The Strategy and Resources Policy Development Committee met on Tuesday 17 March 2026 to discuss updates on the Social Value, Anti-Poverty Strategy, and Customer Experience programmes. Key decisions included noting the progress made in these areas and agreeing to continue monitoring their development.

Social Value Report

Elizabeth Hannam, Economic Development Manager, provided an update on the Social Value report. The council has created a business directory called It's Local Redbridge to support local SMEs, with approximately 2,500 businesses registered. A ready-to-supply programme, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, has been delivered to support construction and facilities management SMEs. The Social Value Portal has been rolled out across all council contracts above the UK threshold, with over £5 million in commitments made in the last year, and £400,000 delivered. Councillor Helen Coombe, Cabinet Member for Transformation, highlighted the strengthening of the council's contract and commissioning approach through a new panel and the annual procurement plan. Councillor Tanweer Khan raised questions about the budgetary impact of social value, and it was clarified that 10% of contract evaluation is attributed to social value, and that it should be in addition to quality and price. The council is collecting rich data on social value delivery, broken down by age, ethnicity, and gender, with specific target groups including unemployed individuals and care leavers.

Anti-Poverty Strategy Update

Dawn Cove, Director of Revenue Benefits and Transactional Centre, presented an update on the anti-poverty strategy. During 2025-26, the team managed and distributed £3.46 million from the Household Support Fund, providing direct support to low-income households. Partnerships with the voluntary sector have expanded, including a face-to-face debt advice offer run by Citizens Advice, which assisted 1,800 residents. The Redbridge Food Partnership has been sponsored to continue its work, and plans are underway for a food distribution warehouse. Hampers containing food, toiletries, and festive treats were distributed to vulnerable households over winter. The team also partnered to supply warm clothing and bedding. Support was provided to Children's Services for baby packs and to the Leaving Care team for volunteering experiences. The Benefits team has secured almost £1 million in unclaimed benefits. A major milestone was the establishment of the Tackling Poverty Advisory Board. A pilot for early intervention and prevention has identified 200 households on the verge of losing their homes. Looking ahead, the council has secured £4.6 million for the Crisis and Resilience Fund over three years. Councillor Venetia Solanke, Cabinet Member for Finance, praised the team's work, highlighting the real difference made to families and children, and the securing of £4.6 million for the Crisis and Resilience Fund. Questions were raised about the benefits of debt advice and the school workshops, with clarification provided on the range of debt advice offered and the Future Leaders programme in schools. The council is actively lobbying for additional funding from the Department for Work and Pensions for universal credit migration support.

Customer Experience Programme Update

Emran Saigol, Director of Digital Customer and Safety, and Maboub Khan, Head of Customer Delivery, provided an update on the Customer Experience Programme. The strategy, developed with input from the Policy Development Committee, aims to create a single front door for residents, modernise digital channels, expand community engagement hubs, and introduce data-driven early intervention. The programme is forecast to deliver significant financial savings and improve service quality. Since August 2025, the council website has been revamped, and content updated. Significant work has been done on housing and council tax services, leading to a 38% reduction in demand for housing telephone calls and an 8% increase in customer satisfaction. Maboub Khan presented findings from a survey of members on their casework experience, highlighting areas for improvement in response quality, communication, and training. The Customer Experience Programme focuses on consistency by bringing customer service teams together, early intervention and prevention through data analysis and community outreach, and reducing failure demand by improving customer journeys. A pilot for early intervention and prevention has shown positive early signs, with a case study of a lady and her mother receiving comprehensive support. The programme is expected to expand across the organisation once the concept is proven. Councillor Helen Coombe highlighted the impressive cross-departmental collaboration. The committee noted the report and looked forward to updates on progress.

Strategy and Resources Work Plan

The committee noted and agreed the Strategy and Resources Work Plan, with the next meeting scheduled for 22 April 2026. It was suggested that this meeting might be held online, and that the agenda would focus on receiving the final report.

The meeting concluded with thanks to all involved for their hard work and a positive outlook on the improvements being made to council services.