The Resources and Corporate Performance Scrutiny Committee meeting on 14 January 2025 was scheduled to discuss a range of issues relating to the Council's corporate services, finances, and support for residents. This included a report on the Council's approach to debt and income maximisation, an update on the performance of the recently redesigned Camden Council website, and an annual report from the Cabinet Member for Finance and Cost of Living, Councillor Camron Aref-Adib. The meeting was also scheduled to consider the Committee's work programme for 2024/25. Please remember that this summary is based on the meeting agenda and the reports pack provided in advance. I do not have access to the meeting minutes, so I do not know what was actually discussed or decided.

Debt Transformation and Income Maximisation

The Committee was scheduled to consider a report on the Council’s plans to address the challenges of debt and financial vulnerability in Camden, as outlined in the Council's We Make Camden strategy. The report, titled Debt Transformation and Income Maximisation,¹ highlighted that an estimated 37% of Camden's adult population—approximately 85,000 people—are considered financially vulnerable.

The report proposed a two-pronged approach:

• Provide accessible advice and support: The report acknowledged the crucial role of the independent advice sector in providing debt advice and proposed working to increase capacity within this sector. Within the Council, the report suggested a more proactive approach to identify residents at risk of debt and provide early intervention support. This included a proposal to re-skill and re-name the Council's Tackling Poverty team to Money Advice Camden, with a focus on offering advice and support on a wider range of financial matters.
• Ethical and effective revenue collection: Recognising the challenges faced by residents with multiple debts owed to the Council, the report proposed exploring the creation of a corporate debt support team. This team would aim to provide a single point of contact for residents, offering a more holistic approach to managing debts and exploring options for consolidation and affordable repayment plans. The report also highlighted the need to develop a Single View of Debt system to provide a comprehensive picture of residents' financial situations.

The report emphasized the importance of income maximisation as a key element of addressing debt. It cited research by Policy in Practice, which estimated that up to £124 million in benefit income goes unclaimed each year in Camden. The report proposed proactive campaigns to increase the uptake of benefits like Pension Credit and Universal Credit.

Update on the Camden Website and Citizen Experience

The Committee was scheduled to receive an update² on the performance of the Camden Council website (www.camden.gov.uk) following its redesign, which went live in April 2024. The report emphasized the website's importance as a primary point of contact for residents accessing information and services, noting that, For many of our residents and businesses, their first interaction with the council is online.

The report highlighted several positive outcomes since the redesign, including:

• Increased user satisfaction with the site's design and content clarity.
• Significant improvements in website performance, including a 66% reduction in page load times and a 71% reduction in downtime.
• Targeted content redesigns in key service areas, such as housing, licensing, and community safety.
• A commitment to engaging with residents through interviews, consultations, and user testing to inform ongoing website improvements.

Looking ahead, the report outlined two key areas of focus:

1. Prioritizing difficult user journeys: Analyzing data on resident interactions, the team aims to identify and improve online processes that residents find particularly challenging.
2. Developing a citizen interaction toolset: This initiative aims to provide staff with improved tools and data to deliver a more seamless and efficient resident experience across multiple channels, including web chat, email, and social media.

Annual Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Cost of Living

The Committee was scheduled to receive the annual report³ from the Cabinet Member for Finance and Cost of Living, Councillor Camron Aref-Adib. This wide-ranging report provided an overview of the portfolio's activities over the past year, encompassing key areas such as:

Financial Context

The report acknowledged the significant financial pressures facing the Council, citing factors such as sustained funding reductions from central government, rising service demands, and inflationary pressures. Despite these challenges, the report emphasized that the Council had continued to deliver balanced budgets, informed by the priorities set out in the We Make Camden strategy.

The report highlighted the impact of these pressures on key services such as housing and homelessness, with a 50% increase in households requiring temporary accommodation in recent months.

Camden Missions

The report reiterated the importance of the four Camden Missions—developed through the Renewal Commission and agreed as central to We Make Camden—as a framework for long-term change in the borough. These missions are:

1. A borough where everyone has a safe and secure home
2. A borough where no one is held back by poverty
3. A borough where all young people have the same opportunities
4. A borough that celebrates and benefits from its diversity

The report highlighted progress on embedding a mission-oriented approach across the Council and provided updates on specific initiatives aligned with the missions.

Key Initiatives and Programmes

• Cost of Living Support: The report outlined a range of initiatives designed to support residents struggling with the cost of living crisis, including:

  • Household Support Fund (HSF): Allocating £6 million to low-income households for cost-of-living grants, energy vouchers, and school holiday hunger vouchers.
  • Cost of Living Fund: Launching in 2025, this fund will provide an additional £1.25 million in financial assistance to residents.
  • Pension Credit Uptake Campaign: A proactive campaign, launched in October 2024, has already secured approximately £250,000 in new Pension Credit income for 55 Camden households.
  • Warm Welcome Spaces: Over 50 organisations across the borough offer warm spaces for residents during colder months, providing warmth, community, and access to support services.
  • Holiday Hunger Initiative: Providing over 9,000 households with supermarket vouchers during school holidays to address food insecurity among families with children eligible for free school meals.

• Debt and Welfare:

  • Council Tax Support Scheme: The report highlighted Camden's commitment to providing a generous Council Tax Support Scheme, with over 22,000 residents benefiting from the scheme in 2023/24. Approximately 16,100 residents, including 5,300 pensioners, receive 100% discounts on their council tax bills.
  • Ethical Debt Relief Framework: This emerging framework aims to provide more compassionate and effective support to residents with multiple debts owed to the Council, incorporating elements such as welfare rights advice, streamlined financial assistance applications, and a more joined-up approach to debt management.

• Affordable Housing: The report acknowledged the significant pressures on temporary accommodation in Camden, with a 50% increase in demand over the past 18 months. The report outlined efforts to address these challenges, including:

  • Temporary Accommodation Purchase Programme (TAPP): This programme has already added 181 properties to the Council's portfolio for use as temporary accommodation.
  • Redevelopment projects: Several redevelopment projects are underway to deliver new temporary accommodation units, including the 248-250 Camden Road site (39 new homes) and the Chester Road project (50 new homes).

• Community Investment Programme (CIP): The report highlighted the Community Investment Programme (CIP) as a key element of the Council's capital programme. CIP focuses on delivering new affordable homes and community facilities across the borough. In 2024, CIP completed schemes delivering 169 new homes and several community facilities, including a new workspace at Liddell Place and the Highgate Newtown Community Centre.

Workforce and Organisational Health

• Inclusive Workforce: The report emphasized Camden's commitment to inclusivity and diversity in its workforce. The report noted progress in reducing the ethnicity pay gap, with Black, Asian, and Other Ethnicity staff now representing 29.5% of senior grades and 38.46% of Level 7 Chief Officers.
• Apprenticeships: The report highlighted the importance of apprenticeships, with 122 apprentices currently enrolled across the Council.
• Digital Transformation: The report outlined the Council's commitment to digital transformation, highlighting the newly launched Camden.gov.uk website as a key achievement.
  
• Data-Driven Insights: The report emphasized the importance of data in informing decision-making, highlighting the work of the Insight, Learning, and Impact team and the annual State of the Borough report.
  
• Cybersecurity and Data Protection: The report outlined Camden's commitment to robust cybersecurity and data protection measures.
  
• Contact Camden: The report highlighted efforts to improve the resident experience when contacting the Council, including a new operating model for Contact Camden and the introduction of new technologies such as web chat and an improved auto-attendant system.

Looking Ahead

The report concluded by emphasizing the Council's commitment to working collaboratively with residents, partners, and central government to deliver on the priorities set out in We Make Camden.

Work Programme 2024/25 and Action Tracker

The Committee was also scheduled to consider its work programme for the remainder of the 2024/25 municipal year. ⁴ The work programme proposed a range of topics for discussion, informed by the Council's corporate priorities, suggestions from Committee members, and issues raised by the community.

The report also included an action tracker, providing an update on progress made in following up on actions from previous meetings.