures of £1.137 million, including £0.85 million to sustain additional Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) caseworker capacity. The Children's Social Care budget was proposed at £138.81 million, with cost pressures related to placements, market costs, and National Insurance increases. Savings of £4.773 million were identified through efficiencies and the Children in Care (CiC) Transformation Programme. The Culture Service budget was proposed at £7.826 million for Heritage, Archives, and Libraries, with cost pressures of £226,523. Capital investment plans included £1.9 million for phase one of the Lincoln Castle Wall repairs.

Members sought assurance that proposed savings were deliverable without reducing service quality, and were assured that statutory and high-value non-statutory services had been protected. Discussions also covered the rollout of new mainstream SEND hubs and their potential impact on home-to-school transport costs, the national shortage of foster carers, and concerns about 'funding simplification' affecting transparency. The committee ultimately resolved to support the Children's Services budget proposals for 2026/27 and passed their comments to the Executive.

Lincoln Castle Walls Repair Programme

The committee received a report on proposed repairs to the Lincoln Castle Wall, which was scheduled for a decision by the Executive on 8 April 2026. Dave Pennington, Head of Capital Projects and Professional Services, presented the report, highlighting that Lincoln Castle is a vital heritage asset contributing significantly to tourism, education, culture, and the local economy. A multi-year programme of essential conservation works and planned preventative maintenance is required to ensure the site remains safe and accessible.

The report outlined the need for essential works to bring the Castle to a safe and maintainable standard, planned preventative maintenance measures, and ongoing investigations into other works. The recommended approach prioritised safeguarding the Castle and ensuring its long-term viability. Alternatives considered included doing nothing (rejected due to unacceptable risks to public safety and statutory non-compliance), reactive repairs only (rejected due to lack of strategic planning and higher long-term costs), developing internal capacity (discounted for immediate needs), and grant funding (no suitable grants were available at the time). The recommendations to the Executive included approving the Capital Programme for emergency repairs and Planned and Preventative Maintenance (PPM), approving the procurement process for 2026/27 capital works, and delegating authority to the Executive Director of Place.

Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service

A report was presented on the 'Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service', which supports ethnic minority children aged 0 to five years and their families. The current contract for this non-statutory service is due to expire on 31 August 2026, with an annual value of £129,536. The service aims to help families access children's centres and Family Hubs for early learning and health support.

The review of the service, informed by public and stakeholder consultation, recommended that the service would no longer be commissioned. Reasons for this included prioritising funding for statutory services, supporting Council financial sustainability by removing a cost pressure of £129,536 per annum, removing identified duplication with the Council's corporate translation and interpretation service, and aligning Lincolnshire with other local authorities that do not operate separate early years inclusion services for ethnic minority children. The consultation found that while the service was valued, many of its functions, such as translation and interpretation, are available through other means. The committee supported the recommendation to cease commissioning the service.

Grant Funding to Lincolnshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (LCVYS)

The committee considered proposals regarding grant funding to the Lincolnshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (LCVYS). The Council has provided grant funding to LCVYS since at least the 2011/12 financial year, with the current annual grant of £100,000 due to cease on 31 March 2026. This grant is funded from Council reserves and is not part of a recurrent budget. LCVYS uses the funding for its running costs, small grants to member organisations, training, and networking opportunities.

The report highlighted that the Council has no statutory duty to provide this grant, and that continuing it would create a cost pressure not sustainable in the current financial landscape. Alternatives considered included continuing funding at the same level or reducing it, both of which were not recommended due to the lack of an identified recurrent budget and the need to prioritise statutory services. The recommendation was to cease grant funding to LCVYS from 1 April 2026. Mitigations proposed included national funding commitments under the 'Youth Matters' strategy, continued support from the Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Partnership, and the availability of other youth provision and funding opportunities. The committee supported the recommendation to cease grant funding.

Service Level Performance Reporting

The committee reviewed the Service Level Performance against the Performance Framework 2025-26 as at Quarter 3. The report detailed performance across several key areas:

• Children are Healthy and Safe:

  • Average time taken to move a child from care to an adoptive family: Exceeded target (475 days actual vs. 520 days target), showing sustained improvement.
  • Average time taken to match a child to an adoptive family: Achieved target (155 days actual vs. 170 days target), demonstrating timely matching despite national challenges.
  • Children in Care: Did not meet target (57.32 per 10,000 children actual vs. 51.9 per 10,000 target), though Lincolnshire's rate remains below national and regional averages. Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children contribute to the increase.
  • Children subject to a child protection plan: Did not meet target (466 children actual vs. 380 children target), attributed to large sibling groups and the timing of review conferences. However, Lincolnshire's performance remains strong compared to national and regional averages, indicating effective safeguarding.

• Learn and Achieve: Performance for this area was to be reported in Quarter 4.

• Readiness for Adult Life:

  • 16-17 year old Children in Care participating in learning: Achieved target (88% actual vs. 90% target, within tolerance), with efforts to re-engage young people in education or training.
  • Care Leavers in suitable accommodation: Achieved target (93.1% actual vs. 95% target), with performance remaining strong nationally despite housing challenges.

• Libraries and Heritage:

  • Contact with the heritage service: Exceeded target significantly (3,332,008 contacts actual vs. 2,467,500 target), driven by strong online engagement and events.
  • Visits to library website: Exceeded target (784,350 visits actual vs. 317,118 target), with continued popularity of the library app and digital services.
  • Community use of libraries: Exceeded target (8,820.75 hours actual vs. 2,225.5 hours target), with libraries serving as vital community assets offering diverse activities.
  • Overall enjoyment of services: Exceeded target (100% actual vs. 97% target), with high visitor satisfaction ratings and positive online reviews.
  • Visits to Core Libraries and Mobile Library services: Achieved target (836,023 visits actual vs. 641,649 target), with strong engagement in physical and digital library services.

Children's and Culture Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme, noting upcoming items for discussion including the Lincoln Castle Wall Repairs, 'Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service' commissioning, LCVYS Grant Funding, and quarterly performance reports. Planned items for future meetings included proposed Mainstream SEND Hubs, Edge of Care Service commissioning, Children and Young People's Online Counselling Support Service, and the 'Best Start in Life' Strategy. Members also discussed the inclusion of cultural activity items, such as libraries, archives, local museums, and the Lincolnshire Music Service, on future agendas. The Work Programme was agreed.