The Hackney Council Scrutiny Panel met to discuss key issues facing the borough, including the delivery of manifesto commitments, the corporate transformation programme, and the scrutiny improvement review. Councillor Margaret Gordon, Chair of the Scrutiny Panel, led the meeting, which included a Cabinet Question Time with Mayor Caroline Woodley. The panel approved the Scrutiny Panel Response and Action Plan for the London Borough of Hackney Scrutiny Improvement Review.

Here's a breakdown of the key discussion points:

• Cabinet Question Time with Mayor Caroline Woodley
  • Mayor Caroline Woodley provided updates on the council's progress on key manifesto commitments, achievements, and priorities for the next 18 months, including:
    • Securing over £20 million in Department for Education (DFE) capital funding for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with a target of creating 300 places and plans for a new special school.
    • The 10 by 10 programme, providing children up to the age of 10 with access to 10 opportunities and experiences across the borough.
    • The redevelopment of the historic King's Hall Leisure Centre, with work expected to start in 2025 and complete in 2028.
    • Pledging to become a borough of sanctuary for refugees and migrants.
    • Progress on improving the local environment, including the installation of over a thousand cycle hangers and the delivery of over 50 school streets to improve air quality.
    • Supporting community energy through the Hattie Community Energy Fund and Hattie Light and Power.
  • The Mayor outlined her key priorities as housing, tackling poverty and inequality, and retaining Hackney's position as climate leaders.
  • She also addressed questions from the public on adult social care services, carer support, services for people with dementia, and transparency and oversight of Hackney Council in its role as a freeholder, particularly regarding its responsibilities towards tenants and leaseholders at the Makers Building.
    • In response to concerns about satisfaction levels among older people, Mayor Woodley acknowledged lower satisfaction but highlighted the complexity of the issue, citing the impact of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. She also noted that 95% of those aged 65 to 84 and 100% of those over 85 agreed that they feel they belong in Hackney.
    • Regarding carer support services, she acknowledged the questioner's disappointment and emphasized the council's commitment to supporting carers, highlighting the new carer's strategy for 2024-27.
    • On transparency and oversight of Hackney Council in its role as a freeholder, Mayor Woodley stated that the council has established clear governance protocols for its wholly owned private limited companies, which are subject to independent annual audits. She also mentioned the role of the intelligent shareholder in holding each company accountable for their performance.
  • During the question and answer session, councillors raised concerns about inequality, scrutiny of the executive, housing repairs, and communicating the council's achievements to residents.
    • In response to a question about housing repairs, Mayor Woodley mentioned financial constraints and information gaps, but also highlighted the council's commitment to improvement and ongoing conversations with other councils facing similar challenges, such as Lambeth.
    • In response to a question about communicating the council's achievements, Mayor Woodley highlighted the council's various communication channels, including Love Hackney magazine, the council website, and social media.
  • Councillor Alastair Binnie-Lubbock raised concerns about the Corporate Peer Challenge being used to justify a reduction of opportunities for the public and members of the council to scrutinise the executive.
  • Councillor Sharon Patrick asked about the council's plans to ensure that residents using the wet side of the King's Hall Leisure Centre know where there is alternative provision and how to get to it during the refurbishment.
• Corporate Transformation Programme
  • Kieran Reid, Director for Corporate Strategy and Transformation, and Sam Humphrey, Transformation Programme Manager, presented an overview of the corporate transformation programme, which aims to secure Hackney's future by solving problems and meeting challenges differently and creating an enabled, effective, and efficient council.
  • The programme is structured around three themes: delivering for residents, securing Hackney's future, and modernizing together.
  • Key actions include continuation of partnership work to deliver a green, inclusive economy, accelerated work to define how the council will operate in the future, and reviewing elements of support offered to members.
  • The council has sought external consultancy support from Inner Circle to develop a target operating model and business cases.
  • The programme has a financial value of around £17 million in the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), with an additional target of £21 million.
  • During the discussion, councillors raised concerns about the cost of consultants, the risks associated with the programme, and the need for resident involvement.
    • In response to a question about the cost of consultants, Kieran Reid clarified that not all of the money allocated has been spent and that the council is seeking to maximize its internal resources wherever possible.
    • In response to a question about resident involvement, Kieran Reid stated that the council is drawing on various sources of insight, including the resident survey, survey data from people who have contacted the customer service channels, and a user research team in ICT and customer services.
  • Councillor Ben Hayhurst asked for clarity on whether money being used for the transformation programme was essentially then money being used for the general fund for day-to-day expenses.
  • Councillor Ali Sadek asked about staff sentiment towards the strategy so far, particularly where some of the focus of the strategy is around improving capability.
  • Councillor Alastair Binnie-Lubbock asked if the contractors that the council is looking to bring in have a track record of improving resident experience alongside the making of savings.
  • Councillor Sharon Patrick asked what opportunities there are for co-production in terms of the transformation with residents.
• London Borough of Hackney Scrutiny Improvement Review
  • The panel approved the Scrutiny Panel Response and Proposed Action Plan for the London Borough of Hackney Scrutiny Improvement Review.
  • The review, conducted by the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny, made nine recommendations to help strengthen and improve scrutiny in Hackney.
  • Councillor Alastair Binnie-Lubbock questioned whether the actions in recommendation four really reflect what came out of the peer review.
• The panel agreed the minutes of the previous meeting and noted the matters arising, including the budget scrutiny report for 2025-2026 and the Executive’s response.
• The panel noted the Scrutiny Work Programme 2024/2025 and scheduled an extraordinary meeting on Thursday 12th June to constitute the Budget Task Group, receive the Housing Ombudsman report, and receive the performance monitoring report for the new municipal year.