Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

The minutes of the meeting held on 11^th December 2025 were agreed and signed as a true record.

Briefing Note of the Director of Planning and Performance

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a briefing note of the Director of Customer and Business Services, that provided oversight of the published complaints reports and outcomes for 2024/25.

The Committee noted that the Council is expected to address complaints in accordance with the relevant statutory complaints processes and / or the advice and guidance issued by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) under their powers under section 23(12A) of the Local Government Act 1974.  In addition, statute requires an annual report on the operation of the complaints process and the lessons learnt or service improvements arising from them for both Children Services and Adult Social Care complaints.

The LGSCO issue an Annual Review letter each July in respect of those complaints (both statutory and non-statutory / corporate) which have exhausted the Council’s complaints process and escalated to, investigated by and decided upon by the Ombudsman.  The Letter is addressed to the Council’s Chief Executive and the Chair of Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee “to encourage effective ownership and oversight of complaint outcomes”.  A report similar to the statutory Childrens and Adults reports is prepared following receipt of the LGSCO’s letter.  These reports are each considered in detail at relevant Cabinet member meetings and at Ethics Committee, ahead of being submitted to the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee for overview and review.  The reports are also published on the Council’s website.

In respect of Children’s Services, the LGSCO had received 257 complaints in 2024/25, an increase of 5 from the previous year.  181 of these were statutory complaints, compared to 143 in 2023/24.  69 of these complaints were fully or partially upheld, which was 6 more than the previous year, although 6% lower in overall percentages.  Appendix 1 provided a further breakdown of the themes of the complaints received along with the stages and whether corporate, informal or ombudsman complaints.  In addition, the time taken to respond to complaints was also provided.  The remedies provided and lessons learned were also summarised.  The Committee noted that, in addition to complaints, 154 compliments had been received and these were broken down by team.

In relation to Adult Social Care, the LGSCO had received 148 complaints in 2024/25, up from 94 in the previous year.  85 of these were statutory complaints, compared to 59 in 2023/24.  42% (34) of the complaints were fully or partially upheld, a reduction from 49% in 2023/24.  Appendix 2 provided a further breakdown of the themes of the complaints received along with the stages and whether corporate, informal or ombudsman complaints.  In addition, the time taken to respond to complaints was also provided.  The remedies provided and lessons learned were also summarised.  The Committee noted that, in addition to complaints, 185 compliments had been received.

Appendix 3 set out information relating to the LGSCO’s annual letter regarding complaints.  The LGSCO had received 101 complaints and enquiries in 2024/25, which was an increase of 21 from the previous year.  Details of the complaints by category was set out along with comparative data  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

Briefing Note of the Director of Regeneration and Economy

The Scrutiny Coordination Committee considered a briefing note and presentation by the Director of Regeneration and Economy, which set out plans to enable Coventry residents and community groups to access Council-owned land that is underutilised for food growing and wildlife gardening.

Coventry’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan outlined an ambitious vision for the city which would help to improve the lives of people that live and work here, alongside supporting nature’s recovery.

One of the initiatives within the Strategy was focussed on the development of a network of community growing sites across the city for residents to help create and enjoy.  The scheme would support residents and community groups to take ownership of their local environment through maintaining and improving the open areas for the benefit of the local community.  Bringing forward opportunities for residents  to utilise Council-owned land which is disused or underutilised for community growing sites, supporting food growth and wildlife, would deliver significant benefits including:

·  Health and wellbeing: encouraging physical activity in fresh air, improved wellbeing by spending more time in green space, increasing locally grown fruit and vegetable consumption;

·  Social cohesion and community: fostering stronger relationships within communities;

·  Environmental: increasing and enhancing local green spaces and biodiversity;

·  Climate resilience: producing locally grown food for communities to help increase food security;

·  Education and skills: providing an opportunity for residents to learn new skills about creating sustainable growing spaces, horticulture, composting and caring for wildlife;

·  Pride: this will help engender local pride.

The Committee noted that, nationally, there is a campaign for Government to adopt the principle of a ‘Right to Grow’ across the UK due to the benefits for people and wildlife.  Coventry had already started doing this through ‘Coventry Grows’, a project which started in 2024 through the city’s Climate Change Board to develop a number of pilot community growing sites in some of the city’s most green-deprived areas, backed by funding from E.ON through the city’s Strategic Energy Partnership.  The pilot projects have seem the first site established in Stoke Heath, with further sites being developed in Hillfields, Foleshill and Tile Hill, with 58 community volunteers involved over the last 12 months.

The Council has worked with the Coventry Food Network in securing the national recognition to obtain the status as a ‘Sustainable Food Place’.  This recognises the City’s partnership making healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of where people live, which includes building public awareness, active food citizenship and local good food movement, with healthy food for all.  Expanding community growing sites across the city would help to support this and help benefit communities if produce can be distributed via the Food Network and local networks where this is a surplus.

The Coventry Growing Sites policy would enable the Council to extend the opportunity to all communities across the city to access disused or underused Council land for community growing and nature gardening, building on the Coventry Grows pilot and existing allotment network and creating a significant opportunity to improve the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

Report of the Director of Regeneration and Economy

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a report of the Director of Regeneration and Economy, that set out the Coventry Creative Industries Strategy 2026-2029.

The Committee noted that the report was due to be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting scheduled for 10^th February 2026.

It was noted that, with strengths in both creativity and technology, two strong universities and the creative legacy of UK City of Culture 2021, Coventry was well placed to maximise the potential of its creative industries.  However, Coventry did not currently have an adopted Creative Industries Strategy.  This had become more pertinent following the publication of the Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan in June 2025, including significant sector investment for 2026-29.  This included a £25m allocation to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to drive growth of creative industries, aligning with the West Midlands Growth Plan, which identified creative industries as a priority sector.

Ahead of the Government sector plan, the Council’s Culture and Creative Economy team commissioned an independent Coventry Creative Industries mapping report in May 2025.  The purpose was to provide fresh evidence about the size of the sector, as well as to identify key opportunities and challenges.  The mapping involved stakeholder consultation through roundtables and focussed interviews.  A public event was held on 24^th June 2025 to share key findings and collect further evidence, followed by an All-Members’ Seminar on 6^th October 2025.

The mapping report and its key recommendations have strongly informed the development of the Creative Industries Strategy.  The Strategy would provide a future roadmap for the development of creative industries in Coventry as well as giving an opportunity to articulate priorities to potential funders and other stakeholders.  It was highlighted that the adoption of the Strategy was time sensitive given the WMCA funding detail due to be confirmed at the end of March 2026.

Whilst the Strategy was developed with stakeholders and partners by the Council’s Culture and Creative Economy team, there were no new and direct cost implications for the Council within the Strategy itself.  The accompanying delivery plan was based on either existing funding or capacity, but with the ambition to secure further funding in the future, including potentially from the WMCA through alignment with the West Midlands Growth Plan.

The Committee made statements, asked questions and received answers in respect of the following:

·  The strategy strengthens the Council’s position to access funding and support a growing sector within Coventry’s economy.

·  Concerns were raised about reliance on national data, with an expectation that future versions will include a stronger Coventry?specific baseline drawing on local evidence.

·  The need for more explicit and detailed KPIs was highlighted, with a commitment for clearer measures to be set out in the delivery plan.

·  Few comparable strategies exist at local authority level; most are developed regionally. Coventry is viewed as an early adopter in this space.

·  Universities are recognised as key partners, with potential to further strengthen data, analysis and evaluation within the strategy.

·  Long?term outcomes will  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.

Report of the Director of Law and Governance

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a report of the Director of Law and Governance that provided information regarding the Committee’s Work Programme and Outstanding Issues for 2025/26.

The Committee agreed that reports from two Task and Finish Groups from the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) be included on the work programme for the Committee.

RESOLVED that Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee notes the Work Programme attached as an appendix to the report. 

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as a matter of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

There were no other items of public business.