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, 18 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 5 of 23
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
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
Principal Social Worker Annual Report 2024 – 2025
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 19th November, 2025 6.30 pm - November 19, 2025
2024–2025 has been a transformational and energising period for Croydon’s Adult and Children’s Social Care services. Both services are rated as ‘Good’ by their respective national inspectorates, the Care Quality Commission (adults) and Ofsted (children’s). The annual Principal Social Worker (PSW) reports (appendix A for adults, appendix B for children’s) are an opportunity to review, reflect and celebrate the achievements of what the roles have delivered. In particular, how their achievements have supported the inspection outcomes, which at their core reflect the quality of practice delivered for our residents. These reports are focused on the professional practice of Croydon’s social care workforce rather than direct impact on residents. However, by its nature, if social care practice can be demonstrated to be of a high quality, the positive impact on working with and taking decisions with our residents will be the outcome. Key areas of strength include: - The successful delivery ranging from the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme, to the expansion of Practice Educators and Social Work Apprenticeships; meaning Croydon has cultivated a resilient, skilled, and future-ready workforce. - The introduction of Practice Leads, robust Continuous Professional Development (CPD) policies, and innovative learning spaces such as the adults Practice Library and systemic practice workshops that have elevated the quality and consistency of social work practice. - The Families First initiative and Social Work Reforms offer a unique opportunity to redesign services and embed trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based practice across the system. - A vibrant culture of recognition has been fostered through events like Social Work Day, the PSW newsletter, and the Recognition and Excellence Awards, reinforcing a positive and proud professional identity. Key areas for continuing oversight include: - The ongoing challenge of delivering high-quality services at lower cost, requiring continued innovation in practice and commissioning. - The need to balance transformation with fiscal responsibility will require careful navigation and strong leadership. - The need for sustained recruitment and retention strategies remains a priority, particularly in the context of national workforce pressures. - External policy shifts and inspection frameworks may introduce new demands, requiring agility and sustained investment in quality assurance and workforce resilience. It is, however, also critical to note that children’s and adults’ social care duties are not solely the responsibility of the dedicated care teams. They are a collective duty shared across all council services. From legal and housing to education, finance, and community safety. Every service plays a vital role in safeguarding and promoting wellbeing. Effective social care relies on integrated working, where services collaborate to address complex needs, uphold statutory responsibilities, and deliver person-centered outcomes. Embedding this shared accountability ensures that vulnerable individuals receive holistic support, and that the Council as a whole meets its obligations to protect and empower its residents. This collective duty will be achieved through substantial programmes of change, including our financial model, market management and social care practice; as well as delivering statutory duties. They are underpinned by the Executive Mayor’s Business Plan, the Future Croydon Transformation Plan, and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy, It means that over the next few years, the Directorates will: - Maintain statutory services and safeguard Croydon’s most vulnerable residents. - Deliver a good service at a lower cost. - Ensure that social work practice continues to align with the key aims of both Helping Families Thrive and the Adults Living Independently transformation programmes. The aim is to put adult and children’s social care in Croydon on a sustainable footing whilst ensuring that people who need services receive them.
Recommendations Approved
Adult Social Care and Health - Outcome of our Care Quality Commission Inspection
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 15th October, 2025 6.30 pm - October 15, 2025
This report provides an update on Croydon Council’s Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection and outcome, where Adult Social Care and Health (ASCH) received an overall rating of “Good”. This is an excellent result in the context of significant financial challenges relating to increasing demand for Adult Social Care services. We have continued to deliver our Adults Living Independently (ALI) Programme throughout, transforming how we deliver services, without compromising the quality of our offer. The report reflects our commitment to learning and innovation. The report also recognises the strength of our partnership working with health partners and the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS), reflecting by the Executive Mayor’s commitment and involvement for joint-working across Croydon This is further demonstrated by our recent success as one of 43 areas (of 141 applications), to join the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme.
Recommendations Approved
Summary
Meetings Attended: 52
Average per Month: 2.3
Decisions Recorded: 113