The Cabinet of Waltham Forest Council met on Tuesday 14 July 2026, approving the continuation of the Safe and Together London Partnership and the acceptance of significant grant funding to support its expansion. The meeting also reviewed the council's financial outturn for the 2026/27 revenue and capital budgets, noting various variances and movements in reserves.

Safe and Together London Partnership 2026-28

The Cabinet approved the proposal for the Safe and Together London Partnership for the period 2026-2028, allowing the project to commence immediately. This decision included the acceptance of £1,033,000 in external grant funding from the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and Foundations. Waltham Forest will act as the lead grant recipient and accountable body for this partnership, which aims to improve outcomes for children affected by domestic abuse. The council also approved the commissioning of Respect and the Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU) as delivery partners. Authority was delegated to the Strategic Director of Children's Services, in consultation with relevant portfolio members, to accept the grant and allocate the funding.

The decision to approve the proposal was based on several benefits, including securing over £1 million in external funding, maintaining Waltham Forest's leadership role, improving outcomes for children affected by domestic abuse, and strengthening partnership working across London. The alternative of not approving the proposal carried significant risks, such as the potential loss of funding, disruption to the programme, reputational damage, and a reduced capacity to improve domestic abuse practice locally and regionally. The report highlighted that no alternative delivery models were viable due to the grant conditions requiring the commissioning of Respect and CWASU.

The Safe and Together model is described as a child-centred approach to supporting families impacted by domestic abuse, focusing on keeping children safe with the non-offending parent while holding perpetrators accountable. The expansion to fourteen boroughs aims to increase system-wide impact across London, support consistency in domestic abuse practice, and generate robust evidence through a Randomised Control Trial (RCT). The programme is externally funded, with Waltham Forest entitled to claim £115,000 over two years for project management costs. The remaining funding will be distributed to delivery partners, Respect and CWASU.

Revenue Outturn for 2026/27

The Cabinet noted the council's revenue and capital outturn positions for the 2026/27 financial year. For revenue expenditure, a drawdown of £2.710 million from the Budget Strategy Reserve (BSR) was used to achieve a net nil position. The report indicated significant pressures in Adult Social Care and Transitions, contributing to an overspend, as well as an overspend in Temporary Accommodation.

Regarding capital outturn for 2025/26, there was a slippage of £28.716 million, representing 17% of the overall budget. The Cabinet approved net additions and deletions of £6.127 million, and net accelerations and slippage of £34.844 million, as detailed in Appendix 4 of the Capital Outturn Movements report.

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) showed a surplus of £6.732 million, which is being transferred to reserves to achieve a balanced position. This represents an additional transfer of £5.612 million compared to the budgeted position.

Finally, the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) reported a net deficit carried forward at 31st March 2026 of £14.320 million. The report indicated that much of the information presented was for noting, with carry-forward proposals considered and recommended for approval where sufficient justification was provided.