People Overview & Scrutiny
Subject: Next Task & Finish Group
Date of meeting: 14th July 2026
Report of: Chair of People Overview & Scrutiny
Contact Officer: Name: Luke Proudfoot
Email: luke.proudfoot@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Ward(s) affected: All Wards
Key Decision: No
1.1 Brighton & Hove City Council’s constitution allows Overview & Scrutiny Committees to establish informal Task & Finish Groups to undertake in-depth reviews of specific issues.
1.2 This report presents People Overview & Scrutiny Committee with an idea for the next Task & Finish Group for approval.
2.1 People Overview & Scrutiny agrees to establish a Task & Finish Group on Customer Services with the terms of reference set out in Appendix 1.
3.1 Following the conclusion of the People Overview & Scrutiny’s previous Task & Finish Group (TFG) on anti-social behaviour in social housing, the committee can begin a new TFG on a different topic.
3.2 Potential ideas for the next TFG were discussed at the March People Overview & Scrutiny Committee. There was no consensus at the meeting on a single topic, but the most favoured issues were aspects of young people’s mental health and customer services.
3.3 Following the March meeting, the Chair explored the potential of these issues with the relevant council officers. The Chair has identified a TFG on customer services as her preferred option. This TFG would focus on the council’s increasing reliance on a digital first model of interaction with customers, exploring what steps are being taken to increase digital inclusion, to improve the council’s digital offer, and how the council will ensure equitable access to services for people who are not able to use digital services, for example by looking in depth at the council’s face-to-face advice and support offer. More detailed scoping is included as Appendix 1 to this report and a draft TFG Terms of Reference is included as Appendix 2.
3.4 Membership of the TFG will be chosen through political group whips.
3.5 The TFG will report its findings to the January People Overview & Scrutiny Committee.
4.1 People Overview & Scrutiny Committee is presented with a suggested topic for its next Task & Finish Group. The committee could choose not to pursue this suggestion, in which case support officers would seek to work with members outside the meeting to identify alternative issues which would be presented at the next meeting of the committee. This would mean that there would be a period of time where the committee was not actively running a TFG investigation.
5.1 No community engagement or consultation has been carried out at this stage. Committee members previously discussed ideas for the next Task & Finish Group topic at the March People Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting.
5.2 Depending on the topic chosen and the wishes of the Task & Finish Group Members, community engagement may form part of the group’s inquiry.
6.1 A task & finish group would be delivered using existing scrutiny resources
Name of finance officer consulted: Ishemupenyu Chagonda Date consulted: 02/07/2026
7.1
Part 2C para 9.1 of the Council’s Constitution permits the People
Overview & Scrutiny Committee to establish informal task & finish
groups to undertake
in-depth reviews of specific issues and report back to it.
Name of lawyer consulted: Victoria Simpson Date consulted: 03/07/26
8.1 None specifically for this scrutiny report and the establishment of a Task & Finish Group.
9.1 None specifically for this scrutiny report and the establishment of a Task & Finish Group. If members choose to progress the suggested topic, the TFG will need to consider the barriers to people with protected characteristics access council services.
10.1 None specifically for this scrutiny report and the establishment of a Task & Finish Group.
11. Health and Wellbeing Implications:
11.1 None specifically for this scrutiny report and the establishment of a Task & Finish Group.
14.1 People Overview & Scrutiny Members are asked to agree their next Task & Finish Group topic.
Supporting Documentation
1. Customer Services TFG Scoping Report
2. Customer Services TFG Draft Terms of Reference