Corporate Strategy – 2016
Two Year Review
Ambitious for Redbridge: Moving Forward Together
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enforcement team patrols on the streets of
Redbridge.
Message from the Leader
This document marks a new and vital stage in the
life of the Redbridge Corporate Strategy, giving us
an opportunity to review and re-evaluate our goals
and achievements. I am pleased to see staff,
businesses and importantly residents working
towards these common goals, because together
we can achieve so much more than if we go it
alone.
I am proud that in just two years of this four year
strategy, we have already either achieved, or are
on track to achieve a significant number of our
targets despite facing severe cuts from central
government. We have achieved this by tackling
issues head on, continuing to be ambitious and
innovative, while also focusing on what is most
important to residents and businesses.
When I launched the strategy in 2014, I said the
next few years presented major challenges for the
Borough, and indeed this has been the case, with
major cuts from central government meaning
further cost saving measures have had to be made
across the board – nonetheless we remain positive
and still on track to deliver this ambitious strategy
for Redbridge.
Whilst there have been good results the challenges
we face have not gone away, in many ways they
are more significant, we need to work harder still
on the areas in which we need to improve. We
were never going to reach every target in the first
two years – but there would have been nothing
more cynical than to have set the bar too low
simply to be able to congratulate ourselves when
we achieved easy targets.
The strategy’s four key priorities are designed to
create opportunities for our residents, wherever
they are, whatever they do. They aim to: Increase
Fairness, Empower, Improve and Transform by
building on our strengths, recognising where we
can innovate, and making sure that our citizens
and our Borough can thrive and grow as a whole.
After two years, our strategy has taken root in our
communities and across the Council and is helping
to drive our success.
This update to our Corporate Strategy outlines
some of our key achievements, as well as future
goals and targets as we move forward. It also
includes those recommendations outlined by the
Fairness Commission – this plan must now be a
dynamic, living document. A plan that is about
achieving change must itself be open to change
when circumstances alter, so this update differs in
some respects from the original version.
We should all be proud of delivering on these
objectives in key priority areas which include
developing a Customer Access Strategy to ensure
that the Council can deliver the services that
residents need. This strategy, as well as other key
service improvements, has been shaped by the
feedback from Local Forums and new consultation
methods introduced by the Council. This has
allowed greater participation by residents and the
community in Council decision-making processes
meaning we can deliver better more targeted
services to our community.
The Council looks forward to working towards
these goals over the next two years, as well as
representing the interests of the local community
to Government.
Cllr Jas Athwal
Leader, Redbridge Council
Additionally, we have delivered on our key
priorities in holding a Fairness Commission which
has highlighted some of the areas where inequality
exists within Redbridge. The Commission has
brought with it a range of new targets, goals and
objectives that need to be considered and
included in our refreshed strategy. We have also
been working hard to increase civic pride and
reduce antisocial behaviour across the Borough by
reviewing the enforcement services undertaken in
Redbridge. We have introduced easier reporting
methods for fly-tipping and free bulky waste
collections to complement a new team of 19
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matter most to residents and make the biggest
improvements to the quality of people’s lives.
Message from the Chief Executive
Regular reporting and review of our targets and
objectives will ensure we can maintain focus on
what is important and necessary for everyone in
our Borough. I am optimistic about being able to
overcome the challenges we face and we will be
working hard to stay ‘Ambitious for Redbridge’.
This plan sets out the key actions that will help
grow our economy, improve the services we
provide to residents, and better engage with the
broader community.
The past two years has seen Redbridge Council
adapt and work hard to realise the vision for the
Borough as a place where people and business
thrive. I am pleased to present the two year review
of the Redbridge Council Corporate Strategy and in
particular, as Redbridge’s new Chief Executive; I
am excited to share how we can be even more
ambitious in the years ahead and achieve this by
‘Moving Forward Together’.
Since starting in the role of Chief Executive, I have
been listening to what matters most to residents,
business and groups; and discussing the pressures
that are faced by all of us as a community. It is by
listening that we are best able to focus on what
matters most and also what works.
Lastly, we need to ensure that the Borough, as
part of one of the world’s great cities, capitalises
on the inevitable growth in East London. There are
certainly big challenges but also bigger
opportunities, for the Council and with our
partners.
I have been impressed by the passion and
determination of staff, residents and our partners
in our collective mission to improve the Borough.
Indeed, some of our biggest achievements have
been when we have worked together. The delivery
of the Fairness Commission, which has played a
key role in prompting the need to review our
progress and refresh our approach towards
making the Borough a fairer place for residents.
More recently, we have been one of the first
Council’s in the country to truly bring together
health and social care services. By having a single
point of access, residents that need help can
access all the services they need in the simplest
way without being ‘passed around’. Councillors
and staff have joined students and parents in
being extremely proud of Redbridge’s many
outstanding schools and maintaining very high
standards and we need to celebrate these
achievements as a community as a whole.
You can follow our progress over the coming years
via
our
dedicated
reporting
website www.redbridge.gov.uk
Andy Donald
Chief Executive Officer
Difficulties have arisen in some areas due to
increased pressures on our services coupled with
unprecedented reductions in central Government
funding; this means we need to be more creative
and innovative to continue to be successful in
meeting the objectives of this plan. When we do
make the inevitable tough decisions, we need to
be open about what these decisions are and why
we are making them.
The Council will need to be even smarter in how it
spends money and how we work – We need to
continue in our efforts to work in a more
cohesively way as ‘one Council’ rather than in
individual services. We need to ensure that we
focus more than ever on the objectives that
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Our Vision and Priorities
Corporate Strategy – Ambitious for Redbridge
The Redbridge Corporate Strategy is a commitment to the community to make this a thriving
prosperous and safe part of London – this will be achieved through our four strategic priorities:
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 Developing and implementing a new Children and
Young People’s Plan a new Family Nurse Partnership
service for vulnerable young families, and supporting
children and young people achieve the highest
standard of education at all stages by ensuring all
schools are rated as good or outstanding by July
2017.
Priority 1: Fairness
Redbridge Council will continue to make sure everyone
has a fair chance to live well, thrive and succeed. We
will continue to design and improve services with
residents and partners that promote wellbeing, dignity,
and financial resilience while safeguarding the
vulnerable.
What next?
We will: improve access and provision of services
for those who are most in need.
Action 1
Deliver responsive, joined up health and social care
services that proactively focus on prevention and early
intervention, while providing choice, control and
dignity to all service users.
Following the recommendations of the Fairness
Commission, the Council is determined to tackle
poverty and inequality – we are looking at how we use
our resources and how funding can best confront these
important issues, particularly during these continuing
cuts to our budget by Central Government.
Action 2
Develop and implement a new Equalities Strategy and
Action Plan, ensuring clear impact assessments of all
proposals for service improvements and budget
proposals.
Early intervention programmes will focus on the
recommendations of the Fairness Commission and
utilise data and local knowledge to make sure we have
the greatest impact for those people in our
communities who need our support the most.
Action 3
Develop and implement a new Housing and
Homelessness Strategy, setting out clear proposals for
addressing the increasing housing needs across the
Borough.
Key objectives:
• improve access to services that maximise health,
care and wellbeing outcomes for residents
We will: deliver additional social value from our
procurement and contracting arrangements to
meet the social, environment and economic needs
of the Borough.
• support children and young people to achieve their
potential
• improve opportunity for our most disadvantaged
young people
Action 4
Ensure all new and renewed Council suppliers and
contractors contribute to our local economy and adopt
equitable employment practices, including paying the
London Living Wage wherever feasible.
• increase access to employment and work through
learning and training opportunities
What we’ve achieved:
Action 5
Redbridge Council will become accredited as a London
Living Wage employer by 2017 and will actively
promote the Living Wage to local employers and
businesses.
 Launched a Fairness Commission that made 17
recommended actions that will be implemented by the
Council to improve health, care and wellbeing,
community resilience, housing and economy.
 Meeting the demand for school places in Redbridge
through the School Expansion Programme, including
creating 300 additional permanent places across
Year 7 to Year 11 by expanding Ilford County High
School and Woodford County High by 60 places each
per year group.
We will: work with local communities to build skills
and capacity to tackle health inequalities and
sustain better health care and wellbeing
Action 6
Pilot an asset-based approach to improving health and
wellbeing in one locality of Redbridge with the aim of
reducing – the 6.3 year average life expectancy gap
between the areas with the lowest levels of life
expectancy and the highest by 2020
 Increasing Redbridge residents financial security and
access to affordable, fair financial products through
the support of the Liberty Credit Union creating greater
opportunity for residents to purchase housing and
save.
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Action 7
Further develop the ReFERs – Social Prescribing service
with our strategic partners to ensure that residents can
access timely support for issues that are affecting their
health and wellbeing (e.g. safety in the home), while
reducing inappropriate demand on health and social
services.
We will: continue to improve the financial resilience
of individuals, families and communities
Action 8
Upscale our employment and skills interventions,
targeting them specifically at those furthest from the
labour market. This will include working to secure the
best possible devolution deal in respect of employment
and skills across East London.
Action 9
Establish a Debt Action Group (DAG) with partners to
help the Council understand and address the financial
needs of families and communities within the Borough.
Through the DAG develop a Financial Resilience Strategy
that will tackle financial exclusion in the community.
We will: support children and young people across
the Borough
Action 10
Ensure that all schools in the Borough are good or
outstanding and that every resident child has a school
place. Reduce waiting times for newly arrived children
ensuring they have the ability to learn soon after
settlement.
Action 11
Significantly improve health and wellbeing outcomes
by recommissioning the child programme for 0-19
years olds (including health visiting and school
nursing), and delivery of mental health services
transformation plan for children and adolescents.
Action 12
Work with partners to ensure that children and young
people living in poverty reach their potential through
improved inter-agency coordination and support.
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as well as the YouChoose budget calculator giving
residents the opportunity to balance their own
Redbridge budget.
 Used the DataShare online tool for greater data
sharing and transparency of Council information with
the public.
Priority 2: Empower
 Created RedbridgeHive to support crowd sourced
funding and engagement for local initiatives.
Redbridge Council will work with local people to
strengthen our communities, ensuring local residents
are fully equipped to take responsibility for all aspects
of their lives. We will ensure that local communities
have a greater say on decisions affecting public
services and the future of their neighbourhoods. We
will increase the transparency of Council decisionmaking, ensuring that there are more opportunities for
communities to influence the process.
Redesigned and enhanced the Redbridge MyLife online
website for adults looking for information, advice and
support services in Redbridge to help them make the
right choices and take greater control in their life.
Introduced a new e-account solution for residents who
access care via direct payments, giving them greater
control over their finances.
We will use technology innovatively to provide
accurate and useful information and to allow residents
to have easier, more streamlined and convenient ways
to access and use Council services.
What next?
We will: ensure that local people are provided with
the right information and knowledge to make
informed choices about their own lives
We want to increase the number of people who get
involved in their local community, whether that is
through volunteering, joining a local club or
contributing to a Forum meeting. Getting involved
builds community networks and brings benefits to
both the individual and the Borough. Increasing active
involvement in civic life and community networks
which can empower people and their neighbourhoods
will be a key focus.
Action 13
Increase the proportion of adults in contact with
secondary mental health services living independently
to 83% by March 2018.
Action 14
Produce online resources and a portal for tenants in the
private rented sector to ensure they are aware of their
rights and responsibilities by the end of 2016.
Key objectives:
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make sure that everyone has a fair say in how
services are delivered, that they are listened to and
taken seriously
•
build resilience and promote citizenship, fairness
and responsibility among local people and within
neighbourhoods
•
provide residents with the right information to
make informed life choices and develop their
personal resilience
•
foster a strong community spirit where residents
support each other and work together for a
common purpose taking pride in the place they life
Action 15
Review the advice and guidance offer available to
residents in the Borough and in collaboration with our
voluntary sector partners ensure services are meeting
local people’s needs.
Action 16
Increase the proportion of residents enrolled to vote
and increase voter turnout in local elections from
39.7% in 2014 to 50% in 2018 through enrolment and
voter awareness programs.
We will: support the development of a thriving
volunteer culture and encourage greater
participation in community activities and civic life.
What we’ve achieved:
Action 17
Promote neighbourhood planning as a tool for local
communities to influence and shape the growth
agenda in their local areas.
 Launched a regular series of Forums, which bring
Council services and residents together facilitating
greater community participation in Council
decision-making.
 Established the Redbridge Conversation online
forum to enable feedback on Council budget setting;
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Action 18
As part of the development of the new Property
Strategy, introduce the option of community asset
transfer for buildings that are surplus to Council
requirements and which are unable to be redeveloped.
Action 19
Ensure that the allocation of voluntary sector grants
supports the achievement of local priorities and builds
the capacity and capabilities of local community
groups.
Action 20
As part of the regeneration proposals for Ilford Town
Centre, work with the local Voluntary and Community
Sector to bring forward proposals for a Community
Hub.
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 Created a 19 strong group of street officers with
special powers to deter anti-social behaviour and
create a greater sense of civic pride.
 Introduced a new Housing Zone in Ilford Town
Centre, to facilitate the building of 2,000 homes over
6 years, easing pressures on our housing stocks.
Priority 3: Improve
We will ensure that Redbridge continues to be a place
of choice to live and work, maintaining and improving
the already good quality of life for all our residents and
businesses.
 Developed an Economic Strategy to drive
sustainable economic growth and maximise the
benefits of the wider London economy enabling
business to thrive in Redbridge.
Our aim is to foster a greater sense of civic pride by
setting high standards for how we care for our shared
public realm. We will deliver a clean, green local
environment and use our enforcement powers when
necessary to protect our public spaces.
 Developed a Business Starter Guide to assist those
wanting to start new business in our community and
assist in attracting high end stores to our High
Streets.
 Created the Business Enterprise Desk to provide
advice and support to local businesses and encourage
and assist those that want to start new enterprises in
our Borough.
Independent forecasts of the population in Redbridge
predict continued growth. This means we will need to
work creatively to meet the increasing demand for
affordable housing. We are developing innovative
ways of increasing the Borough’s housing stocks,
working with developers and community groups to
deliver a range of housing options to meet the varied
needs of local people.
 Opened 3 new outdoor gyms, and progressed
plans for new public swimming facilities at Mayfield
and Loxford Schools to improve the fitness and
lifestyles of our residents, and promote healthy living
for our young people.
We will design programmes to reduce the need for
emergency housing, with advice and support to
prevent homelessness. Working with local employers
and training providers we will assist more people into
sustainable employment. These actions will both
improve the quality of life for many families and reduce
council expenditure on emergency support through
early intervention and prevention.
What next?
We will: promote sustainable growth and economic
development across the Borough
Action 21
Bring forward the Local Plan to adoption, setting out a
comprehensive set of land use policies demonstrating
how growth will be accommodated across Redbridge.
Our objective is to achieve more choice of tenures and
better quality housing throughout the Borough by
collaborating with developers, while increasing levels
of affordable housing.
Action 22
Prepare investment plans for each of the Borough’s
growth areas, beginning with Ilford Town Centre.
Ensure that local people and businesses are engaged in
shaping the growth areas to ensure the highest
possible quality of places is achieved.
Key objectives:
•
deliver and maintain a clean, safe, high quality
environment for all and increase civic pride
amongst the community
•
deliver flexible and adaptable community, leisure
and cultural facilities to meet the needs of our
diverse community
•
encourage investment and regeneration to boost
local economic growth and build a thriving
community
•
develop more affordable and better quality
housing for residents
Action 23
Maximise the impact of Crossrail arriving in Redbridge
for local residents and businesses alike.
We will: support communities to greater access to
good quality and affordable housing
Action 24
Increase the supply of housing across all tenures, with a
specific emphasis on introducing a range of affordable
purchase and rental products, including for key
workers.
What we’ve achieved:
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Action 25
Establish a new Development Company with a remit to
accelerate the delivery of new homes across the
Borough.
Support community-led educational programs to
address and prevent instances of domestic violence
within the Borough.
Action 36
Deliver leisure and cultural strategy, designed to find
ways of protecting the quality of the Borough’s library
and leisure offers including opening Loxford School
Pool, Sports Hall and all-weather pitch to the local
community, building pool at Mayfield School and
Improving parks to achieve Green Flag status
Action 26
Introduce additional and selective landlord licensing
across 50% of the Borough to ensure a minimum floor
standard of private rented housing.
We will: support the creation of local employment
opportunities and new businesses.
Action 27
Work with local business to create the conditions
necessary for local economic growth, including
maximising the ‘meanwhile use’ of vacant premises.
Action 28
Maximise the impact of local economic development
on local people by linking them directly to new
employment opportunities through a range of up
scaled employment and skills interventions.
Action 29
Create at least 70 new apprenticeship opportunities
within the Borough each year.
We will: promote a cleaner, greener and safer
Borough.
Action 30
Review the current household waste collection service
to increase recycling levels, reduce tonnages sent to
landfill and maximise the efficiency of the service.
Action 31
Review the Council’s transport, highways and parking
services with a view to supporting a safer road network
across the Borough.
Action 32
Build on the work of the Redbridge Enforcement Team,
ensuring a co-ordinated response to anti-social
behaviour issues across the Borough, including a
rolling programme of high profile Action Days and
Weeks.
Action 33
Support local communities to organise local
improvement programmes and projects designed to
improve their local neighbourhoods.
Action 34
Introduce an online booking system for Bulky Waste
Collections to ensure quick and efficient access and
faster pick up times.
Action 35
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 Restructured Council operations and functions to
create significant efficiency savings and better
outcomes for residents.
What next?
Priority 4: Transform
We will: promote a culture of collaboration to
ensure that all organisations are working together
for the benefit of Redbridge.
Our ambition is to provide Redbridge residents with
the best possible services. We aim to achieve this at
the lowest possible cost to our residents, whilst
continuing to provide high quality services and
customer care. Our transformation programme and
monitoring framework is designed to achieve well
managed change projects and clear evidence of
improvements in performance.
Action 37
Establish a new Borough Partnership comprising of the
key strategic partners, with a remit to produce and
oversee a new Plan for Redbridge 2025.
Action 38
Engage local residents, businesses and communities in
a conversation about the most important outcomes to
be achieved by 2025.
To provide great services we need motivated, skilled
and committed staff. Our ambitions for service
improvement will be reflected in the work of all of our
employees, creating a culture within the Council that
promotes and fosters a sense of pride in all our work,
service to customers and a sense of civic pride for the
Borough as a whole.
Action 39
Pro-actively participate in the Local London
partnership of East London Local Authorities, exploring
ways of collaborating to mutual benefit – including
through opportunities for greater influence through
the government’s devolution agenda.
We are implementing technology and performance
frameworks that will support our employees in goal
setting, performance improvement and developing the
right skill to deliver excellent services and provide good
information to residents.
We will: ensure that the Council operates within a
robust financial framework
Action 40
Introduce a 5 year medium-term financial strategy for
the Council, which is aligned with the priority
outcomes set out in the new Plan for Redbridge 2025.
Key objectives:
•
ensure the Council is more efficient and continually
looks at innovative ways to make every pound
count.
•
foster an environment where all employees work in
partnership to improve the Borough and feel a
sense of pride in their work.
•
ensure residents can access services in a way that
meets their needs and is convenient.
•
Action 41
Promote an entrepreneurial culture across the Council,
exploring new ways of generating income, including
maximising the return on the Council’s land and
property assets.
Action 42
Achieve back office savings and efficiencies so as to
maximise the availability of resources into the front
line, through introducing more efficient support
services, consolidating our staff in a smaller number of
buildings and transforming the way we work.
deliver strategies that foster a sense of community
spirit and cultural identity for the Borough.
What we’ve achieved:
 Initiated a new Customer Access Strategy to
ensure that the Council is responsive to resident’s
enquiries and that it is simple and easy to transact
with the Council.
We will: deliver and expand our transformation
programme to radically review and improve the
way we provide services
 Co-located South Woodford Library and Gym
ensuring the long-term viability of both services to
the community.
Action 43
Deliver the three strands of our Transformation
Programme – Customer Access, Rethinking Support
Services and Smarter Ways Of Working.
 Played a leading role in the Local London subregional partnership, and Health and Social Care
devolution programmes to share knowledge and
explore ways of maximising value from resources.
Action 44
Expand our transformation activity to include new
areas of service improvement – including prevention
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and early intervention, independent living and
maximising income.
We will: ensure that the Council’s workforce is
supported and equipped to deliver on our new agenda
Continue to work and build upon initiatives such as the
Accountable Care Organisation devolution pilot, Health
and Social Services (HASS), Better Care Fund,
Transforming Care Programme and sub-regional
Sustainability and Transformation Plan.
Action 48
Engage in a dialogue with the Council’s workforce to
review and embed the organisational vision and values.
Action 49
Review the Council’s workforce plan, ensuring that the
Council continues to support its workforce to be
equipped with the skills, attitudes and knowledge
necessary to deliver our new agenda. Ensure that all
staff have a clear performance appraisal at least once a
year.
We will: make it easier, quicker and more
convenient to communicate with the Council
Action 45
Shift more services online, making transactions quick,
easy and customer friendly.
Action 46
Integrate our front line services into a single face to
face service hub, improving the customer experience
and helping to resolve all issues through a single point
of contact.
We will: strive to deliver continuous improvement in
all that we do
Action 50
Publish the findings of the recent Peer Challenge
Review of the Council and deliver an improvement
plan to address the issues raised. Invite the Peer
Challenge team back in 2017 to assess our progress.
Action 47
Set clear standards for customer service, including
100% of complaints and Freedom of Information
requests responded to within the deadline of 20
working days.
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