The Strategy and Resources Policy Development Committee met on Tuesday 10 February 2026 to review the council's work plan and receive updates on ongoing programmes. The committee noted the minutes from the previous meeting and discussed the progress of the customer experience programme.

Strategy and Resources Work Plan

The committee reviewed and agreed changes to the Strategy and Resources Work Plan for the remainder of the municipal year. The work plan outlines the topics to be discussed in future meetings, with a focus on themes to be selected for the upcoming period. The committee noted that their line of inquiry for the year was concluded and that a summary report of recommendations would be drafted and circulated. The next meeting was scheduled to review this draft report before its submission to Strategy and Resources.

Update from Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The committee received a verbal update from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. It was noted that the previous Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 10 November had focused on the council's financial position, with further clarity anticipated following the budget presentation in February. The next Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting was scheduled for 24 February 2026.

Updates on Progress on Customer Experience Programme

An update was provided on the progress of the Customer Experience Programme. This included a discussion on the Redbridge Improved Website Launch, which occurred in September 2025 after 18 months of development. The new website features a refreshed content approach and AI-powered search. A three-month performance review indicated an increase in site usage, with 1.4 million visits compared to 1.2 million year-on-year. Customer satisfaction ratings, using GovMatrix, rose from 27% to 34% compared to the previous year. Notable improvements were seen in online self-service, with a 54% reduction in calls related to housing. The Love Clean Streets app has facilitated over 11,000 resident reports since 2023. Plans are in place to further automate high-demand areas such as council tax, schools, and housing, and to continuously improve web content.

The committee discussed how Redbridge's customer satisfaction benchmarks compare to other boroughs and commercial best practices. Targets have been set for customer satisfaction to reach over 60% and for a minimum 50% reduction in phone calls to the contact centre in five key areas. A correlation between app reports by ward and casework/complaint data is being analysed, with further dashboard development planned. It was clarified that reduced calls were largely due to fewer transactional inquiries, allowing resources to be redirected to more complex cases.

Action points agreed upon included analysing the correlation between app-based reports and casework/complaints, continuing dashboard development to integrate satisfaction, complaints, call data, and web analytics, resolving technical issues with the Love Clean Streets app, setting specific targets for customer satisfaction and call reductions, and ensuring continued collaboration between departments to manage service pressure points.

Date of Next Meeting

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 17 March 2026.