Jane West
Council: Croydon
Committees:
Activity Timeline
Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.
71 meetings · Page 1 of 15
General Purposes Committee - Tuesday, 28 April 2026 - 6.30 pm
Audit & Governance Committee - Thursday, 12 March 2026 - 6.30 pm
The Audit & Governance Committee of Croydon Council was scheduled to discuss a range of financial and operational matters, including a diagnostic review of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) budget overspend, improvements to revenue and capital monitoring, and lessons learned from the Oracle Improvement Programme. The committee was also set to review the Internal Audit Annual Plan, Strategy, and Charter for 2026/27, consider the Corporate Risk Register, and approve the committee's work programme for the upcoming year.
Ethics Committee - Wednesday, 11 March 2026 - 6.30 pm
The Croydon Ethics Committee met on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, to discuss the reappointment of an independent person, review declarations of gifts and hospitality, and consider recent developments in ethical standards. Key decisions included recommending the reappointment of Ashok Kumar as an independent person for a further two-year term and noting the report on ethics complaints received in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Audit & Governance Committee - Monday, 23 February 2026 - 6.30 pm
The Audit & Governance Committee of Croydon Council was scheduled to discuss the approval of the 2024-25 Statement of Accounts, including the Pension Fund accounts. The committee was also set to review the committee's work programme and assurance mapping document, and receive an update on the Audit and Governance Committee Action Log.
Decisions from Meetings
124 decisions · Page 7 of 25
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
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
Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman Decision Finding of Fault Causing Injustice and Actions to prevent re-occurrence
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 15th October, 2025 6.30 pm - October 15, 2025
On the 27th June, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) service issued a public report under the Local Government Act 1974 s30(1)) in respect of significant stress and upset caused to an applicant (to be known as Mr Y and his two sisters X and Z) as a result of the failure of the Housing Needs Service to properly administer a homelessness application submitted by Mr Y. The purpose of this report is to advise Cabinet of the LGSCO findings and recommendations, and to set out the actions taken to date and that the service propose to take to address the issues identified in the report. 1.3 The report also emphasises the full apology made to Mr Y and his sisters (Ms X and Z) for the stress and injustice this poor service caused.
Recommendations Approved
ANNUAL TREASURY MANAGEMENT REVIEW 2024/25
From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 15th October, 2025 6.30 pm - October 15, 2025
The report reviews the Council’s Treasury Management activities for the year 2024/25. It is prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) codes of practice in respect of capital finance and treasury management. The codes recommend that Members are advised of the treasury management activities for the whole of each financial year and of compliance with the various strategies and policies agreed by the Council. The report: • Reviews compliance with the Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Capital Strategy and Annual Investment Strategy as agreed by full Council (Budget Council) on 6 March 2024 (Minute 106/24 applies) and updated on 11 December 2024 (Minute 164/24 applies); • Reviews treasury borrowing and investment activity for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025; • Demonstrates compliance with the CIPFA Code on Treasury Management and Treasury Management in the Public Services Guidance notes for Local authorities to which the Council must have regard in exercising these functions; and • Demonstrates compliance with agreed Treasury and Prudential Indicators and the CIPFA 2021 Prudential Code for Capital Finance.
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: 71
Average per Month: 3.0
Decisions Recorded: 124