Katherine Kerswell

Equality Strategy 2023-27, Annual Report 2024/2025

From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 3rd December, 2025 6.30 pm - December 03, 2025

Under the leadership of the Executive Mayor of Croydon, the Council has continued its progress towards becoming a more financially stable, efficient and resident focused organisation. The Executive Mayor’s emphasis on fairness, accountability and value for money has supported improvements across neighbourhoods, service accessibility and community engagement. This approach has helped maintain a clear focus on equality, inclusion and transparency in decision-making, ensuring the Equality Strategy 2023–2027 remains aligned with the Council’s wider aspiration to rebuild trust, strengthen organisational practice and deliver sustainable services for all. Whilst progress has been made, the Council recognises that achieving full and long term financial sustainability will require continued discipline, careful prioritisation and ongoing transformation.   Residents and businesses across the borough are seeing tangible benefits from this approach. Improved translation and accessibility support, more inclusive service design, stronger partnership working with Voluntary, Community and Faith (VCFS)organisations, and targeted programmes, such as the Work & Health Programme, have helped more residents into employment, widened opportunities for young people and made services easier to navigate. Investment in safer, more connected neighbourhoods and a renewed commitment to listening to lived experience are improving residents’ sense of belonging and civic pride, whilst ensuring local businesses and workers benefit from a fairer, more inclusive local economy.   Internally, Croydon’s workforce is becoming more representative, skilled and engaged. The Council has maintained a 0% gender and disability pay gap, expanded staff networks, improved leadership diversity, and invested in development pathways that reflect the borough’s values of fairness and inclusion. Through strengthened governance, leadership accountability and a culture shift supported by the ‘Future Croydon’ transformation, employees are increasingly empowered to deliver high-quality, resident-focused services. Together, these efforts demonstrate a Council steadily rebuilding confidence, showing the positive impact on the daily lives of Croydon’s residents, workers, busines

Recommendations Approved

Scrutiny Stage 2 Responses to Recommendations arising from: Scrutiny & Overview Committee

From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 3rd December, 2025 6.30 pm - December 03, 2025

This report invited the 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).

Recommendations Approved

ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT UPDATE

From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 3rd December, 2025 6.30 pm - December 03, 2025

This report provides an update on Croydon Council’s strengthened approach to environmental and regulatory enforcement, directly supporting the Executive Mayor’s Business Plan 2022–2026 priority to make Croydon a cleaner, safer and healthier borough. The report highlights measurable progress since the refocused enforcement was introduced.   In 2021 the decision was taken to discontinue the Neighbourhood Safety Team. This service had previously provided a visible on-street presence and supported a broad range of community compliance and environmental enforcement activity. The reduction in frontline capacity affected the Council’s ability to proactively deter and respond to environmental crime. In light of these impacts, and the increasing concern about fly tipping, a new, fit-for-purpose team is being established with a more targeted focus on environmental crime, underpinned by a clear zero-tolerance approach.   Since the new Community Compliance Team started in September they have issued over 100 Fixed Penalty Notices for waste-related offences (paragraph 5.8), with early indicators showing a reduction in reported fly-tipping in hotspot areas. The Council has also secured several prosecutions including a £7,951 court fine and costs order against a persistent offender. Broader data demonstrates enforcement outcomes across multiple environmental disciplines (Appendix A in the full report).

Recommendations Approved

Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy Mid-Year Review Report 2025/26

From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 3rd December, 2025 6.30 pm - December 03, 2025

This Report reviews the Council’s treasury management activities for the first six months of financial year 2025/26. 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 require that Members are advised of treasury management activities of the first six months of each financial year and of compliance with various strategies and policies agreed by the Council. The report:   • Reviews compliance with the Treasury Management Strategy Statement (TMSS) and Annual Investment Strategy as agreed by the Council (Budget Council) on 26 February 2025. • Reviews treasury borrowing and investment activity for the period 1 April 2025 to 30 September 2025; • Demonstrates compliance with agreed Treasury and Prudential Indicators and the CIPFA Prudential Code for Capital Finance; and • Complies with the Treasury Management Code: Treasury management in the public services – Code of practice and cross-sectoral guidance notes, 2021 as detailed more fully in paragraph 5.3 of the report.

Recommendations Approved

Urgent Business (If any)

From: Cabinet - Wednesday, 3rd December, 2025 6.30 pm - December 03, 2025

Recommendations Approved