The Human Resources Committee met to discuss a corporate director's update, senior recruitment, employee relations, and savings from early retirement and voluntary redundancy. The committee approved the extension of interim arrangements for the Director of Governance to 31 December 2025. A report on the people survey was also noted, with a decision to move into a closed session for further discussion.

Corporate Director's Update

David Joyce, Corporate Director of Housing and Regeneration, provided an overview of his directorate, highlighting both recent achievements and current challenges.

Key points from the update included:

• Population Growth and Housing Demand: Tower Hamlets has experienced significant population growth, with projections estimating nearly 400,000 residents by the next census. This growth puts pressure on house prices and rents, with a reported 8.5% increase in private rents in the past year. There are over 29,000 households on the housing register, with 44% experiencing overcrowding.
• Council as Landlord: Tower Hamlets Homes was brought back under direct council control in November 2023, with approximately 22,000 homes now managed by the council. The council faces challenges related to the variety of housing stock, including listed buildings and high-rise buildings, and the need for substantial investment in some properties.
• Achievements: The directorate has made strides in insourcing Tower Hamlets Homes, securing funding for new social housing, and investing in sustainability projects.
• Challenges: A significant challenge is the lack of sufficient homes to meet demand, leading to increased costs and viability issues for developers. New regulatory requirements, such as Awaab's Law, the Decent Homes Standard[^1] and the Renters (Reform) Bill[^2], also pose challenges. [^1]: The Decent Homes Standard is a technical standard for social housing introduced in 2000. It sets a minimum standard for the physical condition of social housing, including requirements for repair, facilities and thermal comfort. [^2]: The Renters (Reform) Bill is a proposed law that would abolish section 21 'no fault' evictions, introduce a new ombudsman for private landlords, and require landlords to keep properties in a decent state of repair.
• Directorate Structure and Priorities: The directorate has a staff of over 1,000 and is focused on priorities such as ensuring council homes meet regulatory standards, delivering new homes, and regenerating the Whitechapel area.

Councillor Abdi Mohamed raised concerns about Awaab's Law and the council's preparedness, to which David Joyce responded that staff training was underway to ensure the council is ready for the law's implementation on 27 October. He also noted the importance of a culture change to ensure tenant complaints are taken seriously.

Councillor Amina Ali asked about repairs, particularly regarding the contractors used by Tower Hamlets Homes. David Joyce acknowledged that the bulk of complaints received by the council are about repairs, and that the council is working to strengthen contract management and increase expectations for contractors.

Councillor Abdal Ullah raised concerns about the viability of the Accelerated Housing Programme and the performance of registered providers¹. David Joyce responded that the council is constantly looking at how to finance the programme and test its viability, and that the council receives regular reports on the performance of registered providers through the Tower Hamlets Housing Forum.

Update on Senior Recruitment

Pauline Shakespeare, Interim Head of Corporate HR, provided an update on senior management vacancies and interim arrangements. Since the last committee meeting, permanent appointments have been made for the Director of Housing Property & Asset Management (Stephen Platt), the Director of Homelessness & Housing Options (Jennifer Winter), and the Strategic Director of Change and Improvement (Jonathan Lloyd).

Several posts are currently in the recruitment process, including the Director of Public Protection and Integrated Enforcement, the Director of Regeneration and Development, the Director of Corporate Property and Estates, the Director of IT, and the Director of HR & OD.

The committee approved the extension of the engagement of Mark Norman, Interim Director of Governance, to 31 December 2025.

Councillor Abdi Mohamed requested more information on the cost and duration of interim arrangements in future reports, a request that Pauline Shakespeare agreed to.

Employee Relations Casework and Policy Quarterly Review

Pauline Shakespeare presented the employee relations dashboard for Q1 2025, which covered the period from 1 April to 30 June. The report indicated that 100 cases were opened and closed during the quarter, with 61 cases remaining open at the end of June. Grievances accounted for 41 of the closed cases, while disciplinary cases accounted for 26. The Communities Directorate had the highest number of cases (46), followed by Children's Services (22).

The report also highlighted forthcoming employment legislation, including changes to unfair dismissal rights, time limits for lodging employment tribunal claims, trade union reforms, and protections for pregnant women and new mothers.

Update on Savings from ER/VR

Chris Leslie, Corporate Head of Financial Management, provided an update on the council's Early Retirement/Voluntary Redundancy (ER/VR) scheme. The scheme, which was initially introduced in the financial year 2022/23, has generated ongoing savings of £3.7 million per year, with one-off costs of £3.8 million.

Councillor Abdi Mohamed noted that the council is on track to meet its original savings target, with additional savings achieved through vacant posts.

People Survey

The committee noted that a report on the people survey was being papered, and agreed to move into a closed session to discuss the details of the report.