The Cabinet of Croydon Council met on Wednesday, 8 January 2025, to discuss the findings of the Local Government Association's Corporate Peer Challenge. The meeting concluded with the approval of the report's recommendations, with an action plan to follow.

Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge Report

The Cabinet received the final report of the Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC), which assessed Croydon Council's progress following a period of significant financial and governance difficulties. The report, published in November 2024, validated the extensive work undertaken to rebuild the council, noting the scale of change and significant progress made over the past four years. The peer team commended the council's leadership, dedicated workforce, and improved relationships between members and officers.

Key findings from the report highlighted:

• Effective Leadership: The Executive Mayor, Jason Perry, and Chief Executive, Katherine Kerswell, were recognised for their strong, visible, and respected leadership. Their relationship, along with that between the Cabinet and the Corporate Management Team (CMT), was described as positive and effective, built on mutual respect and trust.
• Organisational Culture and Workforce: The council was found to have a strong culture with a dedicated workforce who now feel proud to work for Croydon Council. Staff were described as passionate about delivering quality services and contributing to the council's improvement.
• Partnership Working: There has been a renewed and committed approach to partnership working, with external partners reporting that Croydon Council now provides credible leadership at sub-regional and London-wide levels. The council is seen as a credible partner in various initiatives.
• Governance and Finance: The council has made significant progress in improving its governance arrangements since the crisis of 2020. While financial challenges remain, particularly the substantial debt burden, improvements in financial management and monitoring were noted.
• Resident Engagement: The report acknowledged efforts to reconnect with communities and build the customer voice into service development. However, it also highlighted that residents are not yet seeing tangible evidence of improvement externally, and there is a need to rebuild trust.
• Areas for Development: The report recommended the council develop a clear narrative for its future, demonstrate further efforts to reduce costs and deliver value for money, speed up the development of a four-year sufficiency plan, invest in sustainable transformation capacity, and embed clear customer experience standards.

The Cabinet resolved to note the final report of the Croydon Council Corporate Peer Challenge and agreed that an action plan responding to the report's recommendations would be presented at the next Cabinet meeting on 22 January 2025.

Several external partners and council officers spoke at the meeting, offering their perspectives on the report and Croydon's journey of improvement. Richard Plant, Chairman of Develop Croydon, emphasised the importance of reclaiming a positive narrative for the borough to attract investment. Matthew Kershaw, Chief Executive of Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, highlighted the integrated working approach with health partners and offered support in encouraging central government to address the council's debt burden. Ima Miah, CEO of Asian Resource Centre Croydon (ARCC), spoke about the longstanding strategic partnership and the opportunities for innovation through collaboration. Councillor Yvette Hopley, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, welcomed the report's findings on good governance and financial stability. Councillor Jason Cummings, Cabinet Member for Finance, commended the professionalism of the peer challenge process and highlighted the positive cross-party working and improvements in the scrutiny function. Councillor Maria Gatland, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, noted the positive statements regarding leadership and the workforce's pride in working for Croydon. Susmita Sen, Corporate Director of Housing, spoke about the transformation within the housing service, describing it as an exemplar. Annette McPartland, Corporate Director of Adult Social Care & Health, reflected on the difficult journey and the dedication of the workforce and partners. Elaine Jackson, Assistant Chief Executive, acknowledged the spirit of Croydon's workforce in driving improvements. Lisa Wheatley, Head of Resident Contact, shared her pride in the council's work to put residents at the centre of improvements and welcomed the validation of their efforts. Carol Squires, Director of Policy Programmes and Performance, highlighted the strong partnerships and the resilience of frontline staff. Councillor Stuart King, Leader of the Labour Group, welcomed the balanced assessment and the cross-party consensus on the council's progress.

The Executive Mayor, Jason Perry, concluded by reiterating the council's determination to deliver better services, rebuild trust, and restore pride in the borough, aiming to make Croydon the best borough in London.