The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the Safer Lambeth Partnership's progress and the Temporary Accommodation Procurement Strategy. Key decisions included noting the Safer Lambeth Partnership's progress and the adoption of the Temporary Accommodation Procurement Strategy, alongside a commitment to continued funding for the Gaia Centre.

Safer Lambeth Partnership

The committee received an update on the Safer Lambeth Partnership's activities and progress. Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond of the Metropolitan Police highlighted successes in reducing crime, including a 28% reduction in gun crime over the past 12 months and the use of live facial recognition technology, which led to 57 arrests in six deployments. Councillor Dr Mahamed Hashi, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, emphasised the partnership's focus on prevention, intelligence-driven operations, and collaboration with various agencies to address the root causes of crime.

Several organisations presented their work:

• Safer Business Network, represented by Mohamed Khazi, detailed efforts to tackle retail and night-time economy crime, including securing criminal behaviour orders and delivering briefings to businesses.
• Women in Prison, represented by Pamela Price, outlined their support for women in contact with the criminal justice system, focusing on reducing re-offending and supporting emotional wellbeing.
• AIR Network, represented by Marlon Boateng, described their pre-release prison programmes and post-release support for offenders, including housing, mental health, and employment assistance.

Concerns were raised by Councillor David Oxley regarding the tangible impact of the partnership's work on residents' perception of safety and the effectiveness of reporting mechanisms, particularly for domestic abuse. Councillor Marianna Masters questioned the impact of reduced access to Brixton Police Station's front counter on safeguarding and response times, and the mitigations in place. Councillor Nicole Griffiths raised concerns about the lack of community notification for live facial recognition van deployments and the need for better communication regarding police operations. Councillor Verity McGivern highlighted ongoing issues with shoplifting and the need for continued funding for the Gaia Centre, as well as seeking clarity on homicide figures related to domestic violence.

In response, officers and police representatives detailed ongoing work to build trust, increase police visibility, and improve reporting mechanisms. They acknowledged the challenges in addressing underreporting of domestic abuse and hate crime, and outlined strategies to improve community confidence. The importance of community engagement and the role of platforms like Met Engage were also discussed.

The committee also discussed the impact of reduced police station front counter hours and the need for safe spaces for vulnerable individuals. Concerns were raised about the potential for discriminatory outcomes from live facial recognition technology and the need for transparency. The committee noted the ongoing efforts to address Islamophobia, racism, and other forms of hate crime, and the importance of public campaigns and relationship building with affected communities.

The committee made several recommendations, including ensuring vigorous vetting of police recruits, immediate removal of corrupt officers, encouraging reporting of misconduct, and ensuring local officers remain in their neighbourhood teams longer. They also called for better engagement and transparency with live facial recognition initiatives, confirmation of continued funding for the Gaia Centre, and a stronger integration of health and enforcement approaches for individuals in HMOs with mental health issues. A call was made to urge the Metropolitan Police to keep Brixton Police Station's front counter open 24/7.

Temporary Accommodation Procurement Strategy

The committee reviewed the Temporary Accommodation (TA) Procurement Strategy, which aims to address the significant financial pressures and improve outcomes for households experiencing homelessness. Councillor Danny Adilypour, Deputy Leader for Housing, Investment and New Homes, presented the strategy, highlighting Lambeth's high number of households in TA, the estimated £106 million cost this year, and the unsustainable reliance on expensive nightly-paid accommodation. The strategy proposes a managed reduction in TA numbers from 4,500 to 2,500 by March 2029, a shift towards longer-term leasing and council-owned provision, and improved standards and contract management.

Manuel de Barge, representing residents, raised concerns about the lack of data, modelling, and risk assessment behind the strategy's targets, and the potential for cost-cutting to lead to poorer quality accommodation. He also criticised the lack of resident involvement in the strategy's development.

Councillor David Oxley questioned the lack of annual milestones for reducing TA numbers and the strategy's ability to deliver the projected savings. Councillor Nicole Griffiths highlighted the rising homelessness figures and the need for secure, long-term housing, questioning the strategy's allowance for increasing homelessness and the rationale behind a wholly-owned housing company. Councillor Marianna Masters raised concerns about structural injustice within the TA market, particularly affecting Black and minority ethnic individuals and women, and questioned how procurement approaches ensure providers meet legal standards.

Richard Sorensen, Director of Housing Needs, responded to these concerns, explaining the financial mechanisms behind TA costs, the rationale for using a wholly-owned company to navigate housing benefit rules, and the efforts to build relationships with professional landlords and agents. He detailed the strategy's aim to reduce the time households spend in TA and improve the quality of accommodation, including moving away from nightly-paid options.

The committee discussed the challenges of increasing private rented sector (PRS) discharges and the need for an improved landlord offer. They also touched upon the complexities of the allocation scheme and the link between social housing overcrowding and homelessness presentations.

The committee made several recommendations, including ensuring rigorous performance management of TA, providing updates on meeting TA targets, sharing details of the landlord offer, and ensuring families placed outside the borough are carefully assessed for suitability, with a particular focus on children's outcomes and equality impacts. They also discussed the need to bring empty council-owned properties back into use and the importance of genuine equality impact assessments.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for the remainder of the 2025/26 municipal year. Provisional agenda items for the next meeting on 9 February 2026 included the Safer Lambeth Partnership and the Temporary Accommodation Procurement Strategy. The agenda for the 10 March 2026 meeting was noted as provisional, with potential items including environmental enforcement, maintenance policy, and the preferred development partner for Westbury Estate. Other potential future scrutiny topics were also discussed, including developer contributions, air quality, and the selective licensing scheme.

The committee also reviewed the action monitoring log, noting the status of previous recommendations and actions.