This meeting was scheduled to include discussion of a range of topics, including the Council’s finances, a new set of performance indicators, and plans to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation's arrival in the UK.

Also on the agenda was a report on the gender and ethnicity pay gap in the Council.

Hackney Council Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap 2024

The Committee was scheduled to note the contents of a report on the difference between the average hourly wage of men and women who work for the Council. The report showed that the difference in hourly pay between men and women who work for Hackney Council in 2024 remained in favour of women:

The Gender Pay Gap is calculated as the difference between women’s pay and men's pay as a percentage of men’s pay.

On the snapshot date of 31 March 2024, the gender pay gap in Hackney Council remains in favour of women.

Mean gender pay gap -4.70%

Median gender pay gap -3.02%

The report also provided data about the ethnicity pay gap. This showed that there is a pay gap in favour of White employees:

The Ethnicity Pay Gap is calculated as the difference between Black and Global Majority employees’ pay and white employees' pay as a percentage of white employees’ pay.

On the snapshot date of 31 March 2024, the Ethnicity pay gap in Hackney Council was:

Mean Ethnicity pay gap 12.66%

Median Ethnicity pay gap 10.84%

Hackney Council Financial Outturn 2023-24

The Committee was scheduled to note the contents of a report on the financial performance of the Council in the 2023-24 financial year. The report reviewed the Council’s overall performance against the budget set at the start of the financial year.

It highlighted the continuing impact of inflation on the Council’s budgets. The report also noted that the Council had received £10.7m less in funding from central government than had been expected, with £3.2m of this caused by an in-year reduction in the Council’s social care grant.

The report also highlighted the continuing impact of the cyberattack on Hackney Council in October 2020:

It should be noted that the cyber-attack continues to impact the timeliness of the closedown process. The production of the 2023/24 Statement of Accounts will also be delayed due to the cyber-attack.

Hackney Council Performance Framework 2024-27

The report proposed a new set of corporate performance indicators¹ that the Council would use to measure its performance against its strategic objectives. The report pack said:

This report seeks approval for a revised Council Performance Framework, to be used for reporting performance from quarter 1, 2024/25 onwards (reporting in July 2025). It reflects the commitments made within the Council Plan 2022 - 2026.

The report said that the new framework would:

…support more effective performance reporting to residents, partners, and stakeholders.

The proposed framework would include 25 headline indicators, reporting on progress on each of the Council’s five corporate priorities:

• Building a fairer Hackney;
• Creating a greener Hackney;
• Delivering an inclusive Hackney;
• Building a better Hackney; and
• Providing value.

Windrush 75 Commemoration Events

The Committee was also scheduled to note the contents of a report that proposed a series of events to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the arrival in the UK of the Empire Windrush. The report proposed that the Council provide a grant of up to £50,000 for events to mark the anniversary:

This report seeks approval for a programme of events to mark the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation’s arrival in the UK. It recommends that a grant of up to £50,000 is made available from the Windrush Generation Legacy Fund.

The report also included details of a programme of activities developed by the Hackney Windrush Steering Group, that would help shape the borough’s plans to commemorate the anniversary:

…a programme of activity has been developed by the Hackney Windrush Steering Group, providing a framework to guide the borough's plans to mark the 75th Anniversary in 2025.