Councillor James King

Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 28th January, 2025 6.30 p.m.

The committee discussed the insourcing of the leisure service, agreed a new scrutiny protocol, and agreed recommendations made in a report on flood risk management. The committee also agreed to hold an additional meeting to discuss two additional budget elements, HRA and Capital, on 4 February.

Council - Wednesday, 22nd January, 2025 7.00 p.m.

The meeting started with a tribute to former Councillor Ray Gibson, who passed away at the end of 2024. The Council then received a presentation from pupils at St John's School, Bethnal Green, who sang to celebrate the Council's recent Ofsted rating for Children's Services. The Council formally noted the 'outstanding' rating, and discussed the improvements that have taken place in the service since it was rated as 'inadequate' in 2017.

Budget Meeting, Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 14th January, 2025 6.30 p.m.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee reviewed the proposed Budget Report 2025-26 and Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2025-28 and the proposed Fees and Charges for 2025-26. The committee agreed to make a series of recommendations and requests for further information.

Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 17th December, 2024 6.30 p.m.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss a range of issues, including the Best Value Inspection, flood risk management, the strategic performance and delivery report, budget monitoring and an update on the home care procurement process. The committee noted all of the updates, except the home care procurement update, where a decision was made to move into a private session to discuss the issues further.

Housing & Regeneration Scrutiny Sub Committee - Monday, 2nd December, 2024 6.30 p.m.

The meeting primarily focused on reviewing the progress made since the council took over housing management from Tower Hamlets Homes, examining tenant satisfaction measures, and analysing the performance of social housing providers. Notably, the meeting featured a discussion on two public interest reports from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, revealing significant shortcomings in the council's handling of homelessness cases.