Draft business plan and budget proposals that would see continued investment in services for older people and younger adults with care and support needs were scrutinised and supported by a majority of Adults and Health committee members – who today (Thursday, 22 January) put forward their views for consideration by the Strategy, Resources and Performance committee on 29 January.
The Adults and Health committee has a significant role in reducing health inequalities across the county and enabling people to enjoy healthy, safe and independent lives. This is why the council plans to prioritise:
- An additional £14.7m of funding to help care providers to meet ongoing costs, including inflation and to support them to pay the Real Living Wage.
Other proposals include additional funding of:
- £1.9m to meet demand for care and support amongst older people accessing both home and residential care
- £4.9m to help meet the rising levels of need amongst people with a learning disability
- £2.1m for working age and older people with mental health needs
At its meeting in December, members of the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee began debating the draft business plan and budget. This plan has now been scrutinised by the Adults and Health committee.
The feedback from all the council’s January policy and service committees, as well as feedback from our online public consultation and the views of town and parish councils, other local and public authorities, business representatives and trade unions will be debated again by the Strategy, Resources and Performance committee when it meets at the end of January. This committee will then put forward the final draft business plan and budget for debate and decision at the Full Council meeting on 10 February.
Cambridgeshire County Council’s 2026-27 business plan and budget will identify where to spend £1.2billion to deliver services and support for residents and communities across the county.
Next year, there is a projected significant increase in costs due to a growing population and increasing demands – particularly in children’s and adults’ social care. Nearly two thirds of our spending goes towards social care, while other major areas of spending include Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), home to school transport, and highways maintenance.
For 2026/27, we have a remaining budget gap of £6.4million that we need to address. That means we must continue to make difficult choices about where we can generate additional income, as well as where we invest and where we make savings.
Cllr Luis Navarro, Vice-Chair of the Adults and Health Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We are making sure the council stays financially sustainable by taking a prudent, long-term approach to business and budget planning that is informed by our residents’ priorities, so we can keep investing in and prioritising core services.
“The increasing financial challenges also means we need to get the most out of every pound we spend whilst delivering services across the county.
“Like many other local authorities in England, the county council continues to face the challenge of a growing and ageing population. Supporting more people puts extra pressure on services and budgets. That’s why this recommended additional funding is so important. Supporting our care providers to pay the Real Living Wage will enable continued stability of the local care market and help us to meet the increase in demand for care and support for our older and most vulnerable residents.
“Focusing on ensuring our contracts with providers are well negotiated to manage demand and continuing to appropriately shape the local provider market will enable us to offer a high-quality range of choices that best meet the needs of people who draw on our services.
“The recent Quality of Life survey once again highlighted mental health as a concern, so we’re also proposing further investment in this area to support our residents’ needs.
Public Health plays a strategic, cross council role in supporting good health across the life course of all our residents, services include the Healthy Child Programme, smoking cessation, weight management, physical activity, health checks, drug and alcohol services, and sexual health services will continue to be commissioned and provided.
“Government has recognised it needs to respond to the SEND crisis nationally but has yet to share what that will mean for councils, schools or parents and carers. The lack of Government funding for these vital public services means that for 2026/27 the council will face a further £22 million in financial challenges than were identified in February 2025. That means further and even more difficult decisions about how to allocate resources and balance its budget will be required.
“We are committed to ensuring the council delivers value for money in the services it provides. That is why this committee supports the proposals today.”
The views of all policy and service committees, the views of residents, partners and business representatives, and the details from the Local Government Finance Settlement will be put before the Strategy, Resources & Performance Committee on 29 January so it can make a final recommendation on the business plan and budget to Full Council, which meets to debate and agree this plan on 10 February 2026.
More information on the council’s proposals for the coming year: Council considers next stage for the budget proposals and refreshed vision
You can read the papers from today’s committee meeting on our website, and rewatch the meeting on our YouTube channel.
