The Cabinet meeting on 19 January 2026 focused on the council's financial future, including budget proposals and grant allocations, alongside significant policy updates for housing and public health services. Key decisions included the approval of budget savings totalling £7.253 million for 2026/27, the extension of the Corporate Voluntary Sector Grants Programme, and amendments to the Housing Allocations Policy.

Detailed Budget Proposals for 2026/27

The Cabinet reviewed detailed budget proposals for the upcoming financial year, identifying new savings totalling £7.253 million for 2026/27, with a further £42.674 million projected across the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) period. These savings are intended to deliver efficiencies and increase income to protect essential services for residents and businesses. The proposals also included the reversal of some previously agreed savings, amounting to £9.467 million for 2026/27 and £18.177 million across the MTFS period. These adjustments reflect the council's ongoing adaptation to changing demands and its commitment to a modernisation programme aimed at reinventing service delivery and ensuring financial sustainability. The council noted government announcements regarding the Local Government Policy Statement, the Fair Funding Review 2.0, the Autumn Budget, and the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, which indicated an overall increase in Core Spending Power but highlighted continued financial pressures due to demand-led services and inflation.

Corporate Voluntary Sector Grants Programme Extension

Cabinet agreed to extend the Corporate Voluntary Sector Grants Programme by 12 months, ensuring continuity of services provided by commissioned organisations and community groups. This extension will allow for the design and launch of a new grants programme aligned with the council's new Corporate Plan and Vision for Redbridge, due in mid-2026. The programme, which includes the Community Seed Funding and Commissioned Via Grants strands, has demonstrated significant community impact and addresses priorities such as early intervention, prevention, and support for vulnerable residents. The extension aims to prevent disruption to essential services, mitigate risks of increased inequality, and maintain community resilience.

London Councils Grants Scheme - Budget Proposals 2026/27

The Cabinet agreed to a Redbridge Council subscription of £0.238 million for the London Councils Grants Scheme for 2026/27, representing an increase of £0.003 million on the 2025/26 figure. This contribution is part of a London-wide initiative to fund voluntary sector organisations. The decision is necessary to secure the scheme's implementation, as a two-thirds majority of London Boroughs must approve the budget. The scheme aims to combat homelessness and tackle sexual and domestic violence across London, contributing to better outcomes for children and young people affected by these issues in Redbridge.

Redbridge Corporate Performance Report Quarter 2 2025/26

The Cabinet received the Quarter 2 Corporate Performance Report for 2025/26, which detailed progress towards the council's key priorities as outlined in the Redbridge Plan 2022-2026. The report indicated that 64% of performance measures met their targets during the period of July to September 2025. Key achievements highlighted included a reduction in rough sleepers from 37 to 21, the delivery of 102 new council properties, and 97% of reported fly-tips being cleared within one business day. However, several areas were flagged as Red due to performance being more than 10% below target, including the number of households in temporary accommodation, the percentage of children looked after with three or more placements in the previous 12 months, and the timeliness of Freedom of Information requests. Targeted performance review clinics are underway to address these areas.

Allocations Policy Amendments

Significant amendments to the Housing Allocations Policy were approved to reflect recent case law, enhance opportunities for homelessness prevention, reduce the use of temporary accommodation, and improve transparency. Key changes include allowing households fleeing domestic abuse and care-experienced young people from other local authorities to qualify for the housing register, enabling homeless households to retain a 'reasonable preference' if they secure private rented accommodation, and renaming the banding system from 1-4 to A-D to reduce confusion. The income threshold for multi-person households to qualify for the housing register will be increased to £79,000 per year, and a local lettings plan for gypsy and traveller sites will be implemented. These changes are expected to create greater equity between tenure groups and improve the fairness and efficiency of the allocations process, with an anticipated cost saving of £1.5 million by 2027/28 related to reduced temporary accommodation use.

Adults Emergency Duty Team Section 75 Agreement

Cabinet approved entering into a new five-year Section 75 Agreement for the Adults Emergency Duty Team (EDT) with North-East London Foundation NHS Trust (NELFT). This agreement, commencing on 1 April 2025 and ending on 31 March 2030, involves four partner boroughs: Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest, with Havering acting as the lead borough. Redbridge's contribution to the agreement over the five-year period is capped at £1,115,079.75. The EDT provides an essential emergency social care service outside of normal office hours, covering mental health assessments and support for vulnerable adults.

Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2026/27

The existing Council Tax Reduction Scheme from 2025/26 will be retained for 2026/27. Cabinet also agreed to apply a 3.8% increase to current non-dependant deductions, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from September 2025. Furthermore, a £1 million Discretionary Hardship Fund will continue to be available to provide additional support for individuals experiencing severe financial hardship, in line with Section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

Agreement of the SEND and Alternative Provision Priority Action Plan

Cabinet agreed the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Priority Action Plan, which was developed in response to findings from an Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. The plan, created through extensive consultation with over 300 parents, staff, and partners, addresses identified areas for priority action and aims to improve the SEND services provided by the local area partnership. Cabinet also noted the progress made against the delivery of this plan as of October 2025.

Property & Assets Staff Reorganisation

A proposed restructure of the Property & Assets Service within the Place, Communities and Enterprise directorate was approved. This initiative aims to ensure the team possesses the necessary competencies and capacity to deliver its Service Plan and contribute to the Corporate Plan. The restructure involves renaming the team to Property and Major Programmes to distinguish it from housing-focused assets, creating new roles, deleting vacant or redundant posts, and assimilating existing staff. The changes are expected to have a net zero financial impact and will affect teams involved in Facilities Management, Capital, Commercial, and Health and Safety.

Re-procurement of Specialist Integrated Sexual Health Services (ISHS)

Cabinet approved the commissioning intentions for Specialist Sexual Health (SRH) services, opting for a direct award of contracts to Barts Health NHS Trust and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Trust (BHRUT). This decision follows a successful transformation of SRH services since 2017, which has led to improved outcomes and financial savings. For Barts Health NHS Trust, a five-year contract with options for three additional one-year extensions is intended, with an estimated maximum value of £3,964,198. For BHRUT, a five-year contract with two optional one-year extensions is planned, with an estimated maximum value of £7,311,438.54. This direct award approach is deemed appropriate due to satisfactory performance of incumbent providers, no significant changes in contract value or scope, and the non-competitive nature of the specialist SRH market. Newham Council will lead the process for Barts Health, while Barking and Dagenham will lead for BHRUT.