Debbie Jones
Council: Croydon
Committees:
Activity Timeline
Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.
19 meetings · Page 1 of 4
Cabinet - Wednesday, 3rd December, 2025 6.30 pm
The Croydon Council cabinet unanimously approved recommendations on environmental enforcement, conservation areas, transport funding, equality, financial performance, and fees and charges. The cabinet also received an update from Councillor Ben Hassel, Chair of Scrutiny, regarding the target operating model.
Cabinet - Wednesday, 19th November, 2025 6.30 pm
The Croydon Council cabinet met to discuss the 2026-30 medium term financial strategy, safeguarding, social care, housing and financial performance, and agreed to implement recommendations regarding scrutiny, safeguarding, social work and housing. The cabinet approved recommendations to keep the Council Tax Support scheme unchanged, and to review it in 2026-27. They also approved the Regina Road regeneration project, and noted progress on the housing strategy.
Cabinet - Wednesday, 15th October, 2025 6.30 pm
At a meeting on 15 October 2025, the Croydon Council Cabinet reviewed the Adult Social Care and Health Directorate's 'Good' rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), approved recommendations from the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, and endorsed the Annual Treasury Management Review for 2024-25. The cabinet also approved a series of measures designed to address a fault relating to a homelessness case, and approved the 2025-26 Period 3 Financial Performance Report, including changes to the capital programme.
Cabinet - Wednesday, 24th September, 2025 6.30 pm
The Croydon Council Cabinet met to discuss financial performance, community safety, regeneration, and support for young people and families in the borough. They approved the renewal and expansion of the Public Space Protection Order for Croydon Town Centre, and also approved a Youth Justice Plan for 2025-26. The cabinet also discussed and approved the Period 2 Financial Performance Report, which showed a forecast underspend, and agreed to accept funding from the Mayor of London to continue providing free school meals to all primary school pupils.
Cabinet - Wednesday, 23rd July, 2025 6.30 pm
The Croydon Council Cabinet met on 23 July 2025, approving responses to scrutiny recommendations, noting the provisional financial performance report for 2024-25, and approving the publication of the Adult Social Care and Health Local Account. The Cabinet reviewed the council's financial performance, highlighting both overspends and underspends in various departments, and discussed strategies for financial recovery and sustainability.
Decisions from Meetings
107 decisions · Page 4 of 22
SCRUTINY STAGE 2: Responses to Recommendations arising from: Homes Sub-Committee on 19 June 2025, Streets & Environment Sub-Committee on 24 June 2025, and the Children & Young People Sub-Committee on 1 July 2025
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 19th November, 2025 6.30 pm - November 19, 2025
This report invited Cabinet to approve its response to the Scrutiny recommendations originally presented in the Stage 1 report to the Cabinet meeting held on the 24 September 2025. This response includes: - Action plans for the implementation of agreed recommendations, or; Indicating where a recommendation is already in progress, or; Reasons for rejecting the recommendations. Following approval by Cabinet, the response to the scrutiny recommendations will be reported back to the next meeting of either the Scrutiny and Overview Committee or the relevant Sub-Committees. The Constitution requires that in accepting a recommendation, with or without amendment, from a Scrutiny and Overview Committee or Sub-Committee, Cabinet shall agree an action plan for the implementation of the agreed recommendations and shall delegate responsibility to an identified officer to report back to the Scrutiny and Overview Committee or Sub-Committee, within a specified period, on the progress made in implementing the action plan. Scrutiny’s recommendations highlight potential opportunities for reinforcing performance management, strengthening governance, and increasing transparency for residents. They are presented for consideration, focusing on options that may improve oversight of performance, and service delivery. Should these recommendations be taken forward, they could help deliver the priorities in the Mayor’s Business Plan—embedding good governance (Outcome 1, Priorities 1 & 4), ensuring that Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier (Outcome 4, Priorities 3 & 5), and that children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential (Outcome 3, Priority 3).
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
2025-26 Period 5 Financial Performance Report
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 19th November, 2025 6.30 pm - November 19, 2025
This report provides the Council’s financial performance as at Period 5 (August 2025) for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the Capital Programme. The report forms part of the Council’s financial management process for publicly reporting financial performance and supports the Executive Mayor’s Business Plan 2022-2026 objective one “The council balances its books, listens to residents and delivers good sustainable services”.
Recommendations Approved
STAGE 1: RECOMMENDATIONS ARISING FROM SCRUTINY
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 15th October, 2025 6.30 pm - October 15, 2025
...to receive recommendations from the Scrutiny & Overview Committee meeting on 22 July 2025 and provide a substantive response at the Cabinet meeting on 3 December 2025.
Recommendations Approved
Croydon Companies Supervision and Monitoring Panel - Update Report
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 15th October, 2025 6.30 pm - October 15, 2025
1.1 The report provides an update to Cabinet from the Croydon Companies Supervision and Monitoring Panel (CCSMP), established by Cabinet on 26 July 2021, as a response to the governance failings identified in Grant Thornton’s Report in the Public Interest, issued in October 2020. The Council had created a series of complicated company structures but did not have the right control or oversight in place to ensure the effective management of them. This had led to a situation where relationships were not understood, and regulatory failings resulted in the strike-off of one of the Council’s subsidiaries. 1.2 Amongst the recommendations accepted by Cabinet on 26 July 2021 was a requirement that the Council review arrangements to govern its interest in subsidiaries and ultimately ensure the Council’s and taxpayers’ interests are safeguarded. The work of the panel ensures that the Council’s strategic objectives are met, the financial impact of Council companies is understood, and regulatory failings such as strike offs are avoided. 1.3 The report provides an update on the status of Council companies that exist but excludes Brick by Brick (Croydon) Limited. 1.3 This is monitored in accordance with the powers delegated by the Cabinet to the Corporate Director of Resources, in consultation with the Executive Mayor, at the meeting held on 14 February 2024.
Recommendations Approved
Summary
Meetings Attended: 19
Average per Month: 1.1
Decisions Recorded: 107