Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

(a)  To agree the minutes from the meeting of Cabinet on 26^th August 2025

(b)  Matters arising

The minutes of the meeting held on 26^th August 2025 were agreed and signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Report of the Director for Regeneration and Economy

Note: In accordance with the Constitution, Councillor G Lloyd, Chair of the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee, has been invited to attend the meeting for this item of business to agree the need for urgency such that call-in arrangements will not apply. The reason for urgency is that due to the Department for Education (DfE) requiring signature to accept the monies on their portal by 1 October 2025, there will not be sufficient time allowed for the Call-In period. Failing to accept and sign on 1 October 2025 will result in DfE not releasing the additional monies awarded to Adult Education.

Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Regeneration and Economy that sought approval for the acceptance of additional £243,953 grant allocation from the Department for Education (DfE) to increase the total educational grant to £1.027M.

The Adult Education Service (AES) typically received an annual grant from the DfE to deliver educational study programmes. This funding specifically supported 16–19-year-old learners. These learning programmes were designed for an individual learner, aimed at supporting their development and progression in line with their aspirations for sustainable paid work, further or higher education or an apprenticeship. This included learners aged 19–24 with an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP).

In July 2025, the AES received written notification from the DfE regarding the Education and Skills Condition of Funding Grant. The DfE intended to award Coventry City Council an additional £243,953 for 16–19-year-old study programmes for the period 1 August 2025 – 31 July 2026.

The DfE also provided grants for Adult Skills provision, Tailored Learning, and Free Courses for Jobs, aligned to strategic priorities through an agreed curriculum plan. This supplementary funding was in addition to the existing 2025/26 academic year grant allocation of £784k, resulting in a total aggregated grant exceeding £1 million for the year.

The DfE had since written an urgent request to Coventry’s Adult Education Service to accept and sign for the additional monies by no later than 1st October 2025. 

The additional investment would focus on a flexible approach that built capacity to deliver a broad range of 16 to 19 programmes and learning outcomes i.e. essential skills, study programmes, supported internships, and health and well-being, and supporting progression into further learning, apprenticeships and/or work. It would also provide the opportunity to align with other investment e.g. UKSPF, Connect to Work, and Youth Trailblazer, and wider programmes such as Work Well and the development of the Get Britain Working Local Plan.

The report outlined the background and context of the DfE funding focus within Adult Education and sought Cabinet’s approval to accept the additional monies, together with delegated authority to enter into future funding agreements with the DfE where necessary and available.

In accordance with the Constitution, Councillor G Lloyd, Chair of the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee, had been invited to attend the meeting for this item of business to agree the need for urgency such that call-in arrangements would not apply. The reason for urgency and there not being sufficient time to allow for the Call-in period, being the need to meet the DfE requirement for signature to accept the monies on their portal by 1st October 2025. Failure to meet this deadline would result in the DfE not releasing the additional monies awarded to Adult Education.

Councillor G Lloyd agreed the need for urgency and therefore the decision in relation to this matter was not subject to call-in.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1)  Approves acceptance and expenditure of the additional grant to Adult Education Service for Education and Skills in the sum of £243,953 for 2025/26.

2)  Grants delegated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

Report of the Director for Care, Health and Housing

Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Care, Health and Housing that had been considered by Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5) at their meeting on 17th September 2025 and would also be considered at the meeting of the Council on 14th October 2025, that detailed the Adult Social Care Performance - Self-Assessment and Annual Report (Local Account) 2024/25.  A copy of the Adult Social Care Self-Assessment and the Annual Report (Local Account) 2024/25 were attached as an Appendix to the report.

Coventry City Council Adult Social Care produced an Annual Report which covered performance and activity for the previous year along with examples and case studies of where there had been a positive impact to people’s lives.

Producing the Annual Report had always been well received by stakeholders as it provided visibility of the key performance, challenges and impact of Adult Social Care in Coventry in the preceding twelve months. 

Since the introduction of the Local Authority Assessment Framework by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) the format of the Annual Report had followed each of the four CQC themes for inspection and the quality statements associated with these themes. 

As the CQC self-assessment process also required the provision of a range of operational detail, an accompanying Self-Assessment had also been produced to provide this detail. Adult Social Care produced and published its first Self-Assessment in 2024, and both the Annual Report and Self-Assessment were updated annually.

The approach taken to both the Self-Assessment and Annual Report demonstrated an open approach to the successes and challenges, and where there could be further development in order to improve outcomes for people with care and support needs and their unpaid carers, within Coventry. The Self-Assessment also provided the opportunity to present the context within which CQC would be inspecting Adult Social Care in Coventry.

The production of the 2024/25 report had drawn on the pool of feedback and information that was gathered over the year from a range of sources including social care staff, Partnership Boards, Adult Social Care Stakeholder Group, providers, partner organisations, and people who had been in contact with Adult Social Care along with their families and carers.

Cabinet considered a briefing note detailing the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5) consideration of the report at their meeting on 17^th September 2025 (their minute 3/25 referred). The briefing note was appended to the report and set out the Board’s recommendation to Cabinet, that Cabinet accepted the recommendations within the report.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1)  Accepts the recommendation from the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5).

2)  Approves the Adult Social Care Self-Assessment and Annual Report (Local Account) 2024/25.

3)  Has no further comments on the content of the Self-Assessment and Annual Report (Local Account) 2024/25 for Council’s consideration.

4)  Requests that Council receive and note the Adult Social Care Self-Assessment and Annual Report (Local Account) 2024/25.

Report of the Director for Property Services and Development

Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Property Services and Development, that would also be considered by the Council at its meeting on 14^th October 2025, that detailed proposals for the long leasehold disposal of an asset at Binley Business Park in Coventry. A plan of the property for disposal was attached as an Appendix to the report.

Binley Business Park was an established business park in the East of Coventry. The Council held the freehold interest of the park with various parts let on short or long-term leases. The Park totalled approximately 45 acres and offered office accommodation set in landscaped grounds in a strategic location.

The report sought approval for the disposal of an office building, Oakfield House, for continued office use on a long leasehold basis to the existing tenant, Coventry Building Society. The disposal was in accordance with best asset management practice and supported a key existing occupier and employer operating within the city.

The Coventry Building Society would pay to the Council the sum of £3 million by way of a lease premium upon the completion of the new long lease.  Thereafter the annual rent would be a peppercorn alongside the payment of an estate service charge.

The proposed transaction represented best value for the City in terms of financial value and supporting a local business.

RESOLVED that Cabinet recommends that Council:

1)  Approves the disposal of a new long leasehold interest to the existing tenant Coventry Building Society, for continued office use, at Oakfield House, Binley Business Park, for £3m (three million pounds).

2)  Delegates authority to the Director of Property Services and Development, the Director of Law and Governance, and the Director of Finance and Resources, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, to conclude the terms of the transaction and legal documentation for the long leasehold transfer and any associated matters.

There are no outstanding issues

There were no outstanding issues.

There were no other items of public business.