The Mayor noted and agreed the reasons for urgency as set out in the report.

DECISION

1.    Note the council’s significant achievements over the past year in building a stronger Tower Hamlets.

2.    Support the commitment outlined in Section 3.6 to redefine the corporate centre. This restructuring aims to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, ultimately maximising value for the council.

3.    Note that the risks identified within this report are addressed as part of the wider reports presented in this Cabinet meeting agenda pack. These reports include Leisure Insourcing, Housing Options, and Scrutiny. Additionally, the May 2024 HR Committee and Audit Committee agendas address related risk mitigation strategies in HR, Recruitment, and Procurement.

Action by

CHIEF EXECUTIVE (S. HALSEY)

Acting Deputy Director of Strategy, Improvement & Transformation (R. Beattie)

The Mayor introduced the report that updated the Mayor and Cabinet on the Council’s ‘People First’ transformation journey and detailed the significant progress made in addressing the following key concerns identified by the Head of Paid Services:

·         Fostering a more collaborative and performance-driven culture.

·         Securing greater financial understanding, compliance & stability.

·         Embedding a resident-centric focus.

·         Improving transparency and accountability.

·         Demonstrating measurable progress across key performance indicators and achieving external recognition.

·         Making significant strides in the delivery across all strategic priorities.

·         Continuing commitment to creating a workforce to reflect the community.

·        Ensuring continued adherence to the Best Value Duty.

Stephen Halsey, Chief Executive provided more details on the programme. He referred to the issues highlighted in the Deloitte audit reports between 2018-2020 and 2020 which had pointed out deficiencies in financial reporting, risk management, and performance oversight within the Council. These shortcomings necessitated a new approach to address historical issues and drive continuous improvement. Stephen explained that the key action points of the programme include:

Ayesha Hakim Rahman, (Acting Deputy Director of Strategy, Improvement and Transformation) provided more detail on the performance dashboard which would provide regular updates and scrutiny on the Council's transformation progress against key measures.

Julie Lorraine, Corporate Director Resources, explained how The Council is implementing structural changes to enhance MTFS delivery and invest in key support functions like HR, procurement, and scrutiny. The centralisation of HR and procurement services, completed in 2022, aimed to improve efficiency and tackle outdated processes and lack of technology. A new focus would be on enhancing services rather than cost-cutting, with plans to tailor support functions to departmental needs. Emphasis is on technology adoption, process redefinition, and returning relevant functions to departments. The goal is to support corporate directors effectively in MTFS implementation. Notably, a focus on specific needs for different departments, like adult social care versus housing schemes, will guide tailored service delivery. Overall, the objective is to improve services, recognize diverse departmental requirements, and achieve better outcomes through strategic restructuring efforts.

Each remaining Corporate Director provided a brief explanation of how the transformation journey would assist improvements in their services of Adult Social Care, Housing and Regeneration, Communities and Childrens Services.

Cabinet members welcomed the report and expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to work towards achieving the Mayor's vision. They expressed hope to do their part to exceed expectations by delivering high-quality services for residents, being visible, challenging, and collaborating closely with officers to enhance services for the borough's people through proactive engagement.

The Mayor welcomed the report. He explained how his election in 2022 had faced him with immediate challenges of accountability, transparency, and silo working within the Council. Under his leadership, significant improvements had been made towards fostering community engagement, enhancing corporate management, and restructuring directorates. The implementation of a new target operating model had enabled better financial insights and increased accountability among staff. A focus on frontline employees' involvement and empowerment has resulted in impactful changes and streamlined processes, improving efficiency in recruitment. The new Reorganisation Board provided a holistic view for real-time actions and empowered departments to act promptly. The initiatives had driven positive change and provided a renewed energy, and a culture of delivery and progress within the Council.

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet:

1.    Notes the council’s significant achievements over the past year in building a stronger Tower Hamlets.

2.    Supports the commitment outlined in Section 3.6 of the report to redefine the corporate centre. This restructuring aims to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, ultimately maximising value for the council.

3.    Notes that the risks identified within this report are addressed as part of the wider reports presented in this Cabinet meeting agenda pack. These reports include Leisure Insourcing, Housing Options, and Scrutiny. Additionally, the May 2024 HR Committee and Audit Committee agendas address related risk mitigation strategies in HR, Recruitment, and Procurement.