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Cabinet - Monday, 15th June, 2026 7.00 pm
June 15, 2026 at 7:00 pm Cabinet View on council website Watch video of meeting Read transcript (Professional subscription required)Summary
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The Cabinet of Hammersmith and Fulham Council met on Monday 15 June 2026, approving the publication of the Settled and Belong Strategy 2026-30. This strategy outlines the council's commitment to supporting children and young people in their care.
Settled and Belong Strategy 2026-30
The Cabinet approved the publication of the Settled and Belong Strategy for 2026-30. This strategy is built around the principle that Every child should feel safe, settled, and that they belong
within Hammersmith and Fulham. The strategy prioritises keeping families together through timely support, ensuring children who enter care have stable and loving homes close to their communities, and supporting young people into adulthood with secure housing and pathways to education, training, or employment.
The report highlighted existing strengths, such as outstanding children's services and effective family support, but also acknowledged challenges including an ageing foster carer workforce, national placement issues, and increasingly complex needs among children. The strategy has been shaped by the experiences and priorities of young people with care experience. The three core themes of the strategy are: keeping families together, providing loving and stable homes, and supporting young people to thrive into adulthood.
Councillor Alex Sanderson, Deputy Leader (responsible for Health and Social Care and Children and Education), introduced the strategy, emphasising its focus on the well-being of children in care. The strategy aims to fulfil the council's statutory duty under the Children Act 1989 to provide accommodation and support for looked-after children. It builds upon the previous Placements Sufficiency Strategy and aligns with the council's Early Intervention and Youth Crime Prevention Strategies. The report detailed the council's context, including demographic information and the current state of children's services, noting that while the number of children in care has decreased, the rate per 10,000 population remains above the Inner London average. The strategy also addresses national reforms in children's social care and health, as well as regional challenges specific to London.
The strategy's development involved extensive consultation with care-experienced young people, whose feedback directly influenced its priorities and actions. The report detailed key achievements since the previous strategy, including Ofsted's 'Outstanding' rating for Children's Social Care, the launch of Family Hubs, and the recognition of 'care experience' as a protected characteristic. The strategy commits to a range of actions under its three priorities, including developing preventative systems, enhancing support for foster and kinship carers, and improving pathways for young people leaving care. The publication of this strategy was agreed by the Cabinet.
Delegated decisions linked to this meeting
Decision summaries below are AI-generated from the council’s published record. Check the council source or the full decision page before relying on them.
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Settled and Belong Strategy 2026-30
Recommendations ApprovedThe Cabinet approved the publication of the Settled and Belong Strategy 2026-30 on 15/06/2026. This strategy outlines how the council will meet its duty to provide accommodation and support for looked-after children and young people. The strategy aims to keep families together, ensure children in care receive appropriate support, and help young people thrive into adulthood.
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Settled and Belong Strategy 2026-30
Recommendations ApprovedThe Cabinet approved the publication of the Settled and Belong Strategy 2026-30 on 15/06/2026. The strategy outlines how the council will provide accommodation and support for looked after children. It focuses on keeping families together, ensuring children receive the right care, and supporting them to flourish.
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Settled and Belong Strategy 2026-30
Recommendations ApprovedThe Cabinet of Hammersmith and Fulham Council approved the publication of the Settled and Belong Strategy 2026-30 on 15/06/2026. This strategy outlines the council's approach to providing care and support for young people in their care. The strategy was informed by feedback from care-experienced young people and aims to ensure their long-term stability and well-being.
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Settled and Belong Strategy 2026-30
Recommendations ApprovedThe Cabinet approved the publication of the Settled and Belong Strategy 2026-30 on 15/06/2026. This strategy outlines how the council will provide care and support for children and young people.
The Cabinet Member for the Economy delegated authority to the Executive Director of Place, in consultation with other directors, to modify Contract A to enable direct payments to sub-contractors on 03/06/2026. This is to ensure the continued construction of the Civic Campus Project and mitigate risks associated with Ardmore Construction Group Limited's financial difficulties.
The Executive Director of Place was approved to modify the contract for Environmental Enforcement to increase the contract value ceiling on 08/04/2026. This is due to more significant enforcement action than forecast during the pilot phase.
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