The Cabinet of Waltham Forest Council met on Tuesday 14 July 2026. The meeting included noting the Revenue position and Capital Outturn for specific financial years, and approving a funding package for a domestic abuse support initiative.

Safe and Together London Partnership 2026-28

The Cabinet approved the proposal for the Safe and Together London Partnership for the period 2026-2028, which aims to improve outcomes for children affected by domestic abuse. 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 Council will act as the lead grant recipient and accountable body for this partnership, which will involve commissioning Respect and London Metropolitan University's Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU) as delivery partners. The partnership will mobilise across new sites, with boroughs yet to be confirmed.

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 in this area, improving outcomes for children affected by domestic abuse, and strengthening partnership working across London. The alternative of not approving the proposal was deemed too risky, potentially leading to the loss of significant funding, disruption to the programme, and reputational damage. The grant conditions specifically required the commissioning of Respect and CWASU, meaning no alternative delivery models were viable.

Authority was delegated to the Strategic Director of Children's Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Lead Members for Children and Young People and Community Safety, to formally accept the grant from MOPAC and allocate the funding to the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) team for the continued rollout of the Safe and Together model across Waltham Forest Children's Services.

Revenue Outturn for 2026/27

The Cabinet noted the Revenue position and the use of £2.710 million from the Budget Strategy Reserve (BSR) to achieve a net nil position for revenue expenditure. The Cabinet also noted the Capital Outturn for 2025/26, which was £143.242 million against a budget of £171.958 million, resulting in 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 within the capital outturn movements. Furthermore, the outturn position for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) showed a transfer to reserves of £6.732 million to achieve a balanced position, an increase of £5.612 million compared to the budgeted transfer of £1.120 million. Finally, the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) reported a net deficit carried forward at 31st March 2026 of £14.320 million. Much of this report was for information, with proposals for carry-forwards recommended for approval where sufficient justification was provided.