The Council Plan
Fairer
What have we achieved?
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and are proud of our achievement in winning the MJ Achievement Award for focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion to transform services for residents in June 2022.
We have worked with our communities to deliver events to celebrate diversity, build community cohesion and tackle vaccine hesitancy. We have created an additional 42 specialist school places and opened overnight short breaks facilities to improve the local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) offer for families. We have also opened a new day centre for Tamil and Korean elders - a lifeline for older people to learn new ways of tackling isolation.
We have worked extensively with residents living on the Cambridge Road Estate to let them decide the future of their homes and the once in a lifetime regeneration has now begun. We have demolished the unsafe and ageing Kingfisher leisure centre and are preparing for the construction of a new state-of-the-art leisure and community facility accessible for everyone to enjoy.
We signal our support and commitment to all the borough’s diverse communities through actions such as facilitating and promoting cultural events, signing the Armed Forces Covenant and signing the Time to Change Pledge aiming to end negative attitudes towards people experiencing mental health issues.
Where are we now?
- 61% of residents are educated to Level 4 or above (higher than for London or Great Britain).
- 36.9% belong to an ethnic minority group.
- 8.3% of residents provide unpaid care.
- 44.2% of households are deprived in one or more dimensions (education, employment, health or housing). This is the 4th lowest in London.
- 12% of children are living in low income families
- 9% of households were in fuel poverty in 2020 - before the cost of living crisis
- The number of residents aged 66+ is increasing
Priorities
Equality, diversity and inclusion
Our commitment
We tackle exclusion, promoting equity and supporting those most in need.
Borough level indicators
- Average attainment level of children eligible for free school meals
- Numbers of households facing food, fuel or water poverty (Low Income Family Tracker data)
Service performance indicators
- Number of households provided with additional support through easement schemes (such as Housing Benefit reduction, Council Tax reduction and Household Support Fund)
- Number of people supported through through the council’s information and advice commissioned services to meet their outcomes
Children and young people
Our commitment
We help the borough’s children and young people to be healthy, happy, safe and successful by removing barriers, creating opportunities and providing and enabling care and support where and when it is needed.
Borough level indicators
- % of children who are obese
- % of children making a good level of progress in the early years foundation stage and ready for school
- % of young people achieving GCSE progress 8 (progress against expectations between KS2 and KS4)
Service performance indicators
- % new birth visits completed within 14 days by Health Visiting services
- % of Early Help cases in the last 3 months that have stepped up to Children's Social Care
- Narrative report to highlight Community / Family Hubs use and outcomes
Start well, live well, age well
Our commitment
We promote health and wellbeing for all residents, supporting the most in need, encouraging physical activity and prioritising mental wellbeing.
Borough level indicators
- % of residents reporting anxiety and life satisfaction (ONS annual population survey)
- % of people achieving at least 150 minutes of activity per week (Sport England Active Lives survey)
Service performance indicators
- % take up of concessionary rate for Leisure Services (available from 2024)
- Value generated through physical activity in monetary terms using the Social Value Calculator
- Narrative report to highlight progress on becoming an age friendly community
Quality homes and housing services
Our commitment
We work to meet the growing housing needs and aspirations of residents through having the right mix of good quality housing and services to support those in need.
Borough level indicators
- Property price to earnings ratio
- Number of housing completions
- Number of affordable housing completions
Service performance indicators
- Property price to earnings ratio
- Number of housing completions
- Number of affordable housing completions
- % of repairs to council homes completed on time and quality
- Number of new affordable homes delivered (includes council homes)
- Number of households in Temporary / Nightly Paid Accommodation
Skills, training and good employment
Our commitment
We enable people to recover from the economic crisis by providing direct support. We strategically plan for the future with partners to deliver good skills, training and employment.
Borough level indicators
- Percentage of people in employment (16-64 years)
- Percentage of people in employment (50-64 years)
- Claimant Count (Out of Work Benefits)
Service performance indicators
- Number participating in employment support programmes
- Number of opportunities for work experience, boroughwide and in the council