Committee Report Checklist 

 

Please submit the completed checklists with your report. If final draft report does not include all the information/sign offs required, your item will be delayed until the next meeting cycle. 

 

Stage 1

Report checklist – responsibility of report owner 

ITEM	Yes / No	Date
Councillor engagement / input from Chair prior to briefing	YES	27/02/26
Commissioner engagement (if report focused on issues of concern to Commissioners such as Finance, Assets etc)	YES	13/02/26 Chief of Staff review
Relevant Group Head review	YES	16/02/26
MAT+ review (to have been circulated at least 5 working days before Stage 2)	YES	16/02/26
This item is on the Forward Plan for the relevant committee	YES	-
	Reviewed by	-
Finance comments (circulate to Finance)	YES	16/02/26
Risk comments (circulate to Lee O’Neil)	LO	27/02/26
Legal comments (circulate to Legal team)	LH	27/02/26
HR comments (if applicable)	N/A	-

 

For reports with material financial or legal implications the author should engage with the respective teams at the outset and receive input to their reports prior to asking for MO or s151 comments.

 

Do not forward to stage 2 unless all the above have been completed. 

 

Stage 2

Report checklist – responsibility of report owner 

ITEM	Completed by	Date
Monitoring Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT	L Heron	27/02/26
S151 Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT
Confirm final report cleared by MAT

 

 

 

 

 

Community Wellbeing & Housing Committee  

 

Tuesday 24 March 2026  

Title	Social Value Impact Report: SBC Community Centres and Community Meals Service
Purpose of the report	To inform and assure
Report Author	Gary Cordery, Community Wellbeing Manager & Jade Woods, Integrated Health Manager
Ward(s) Affected	All Wards
Exempt	No
Exemption Reason	NA
Corporate Priority	Community
Recommendations	Committee is asked to[HL1] : 1.    Note the findings of the report: that it evidences the social, health and economic value generated by the Council’s Community Centres and Meals on Wheels service (and associated provision) for residents and public sector partners. 2.    Consider how the evidence can be used with partners to support investment and partnership opportunities, aligned to health and care priorities including prevention and healthy ageing. Agree for report authors to share the report with the West Surrey Health Board, Neighbourhood Steering Group, and The Surrey Health and Wellbeing Board and onward transmission to voluntary joint committees, to highlight the positive long-term impact of our services. 3.    Approve the request for the authors to develop a mini‑series of case studies showcasing the experiences of individuals who access our community services. These will highlight the personal impact of the services and the broader, system wide impacts and cost savings for partner services. To be shared on social media and the Spelthorne Bulletin.
Reason for Recommendation	To provide Members and Officers with a clear, evidence‑based understanding of the value for money and social impact delivered by the Council’s Community Centres, Meals on Wheels and OPAL services. This report will demonstrate the preventative role these services play in supporting independence, reducing isolation, reducing hospital admissions and helping to lower the need for costly packages of care.

 

 

1.             Executive summary of the report (expand detail in Key Issues section below)

What is the situation	Why we want to do something
•       Spelthorne has a growing older population (20% aged 65+ now, rising further by 2040) with loneliness and mobility/frailty needs increasing demand for preventative, community-based support.	•       With rising health and social care pressures and limited public finances, we need to evidence and quantify the value for money, health outcomes and social impact of Community Centres and Meals on Wheels to inform future decisions, investment and partnerships. We want to support our residents whilst reduce the financial pressures on the NHS and Adult Social Care.
This is what we want to do about it	These are the next steps
•       The Council provides Community Centres (plus OPAL[LO2]  day support) and Meals on Wheels enabling us to deliver social connection, health-related activities, nutritious meals and welfare checks that help residents stay independent, reduce isolation and prevent crises/escalation and hospital admission / costly care packages. •       OPAL is for older people who have some additional support needs, or who would struggle to manage if they were alone in one of the community centres. This can include problems with mobility, memory loss, disability, sight or hearing loss. The service is via referral. It offers regular activities and a place to socialise.	•       Make the Council and external partners aware of the findings and share the evidence base, to ensure the services have long-term/sustainable investment and partnership planning. Ensure the services are considered in the ‘whole system approach’.

 

2.             Key issues

·         2.1Growing[LO3]  older population and isolation risk: Spelthorne’s 65+ population is significant and rising, with loneliness and reduced mobility increasing demand for preventative support.

·         2.2 Services act as preventative “infrastructure”: Community Centres and Meals on Wheels are described as helping residents stay independent through social connection, activity, nutrition and early intervention.

·         2.3 Older users dominate current reach: The centres’ active membership is largely 64+, reinforcing focus but also highlighting an opportunity to engage people earlier.

·         2.4 Meaningful scale of provision: The report records high levels of health-related centre activity and steady, high-volume meal deliveries, implying strong reach to frailer/isolated residents.

·         2.5 Meals on Wheels provides welfare checks as well as food: The service supports active clients with frequent weekly provision and is positioned as “eyes-on” safeguarding/early warning.

·         2.6 OPAL supports independence and carer respite: OPAL is presented as structured day support (with transport and meals) and as a potential lower-cost alternative to higher-intensity care.

·         2.7 Value for money case needs clear quantification: The report’s purpose is to evidence impact and economic value.

 

3.             Options appraisal and proposal

 

·         3.1 The report is to demonstrate the contribution of Community Centres, Meals on Wheels and OPAL in preventative healthcare, independence and reduced demand on health and social care, to help support any future case around continued Council and partner commitment to these services.[LO4] [CG5] [JW6] 

·         3.2 This report does not make a proposal for change but is to highlight that if the offer was removed, there would be a significant financial impact to wider partners and negative impact on residents’ physical health and mental wellbeing, in particular our vulnerable and more frail residents.

·         3.3 This report can be used to demonstrate the need to wider partners who may wish to support preventative services to decrease health care pressures and costs.

 

 

4.             Risk implications

·         4.1 Resident safety and safeguarding risk if provision reduces: Meals on Wheels is described as providing daily “eyes-on” welfare checks that identify emergencies, falls, scams, loss of heating and safeguarding concerns reduction would increase the risk of these going unnoticed.

·         4.2 Health deterioration and nutrition risk: The meals service is positioned as essential to preventing malnutrition, dehydration and unplanned deterioration for frail/isolated residents service disruption increases those risks.

·         4.3 Increased falls/admissions risk: High attendance at strength/balance and falls-prevention activities is linked to reduced falls and avoidable admissions reduced access could increase falls/fractures and hospital demand/costs.

·         4.4 Greater loneliness and mental wellbeing risk: The centres provide routine social contact to reduce isolation (linked in the report to GP consultations and depression/anxiety); reducing provision risks worsening loneliness and related demand.

·         4.5 System pressure and cost risk: The report’s core case is that these services help maintain independence and prevent crises; weakening them risks shifting demand/costs to NHS and Adult Social Care.

 

5.             Financial implications

·         5.1 No immediate additional cost identified: The report is evidencing the value for money of services already funded by the Council (Community Centres, Meals on Wheels and OPAL).

·         5.2 Potential cost avoidance / cost-shift risk: The report’s purpose is to show these services help prevent escalation (e.g., isolation-related decline, falls, malnutrition, crises) and support independence; reduced provision would risk higher downstream costs and demand pressures for health and adult social care.

 

6.             Legal comments

•       6.1 There are no legal implications arising directly from this report, but it should be noted that Best Value Duty and subsidy control requirements must be considered as appropriate.

•       6.2 All contracts and arrangements must comply with the Council’s Contract Standing Orders.

•       6.3 Support from Legal Services must be obtained in respect of individual proposals and projects.

 

Corporate implications

 

7.             S151 Officer comments

•      The S151 Officer to confirm that all financial implications have been taken into account and that the recommendations are fully funded from within the current and future years budget.

 

8.             Monitoring Officer comments

•       The Monitoring Officer confirms that the relevant legal implications have been taken into account.

 

9.             Procurement comments

·         There are no procurement implications arising directly from this report but it should be noted that procurement regulations may apply in relation to external delivery of goods and services.  

10.          Equality and Diversity

·         See Appendix B

 

11.          Sustainability/Climate Change Implications

·         This is not a proposal for any change so no additional impact.

 

12.          Other considerations

NA

 

13.          Timetable for implementation

NA

 

14.          Contact

Jade Woods, Integrated Health Manager - j.woods@spelthorne.gov.uk

Gary Cordery, Community Wellbeing Manager - g.cordery@spelthorne.gov.uk

 

Please submit any material questions to the Committee Chair and Officer Contact by two days in advance of the meeting.

 

Background papers:  None

 

 

 

 

Appendices:

 

Appendix A - Social Value Impact Report – Jan 2026

Evidence based impact report of Spelthorne Borough Council’s Community Centres, and Meals on Wheels service.

 

Appendix B - Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment - social value CCs and MOWs