Kensington and Chelsea Council's Adult Social Care & Health Select Committee is set to delve into key public health issues, including oral health, community pharmacies, and suicide prevention, as part of its work programme for the 2025/2026 municipal year. The committee will also be monitoring the reconfiguration of mental health services in Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The council is facing a significant budget gap, with an expected £41.5 million shortfall in 2026/27, potentially rising to £140 million by 2029/30. The proposals for the Adult Social Care Directorate include £1.5 million in budget growth to manage demographic pressures and £3.5 million in savings for 2026/27, with an additional £3.8 million in future years. There are no new capital schemes being proposed, and changes to fees and charges are planned for 2026/27. The committee is expected to review and comment on these draft budget proposals.
The committee will meet on 26 November 2025 to discuss these priorities, alongside budget proposals for 2026/27 and a review of the directorate's performance. The meeting will commence with 72 seconds of silence to honour the victims of the Grenfell tragedy.
Key areas of focus for the committee in the upcoming year include:
- Dentistry and oral health: Scrutinising access, provision, and prevention for both children and adults.
- Community pharmacies: Understanding the local network and challenges faced by pharmacies in the borough.
- Local pharmaceutical needs assessment: Reviewing the development of the borough's assessment.
- Adult males and suicide prevention: The committee will agree on the final report of the working group.
The Work Programme Report states that the committee will also address safeguarding adults, annual complaints, budget-setting, key performance indicators, autism and ADHD, the Director of Public Health annual report, and homecare mobilisation.
The Adult Social Care & Health directorate uses a range of indicators to capture key areas of service delivery. Some of these KPIs include:
- Percentage of clients reviewed and assessed
- Percentage of people leaving reablement without a long term package of care
- Percentage of service users who have a direct payment
- Proportion of Section 42 enquiries where adults expressed their desired outcomes and achieved them
- Percentage of non-opiate clients completing drug treatment successfully who do not re-present to treatment within 6 months
- Number of community champions volunteered
- Percentage of NHS Health Checks offered
While specific actions to improve access to dental care, particularly for underserved populations within the borough, are not detailed in the provided text, this remains a planned area of focus for the committee.
The specific plans for monitoring the reconfiguration of mental health services and the anticipated impacts on residents are not detailed in the provided text, but it is an ongoing area of focus for the committee.
