How we will deliver

The previous section of the plan set out our ambitions or ‘what we will deliver’. This section describes how we will deliver. 

Our Service Model 

We provide a variety of services, from those offered to all residents to those assisting individuals who need specialist support. We focus on supporting people to live well and independently, whilst having a clear ‘offer’ when their needs change. To do this, our Council operating model is underpinned by a ‘think prevention’ approach and broadly divides our services into three categories: universal, targeted and specialist: 

• Universal services are those offered to all residents and provide the foundation upon which successful, sustainable communities are built.
• Targeted services are there to help residents to get things back on track and try to ensure temporary difficulties do not escalate to become long-term issues.
• Specialist services are received by residents who need specialised support, such as adults with long-term health issues and children with special educational needs and disabilities or those needing support and intervention from social workers. 

Achieve financial sustainability 

The Council must achieve financial sustainability to deliver on our ambitions. We need to ensure that costs stay within available funding, whilst still delivering the services that people need. 

Like many councils across the country, our budget is under significant pressure due to the increased demand for essential services, including social care, and increasing costs. This is demonstrated by the fact that over three quarters of our budget is spent on delivering Children’s Services and Adult Social Care. These are vital statutory services, so it is important we deliver to a good standard. 

In December 2024 we asked the Government for Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) to help us manage our 2024/25 pressures and balance our 2025/26 budget. 

We had our application for £48.273m of EFS approved in principle by government in February 2025. Of this total, £15.615 million relates to 2024/25 and £32.658 million will be for 2025/26. This will allow us to use capital resources, either from borrowing or the sale of assets to fund day-to-day spending, which will help strengthen the Council’s financial resilience and create a £10m transformation fund, to be used for activities that result in ongoing cost savings. 

EFS is only a temporary solution, and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) predicts a gap of £3.44m in 2026/27 and £12.84m in 2027/28. There are also significant risks to our funding on the horizon, with major reforms to local government funding from 2026/27 that could have a serious impact on the amount of business rates income we retain locally. 

There is also a major risk relating to Dedicated Schools Grant funding, used to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We await details of the Government’s intended approach to SEND reform which will be set out in a white paper in autumn 2025, together with further details of how local authorities will be supported as the SEND funding system is reformed. 

There are urgent steps we must take now to tackle our spending pressures. Through the Corporate Delivery Board, we are making savings that will help us deliver a balanced financial position for 2025/26 and onwards. We will take opportunities to maximise income where possible and appropriate. We will also continue to lobby the Government to ask for the appropriate level of funding to meet our local needs.

Deliver our Corporate Transformation Programme 

The Corporate Transformation Programme has been set up to oversee the delivery of £23.2m of savings in 2025/26. 

A complete programme of activity for the next two years has been established to deliver savings across five delivery programmes and two supporting workstreams. The five delivery programmes are: 

• Communities and customer services
• Asset master planning • Growth and public sector reform
• Workforce efficiency
• Living Well in Solihull 

The two supporting workstreams are: 

• Financial sustainability
• Digital and ICT 

There are also seven priority projects, which combined with the workstreams make up the Transformation Programme. 

The Transformation Programme has made positive progress, and savings are already being made. The programme is being closely monitored by the Corporate Delivery Board and progress will be reported to the Resources & Delivering Value Scrutiny Board. 

The work of the Corporate Transformation Programme will contribute to the financial sustainability of the Council, both now and in the future. 

Take preventative action and address inequalities 

We have developed our prevention strategy, Living Well in Solihull, on the principle that prevention and acting early is better than waiting for problems to develop. The aim is to support Solihull’s children and young people to have the best start in life and help them reach their full potential, and to support adults to stay as healthy, happy and independent as possible, for as long as possible. Our strategy challenges us to ‘think prevention’ at every stage of life and make sure we work effectively together across our partnerships. 

It links closely to our Health Inequalities Strategy, which sets out a plan of action to reduce health inequalities. The aim of the strategy is to improve the lives of those with the worst health outcomes the fastest, to help them live healthier, happier, longer lives. The strategy is a call to action to residents, community groups and local organisations to partner with the Council and the NHS to tackle health inequalities. Closing the gap in life expectancy requires concerted, system-wide effort across the life course and targeted work for those population groups at greater risk of poor health outcomes. 

We are committed to building prevention and reducing inequalities into the way we work, taking them into account in everything we do. 

Further details of the activities we are carrying out to focus on prevention and reducing inequalities can be found on page 11-12 under the ambition ‘the right conditions for everyone to thrive’.

Work with partners to get the best for Solihull 

We can’t achieve our vision alone. Our key ambitions can only be achieved by working in partnership. The Council plays a key role as convenor of partnership working: 

• Across public, private, voluntary, and community sectors in Solihull.
• Sub-regionally with the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System.
• Regionally as a strong and active member of the West Midlands Combined Authority, through joint commissioning to improve outcomes for children and young people and through regional working to share and improve practice in Adult Social Care, housing and other service areas. 

Some examples, supporting our Council Plan ambitions, include: 

• Work with the Voluntary and Community Sector to support local people through key projects, such as the Warm Welcome network and Holiday Activity and Food Programme.
• Work with partners to develop plans for, and mobilising to deliver, a community, health and retail hub in Kinghurst village centre.
• The WorkWell programme - East Birmingham and North Solihull is one of 14 vanguard areas selected to provide joined up, early intervention work, bringing together health, employment and community organisations to support people who are unemployed or employed but at risk of losing their job due to health conditions.
• Work with public and private sector organisations to promote and accelerate the uptake of low-carbon technology through partnerships, events and supporting the electric vehicle supply chain. 

Local partnerships 

Safer Solihull (Community Safety Partnership) is responsible for bringing together local partners to implement strategies to tackle crime, disorder, and anti-social behaviour in Solihull. Their annual strategic assessment helps to inform its priorities alongside statutory duties and emerging intelligence and trends. The priorities for the partnership currently include exploitation, misuse of drugs, alcohol and other substances, domestic abuse and violence against women and girls, serious violence, and reducing reoffending.

Solihull Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) is responsible for ensuring that organisations and agencies work together in a connected and effective way, to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children within the local area. The SSCP currently has a focus on reducing child neglect, as well as making sure there is measurable impact from the joint work of partners. 

The Solihull Safeguarding Adults Board (SSAB) plays a vital role in supporting the Council’s commitment to protecting adults with care and support needs from abuse and neglect. As a statutory body under the Care Act 2014, the SSAB brings together statutory partners (Solihull Council, West Midlands Police, and the Integrated Care Board) as well as key partners from the voluntary, and independent sector, to ensure robust and effective safeguarding arrangements are in place across the borough. The board works collaboratively to promote wellbeing, prevent harm, and improve the quality of life for adults at risk of abuse and neglect. Through strategic oversight, multiagency coordination, community engagement and continuous improvement of safeguarding practices, the SSAB helps ensure that adults in Solihull are empowered to live safely, with dignity and independence, while being protected from harm. 

Regional partnership working 

Solihull has continued to be a strong and active member of the WMCA, committing political and officer leadership, expertise, and resources, and working closely with our local authority partners to ensure that the whole of the region is driving growth together. 

We will take a leadership role to ensure that, through further devolution, we get the best possible outcomes for Solihull and our residents, optimising the use of the Integrated Settlement for the West Midlands. 

Health partnerships 

The Health and Wellbeing Board sets the strategic direction for the borough and contributes to Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (ICS) priorities, alongside developing Solihull’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The strategy was updated in 2024 and takes a life course approach to improving health and wellbeing. It is also aligned with the ICS 10 Year Strategy. 

Solihull Council has close and effective working relationships with health partners and is a key partner in the Birmingham and Solihull ICS.

Next page: How we will measure progress