The Transformation and Assurance Board of Tower Hamlets Council was scheduled to meet on Monday, 22 September 2025, to discuss the Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) and its implementation. The meeting agenda included framing the next iteration of the CIP, a workshop on measuring impact and prioritising critical areas, and updates on senior recruitment and future meeting schedules.

Framing the Continuous Improvement Plan

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to framing the next iteration of the Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP). This plan serves as a roadmap for transformation and improvement, aiming to guide the Council in achieving its key ambitions amidst challenges such as high population growth, economic inequality, and rising needs in social care, homelessness, and children's services. The CIP is designed to build on the Council's strengths and address its challenges, fostering strong partnerships, an inclusive political culture, and a strengthened HR and Organisational Development (OD) function. It also aims to break down departmental silos and support an effective corporate centre.

The CIP is presented as a response to the Best Value failings identified in the 2024 Best Value Inspection, which led to a statutory support package being put in place by the Government. It responds to Ministerial Directions issued under Section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999. The plan outlines a new intervention model, described as a partnership working model based on trust and respect between local and central government, where the Council retains its decision-making powers. The role of Ministerial Envoys is to mentor, challenge, advise, and support the Council's improvement work, while monitoring progress.

The report pack detailed the socialisation and testing of the new CIP, outlining engagement strategies with senior leadership, elected members, wider staff, partners, and residents. It also presented a portfolio vision structured around four key programmes: Vision, Partnerships and Participation; Governance, Political Culture and Decision Making; Culture and Workforce; and One Corporate Team.

Programme 1: Vision, Partnerships and Participation

This programme aims to deepen partnerships and enable residents and partners to work together on shared priorities, united by a common strategic vision for meaningful change across Tower Hamlets. The baseline for this programme highlights the need to strengthen partnership structures, support, and strategic relationships to meet shared pressures. A key objective is to ensure that resident voices and diverse perspectives shape thinking and service delivery. The programme includes workstreams on co-creating a long-term strategic vision, developing stronger and more adaptable partnership ways of working, fostering cultural change across partnerships, and embedding commitment to participation. Measures of success include improvements in resident perception of council involvement, positive feedback from partners and residents, and electoral participation.

Programme 2: Governance, Political Culture and Decision Making

The aim of this programme is to foster a council recognised for strong, transparent governance, a culture that embraces constructive challenge, and inclusive political leadership built on integrity and respect. The baseline identifies a need for a change in political culture to prioritise resident delivery and create a safe, inclusive culture. The programme aims to improve political understanding and debate, ensure governance and decision-making are embedded in practice, foster transparency and openness to external challenge, drive evidence-based decision-making, improve the chairing and management of meetings, implement clear policies, and embed a culture of continuous learning. Key initiatives include mentoring and induction programmes for members, a Member Compact and Behavioural Standards Framework, strengthened risk management, and the delivery of a Scrutiny Improvement Plan.

Programme 3: Culture and Workforce

This programme focuses on enhancing the productivity and resilience of the organisation through an inclusive culture of high trust and accountability, alongside seamlessly working key workforce functions. The baseline acknowledges the diversity and commitment of the workforce while identifying challenges to unlocking full potential. The programme aims to foster a cohesive organisational culture, embed shared values and respectful behaviours, stabilise leadership with fair recruitment, develop high-trust HR systems, and launch the 'Brilliant Basics' initiative to engage employees and resolve issues. Key activities include a new employee survey, co-production of a People Strategy, and HR transformation. Measures of success include increased employee survey uptake, improved staff engagement, reduced recruitment process times, and progress in reducing gender and ethnicity pay gaps.

Programme 4: One Corporate Team

The vision for this programme is to develop high-performing corporate functions through joined-up approaches and a culture that reinforces trust, oversight, and accountability. The baseline acknowledges the workforce's strengths but highlights the need for improved grip, accountability, and coherence across corporate functions. The programme aims to empower services, streamline access, join up core systems and functions, evolve the organisational mindset, ensure impactful use of council data, and deliver robust, transparent policies. Workstreams include an Empowering Services Review, Procurement Improvement, a Joined-Up Corporate Centre initiative, a Single View of Change, Corporate Resource Mapping, and a One Council Response taskforce.

Other Agenda Items

The meeting was also scheduled to include a welcome and introductions, where Kim Bromley Derry was expected to cover changes to the Envoy and Chief of Staff teams. A standing item on ground rules was to be reviewed and reaffirmed. The minutes of the last meeting were to be noted and agreed. Additionally, there were plans for a workshop led by Sponsors and Senior Responsible Officers (SROs) focusing on measuring impact and prioritising critical areas. Finally, under 'Any Other Business', updates on senior recruitment were to be provided by Steve Halsey, and Kirsty Roberts was to discuss the schedule for future Transformation and Assurance Board (TAB) sessions.