Katherine Kerswell
Council: Croydon
Committees:
Activity Timeline
Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.
52 meetings · Page 1 of 11
Appointments & Disciplinary Committee - Tuesday, 31st March, 2026 10.00 am, NEW
Appointments & Disciplinary Committee - Tuesday, 24th March, 2026 10.00 am, NEW
Health & Wellbeing Board - Wednesday, 18th March, 2026 2.00 pm
The Health & Wellbeing Board is scheduled to consider a range of reports focusing on the health and wellbeing of children, young people, and families, as well as broader strategic health initiatives. Key discussions are expected to cover the delivery of the Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy, updates on the Family Hubs Model and Children Centres, and the annual reports from the Director of Public Health and the Health and Wellbeing Board itself.
Appointments & Disciplinary Committee - Wednesday, 11th March, 2026 3.00 pm, NEW
The Appointments and Disciplinary Committee of Croydon Council met on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, to approve salary packages and commence the selection process for two key director-level positions: Director of Culture and Community Safety, and Director of Streets and Environment. The committee agreed to the proposed salary packages for both roles, which fall within the council's Chief Officer Grades, and resolved to proceed with the appointment process.
Decisions from Meetings
113 decisions · Page 4 of 23
TRANSPORT FOR LONDON LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN -SECTION 106 CONTRIBUTIONS
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 3rd December, 2025 6.30 pm - December 03, 2025
...to allocate £2,170,507.25 of Section 106 funding, contingent upon receiving Local Implementation Plan funding, to support strategic transport projects across the borough for the financial years 2026/27 and 2027/28.
Recommendations Approved
Progress Review of Housing Strategy
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 19th November, 2025 6.30 pm - November 19, 2025
Following the events at Regina Road in March 2021, the Ark report identified a failing housing service with a lack of care and respect for the residents it was in place to serve. Citing inadequate communication, a lack of joint working with residents and a repairs contract that was struggling to deliver, the report identified severe weaknesses in the customer experiences of Croydon’s tenants and leaseholders. As a result, the council self-referred to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). Identifying the breach of two consumer standards, the RSH then served a regulatory notice on the Council which was followed by regulatory intervention. In addition to the regulatory notice, the Council’s housing needs service was facing significant pressure, with residents waiting over six months to be assessed for homelessness services and an over-reliance on manual systems leading to poor record keeping and data loss, impacting grant funding and accurate reporting to MHCLG. Here also, the lack of respect accorded to those experiencing homelessness was notable. To tackle the serious failings in late 2022, a Housing Transformation Programme, to be delivered under the umbrella of a new housing department, was developed jointly with residents and staff. Following this, after a comprehensive consultation with residents and key partners, the Council approved its Housing Strategy and Delivery Plan on 13 December 2023. The Housing Strategy was a key component for improving services in that it set out the principal challenges for housing and the Council’s five-year priorities for improving services for residents. Alongside the Strategy, the Delivery Plan includes service-specific targets and objectives. This report provides an assessment of progress of key achievements over the first 18 months. It highlights significant accomplishments associated with housing landlord services and housing needs including: - Onboarding of new repair contractors and a new repair contact centre now achieving excellent response times (95% call answering rate) – - Creation of robust new resident involvement structures and meaningful consultation leading to the co-creation of key strategies and policies. - Adherence to Building and Fire safety act requirements providing safety assurance to our residents. - Significant reduction in void turnaround times, reducing wait times for our residents. - In a time of rising homelessness, reducing the percentage of applicants booked into temporary accommodation from 66% (2022) to 15% (2025) whilst eliminating the numbers of households using B&Bs for over six weeks. - Approval of Regina Road Planning Application to demolish and rebuild the housing estate providing safe, warm and secure new housing for 340 households of which 215 are for social rent. In April 2025, in recognition of an improving situation, the RSH lifted the Regulatory Notice served on the Council’s landlord services in 2021. This key milestone was followed by encouraging outcomes from Council-commissioned inspections of management and repairs and maintenance. The report also recognises the difficult challenges that the Housing Service still faces. Within the Housing Needs Service the levels of homelessness remain historically high. Whilst in landlord services ensuring that our housing stock is in good condition, and that the service is compliant with the requirements of the Regulator’s Consumer Standards, is essential.
Recommendations Approved
2026-30 Medium Term Financial Strategy Update
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 19th November, 2025 6.30 pm - November 19, 2025
...to note the updated financial forecast and medium-term financial strategy assumptions, the dialogue with Government regarding financial sustainability, the outcome of the review of the Council Tax Support scheme, to approve recommendations to Full Council to maintain the current Council Tax Support scheme and review it in 2026-27, to note the budget timetable, and to note Croydon Council’s response to the Government’s Fair Funding Reform 2.0 consultation.
Recommendations Approved
Croydon Safeguarding Annual Reports 2024/25 (Adults Board (CSAB) and Children’s Partnership (CSCP))
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 19th November, 2025 6.30 pm - November 19, 2025
As London’s largest borough, with nearly a quarter of our residents under 18 and a growing elderly community, the Council has a responsibility to safeguard and care for both children and adults. The Annual Reports for the Croydon Safeguarding Adult Board (CSAB) and the Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) underscore the commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of the community and tell a powerful story of progress, resilience, and partnership. Despite a year marked by significant financial pressures and increased scrutiny from national inspection regimes, both Boards have delivered real impact. From tackling serious youth violence and reducing anti-social behaviour, to strengthening our learning culture and embedding the voice of residents, including children in everything we do — the achievements are substantial and worth celebrating. We’ve seen stronger governance, more inclusive engagement, and a growing culture of transparency and challenge. The CSCP has delivered 86% of its Business Plan, introduced new tools to improve multi-agency practice, and embedded learning from previous reviews. It is justifiably proud of its appointment of a Young Scrutineer. The CSAB has made real strides in areas like homelessness, self-neglect, and transitional safeguarding, whilst also strengthening its relationships with community groups and statutory partners. The Local Authority key partners (Adult Social Care & Health and Children's Social Care) have both received 'Good' gradings from CQC and Ofsted. Both Boards are taking an innovative approach to working more closely together — and with the Safer Croydon Partnership — to tackle cross-cutting issues like exploitation, suicide prevention, and violence against women and girls. This 'One Council' approach is not just efficient — it’s effective, and it’s helping us deliver better outcomes for Croydon’s most vulnerable residents. There has been significant support and challenge of the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) to evidence their safeguarding arrangements which has led to new collaborations and positive impact for some of our most vulnerable residents. Challenges remain such as persistent funding inequalities, and the sustainability of some partnership functions is under pressure. However, the commitment from partners, the creativity of our workforce, and the voices of children, adults and families continue to drive us forward. These annual reports are not just a statutory requirement — it’s a reflection of a borough that is determined to safeguard its residents, learn from experience, and keep improving. We are proud of what has been achieved - and clear about what still needs to be done.
Recommendations Approved
SCRUTINY STAGE 1: RECOMMENDATIONS ARISING FROM SCRUTINY
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 19th November, 2025 6.30 pm - November 19, 2025
This report sets out recommendations from Scrutiny for the consideration of Cabinet. These recommendations originate from the meetings of the Streets & Environment Sub-Committee on 16 September 2025, and the Scrutiny & Overview Committee on 23 September 2025. Scrutiny’s recommendations highlight potential opportunities for the Council to enhance monitoring and evaluation of delivered work, and to find more equitable funding solutions. Should these recommendations be taken forward, they could help deliver on the priorities in the Executive Mayor’s Business Plan, including balancing the Council’s 2. books, delivering sustainable services, and promoting good governance (Outcome 1, Priorities 1 and 4).
Recommendations Approved
Summary
Meetings Attended: 52
Average per Month: 2.3
Decisions Recorded: 113