The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to review the annual progress of the council's five key missions and received an annual presentation from the Executive Member for Equalities, Communities and Inclusion. The committee reviewed progress against the Islington Together Delivery Plan 2024-2026, noting both achievements and areas requiring further focus.

Annual Review of the Five Missions

The committee reviewed the annual progress made towards Islington Council's five key missions: Child-friendly Islington, Community Wealth Building, Empowering People, A Safe Place to Call Home, and Greener, Healthier Islington. The council's performance against the Islington Together Delivery Plan 2024-2026 was assessed, highlighting successes, challenges, and priorities for the upcoming year. A new Corporate Plan for 2026 to 2030 is also under development.

Child-Friendly Islington

Progress towards creating a child-friendly Islington is generally good, with four out of six Delivery Plan metrics rated green. However, two metrics, collaborate with partners to improve the factors affecting school attendance and mature and embed the framework for Lifelong Corporate Parenting, are rated amber, indicating that further work is needed. Provisional data for the Autumn Term 2025/26 shows an improvement in secondary school attendance to 8%. Key achievements include the successful implementation of the school reorganisation plan and support for care-experienced young people through employment programmes. Priorities for the coming year include responding to national reforms in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and continuing efforts to improve school attendance.

Community Wealth Building

Progress in community wealth building is strong, with all six Delivery Plan actions rated green and all three performance metrics on track. The council has exceeded its target for supporting residents into paid work, with 5,944 residents supported since April 2022. Significant progress has also been made in securing additional benefits for residents, with £16.1 million secured since April 2024, surpassing the target of £12 million. The Delivery Plan target of 1,000 apprenticeship starts has also been met. Future priorities include rolling out employment support programmes and continuing the implementation of the Ending Poverty Programme.

Empowering People

While all four Delivery Plan actions for empowering people are rated green, four out of five performance metrics are rated red. These include the percentage of calls answered, the percentage of digital transactions, resident satisfaction with Access Islington, and the percentage of resident contacts resolved at the first point of contact. Despite these challenges, the council has seen successes in consolidating contact centres, improving complaint handling, and co-locating various support services in Access Islington hubs. Future priorities include enhancing resident experience, reducing service delays, and expanding AI pilot projects to improve efficiency.

A Safe Place to Call Home

Progress in ensuring a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home is excellent, with all six Delivery Plan actions rated green. The council has purchased 707 homes to address homelessness and has completed 261 projects through the Thriving Neighbourhoods programme. Temporary accommodation levels remain below target, and no families are living in bed and breakfast accommodation. The council is on track to complete 154 new council homes by the end of the 25/26 year. Future priorities include completing new housing projects, appointing a developer partner for new homes, and implementing recommendations from a housing inspection.

Greener, Healthier Islington

Greener: Progress in making Islington greener is good, with three Delivery Plan actions rated green, one amber, and one red. The red-rated metric is the delivery of Liveable Neighbourhoods, which is currently below the target of covering 50% of the borough by 2026. However, many schemes are in development. The council remains on target to plant over 700 trees annually and has seen a projected decrease in residual waste per household. Priorities include continuing efforts to improve recycling rates and investing in decarbonisation infrastructure.

Healthier: Progress in making Islington healthier is also good, with five Delivery Plan actions rated green and one amber. The amber-rated action is to lead a partnership approach for Islington to be recognised as a carer and age-friendly borough. The Stop Smoking Services continue to perform well, with 60% of users successfully quitting. The council is on target to install 250 bays for dockless e-bikes. Future priorities include opening new Extra Care units and developing further approaches to becoming an Age Friendly Borough.

Annual Presentation of the Executive Member for Equalities, Communities and Inclusion

This item was listed on the agenda but no details of the presentation or any discussion that followed were included in the provided documents.

Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The committee reviewed the Forward Plan of Key Decisions, which outlines upcoming decisions to be made by the Executive and officers. This plan includes a range of items such as procurement strategies for various services, budget proposals, and contract awards. Notable upcoming decisions include the Final Budget Proposals for 2026/27 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy, scheduled for 12 February 2026.

Scrutiny Review Tracker

The committee reviewed the Scrutiny Review Tracker, which provides an overview of ongoing and completed scrutiny reviews. This includes reviews on topics such as attendance and persistent secondary school absence, cleaner, greener, inclusive streets, and adult social care accommodation. The tracker details the committee responsible, approval dates, and the status of recommendations.

Work Plan and Action Sheet

The committee reviewed its Work Plan and Action Sheet for 2025-26. This document outlines the papers to be discussed at future meetings, including budget outturn reports, corporate performance updates, and annual presentations from Executive Members. The plan also details the selection of future scrutiny topics and the agreement of the work plan.