The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Redbridge Council met on Monday 9 March 2026 to review the council's Debt Management Strategy and Customer Experience Strategy. The committee discussed proposals for improving debt recovery processes and enhancing resident services through a new customer experience strategy, which includes significant investment in technology and cultural change.

Debt Management Strategy

The committee reviewed the council's Corporate Debt Management Strategy for 2026/27, which has been in place since 2023 and was updated to add clarity. The strategy aims to recover all outstanding debts through fair processing, minimise debt, maximise income, and enforce non-payment while providing tailored support to those in need. Jonathan Waldridge, Director for Revenues and Exchequer, presented the strategy, highlighting that the council's Tackling Poverty team had supported over 1,600 households in the past year, securing £1.4 million for essential items.

Councillor Judith Garfield raised concerns about the enforcement process, specifically asking at what point bailiff action is considered and what internal sign-off is required. She also questioned how the council ensures enforcement agents comply with standards and enquired about the £10,000 chief officer write-off threshold, its review in light of inflation, and whether write-offs over £50,000 are tracked and reported to full council or scrutiny. Mr. Waldridge explained that enforcement is a last resort after informal and formal notices, and that firms employed are members of the Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB). He noted that write-offs over £50,000 would be included in budgetary control reports subject to overview scrutiny.

Councillor Daniel Morgan-Thomas expressed concern about the accessibility of online support for vulnerable residents, particularly older individuals who are not online. He questioned whether alternative forms of support were being considered, especially given the reported difficulties some residents face in contacting the council by phone. The Director for Revenues and Exchequer assured that services are not provided in isolation and that support networks can pick up issues for vulnerable individuals. He also clarified that the strategy aims to maintain council income while protecting vulnerable individuals, and that the council needs to be able to distinguish between those who can't pay and those who won't pay.

Councillor Paul Canal challenged the report's assertion that there are no direct financial implications, arguing that debt recovery, write-offs, and enforcement costs all have financial impacts. He also noted the lack of measurable targets, making it difficult to assess achievements and future direction. The Director for Revenues and Exchequer responded that performance is reported in separate corporate performance reports and budgetary control reports, and that the strategy itself is high-level.

Councillor Mushtaq Ahmed raised concerns about the perceived aggression of enforcement agents, particularly when residents report missing a single payment and immediately receive an enforcement letter. He asked if there was an internal communication mechanism to help residents struggling with payments. The Director for Revenues and Exchequer outlined a typical timeline involving multiple communications before bailiff action, emphasizing that support measures are available at any point. He acknowledged potential language and digital barriers but stressed the council's need for robust processes to collect income.

The committee agreed to a recommendation from Councillor Garfield and Councillor Kumud Joshi to review the threshold for officer write-offs.

Customer Experience Strategy

The committee also discussed the Customer Experience Strategy, presented by Councillor Helen Coomb, Cabinet Member for Resources and Transformation. This three-year strategy is a cornerstone of the Modernising Redbridge agenda, aiming to improve how the council operates and delivers services by investing in technology and workforce redesign. The strategy seeks to create a single front door for residents, a unified view of the customer, and more joined-up, efficient services. It is forecast to deliver £6.53 million in cash-releasing savings over three years, alongside non-financial benefits such as improved resident satisfaction and reduced complaints.

Councillor Garfield praised the report and the focus on customer experience, highlighting the integration of technology. She enquired about integrating Magic Notes, an AI tool for adult social care, into the new strategy and asked about the resourcing and formalisation of agreements with the voluntary and community sector (VCS). The Director of Customer Experience, Emeran Saigol, explained that the council provides significant funding to the VCS and is reviewing how services are commissioned and their success measured. He stated that the VCS will be integrated with council strategies, and formalised arrangements will be monitored more effectively. Regarding Magic Notes, he confirmed it is an AI tool that converts text to notes and has been successful in social care, but other similar tools are also being considered.

Councillor Alex Charlton-Holmes questioned the use of AI, asking for concrete examples of where it will help save money. Mr. Saigol cited Birmingham City Council's use of AI in voice recognition technology to streamline processes and improve the customer journey. He also discussed the complexity of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, noting that Redbridge has over 300 different systems and the focus is on bringing data together around an individual. Councillor Kumud Joshi raised the idea of an ethics board for AI to ensure data is held correctly and accessed by the right people. Mr. Saigol confirmed an AI board is being set up within the council.

Councillor Daniel Morgan-Thomas expressed concern about the significant investment (£16 million) and the projected savings (£6.5 million), particularly given past failures in delivering modernization savings. He called for more certainty and external expert advice. Councillor Coomb assured that the modernization program is essential for financial sustainability and that external scrutiny is in place through the Redbridge Recovery Board, which includes external experts and representatives from the Local Government Association. She confirmed that metrics and a delivery plan with key performance indicators (KPIs) will be established.

Councillor Mushtaq Ahmed asked about in-house development versus external involvement. Mr. Saigol clarified that no final decision has been made on specific tools, and any procurement would follow a fair process. He also confirmed that the work on AI and improving online inquiries is a continuation of successful development, noting Redbridge's recent ranking among the top eight councils for web success.

Councillor Judith Garfield raised concerns about the feedback received from the online reporting system, particularly for issues like untidy gardens, where the feedback is often unhelpful. She also mentioned the issue of receiving photos back of fly-tipping, which can be misinterpreted as no action being taken. Mr. Saigol acknowledged these issues and stated that a new Head of Digital has joined the council, and improving customer-facing applications, including the Love Clean Streets app, is a priority.

Councillor Paul Canal raised concerns about the potential for officers to click the wrong button when responding to reports, leading to incorrect feedback, and the lack of specific buttons for certain types of reports, such as fly-tipping on private land. He urged for improvements to be made sooner rather than later.

Councillor Daniel Morgan-Thomas highlighted the importance of staff involvement in the customer experience transformation, noting that the strategy involves significant change for staff. He suggested seeing more detail on how this will impact staff across all directorates. Mr. Saigol introduced Anita Pillai, the new Head of Customer Experience, and explained the Learning Council initiative, which uses resident feedback to drive improvements and aims to empower frontline staff. He also mentioned partnering with the Mary Gober Institute to pilot organizational change.

Councillor Coomb confirmed that staffing implications, including potential redundancies and consultation, are addressed in section 13 of the report.

The committee also noted updates from the Chairs of Policy Development Committees, with Councillor Mushtaq Ahmed providing an update on recommendations from the Safe Redbridge Policy Development Committee concerning improving communication about BSPOs (Borough-wide Safety Partnerships) and training for new councillors. There was some discussion regarding the process of reporting these recommendations to Cabinet and ensuring public accessibility.

The committee noted the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Plan for 2025-26 and the date of the next meeting, scheduled for 20 April 2026.