Havering Council is proactively shaping its workforce for 2025-2027 with a refreshed Corporate Workforce Strategy, aiming to develop, attract, and retain skilled employees to improve the borough and enhance residents' life chances. The strategy aims to ensure all our people possess the right skills at every level to help Havering residents overcome current and future challenges.
The Havering Council cabinet reviewed the refreshed Corporate Workforce Strategy 2025-2027 on Wednesday 13 August 2025. The strategy builds upon the previous plan and focuses on creating a skilled and inclusive workforce, striving to be a Great Place to Work, where people choose to work and develop their careers.
It is structured around five key themes:
- Organisational Design, Culture, Values and Behaviours
- Leading Our Workforce
- Developing Our Workforce
- Treating Our Workforce Fairly with Kindness and Respect
- Supporting Our Workforce
The strategy includes detailed action plans with milestones across three implementation phases.
The refreshed strategy introduces a more dynamic and inclusive tone, celebrating the Council's 60th anniversary and reinforcing its ICARE values—Integrity, Care, Ambition, Respect, and Everyone. It encourages a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement, while recognising the importance of wellbeing, equity, and innovation. The 'Choose Havering' pledge sets clear expectations for staff and leaders, including commitments from the Council to staff, such as providing unrestricted learning and career development opportunities, and commitments from staff to the Council, such as investing in their career and being accountable.
Key enhancements include:
- Expansion of the ICARE ambassador programme and annual recognition awards
- A strengthened 'Choose Havering' pledge, setting clear expectations for staff and leaders
- A refreshed PDR framework and mentoring programme
- New career pathways, succession planning, and apprenticeship opportunities
- A comprehensive EDI workforce plan and Total Reward Strategy
- Enhanced wellbeing support and HR transformation initiatives
The council will design, develop and embed the EDI workforce plan, including reporting requirements on Diversity Pay Gap. The plan aims to ensure everyone has equality of access to opportunities, progression and development.
HR&OD transformation includes a comprehensive review of current HR & OD practices (CIPD), prioritising initiatives such as process automation, leadership development, and culture change. The goal is to fully implement the HR & OD transformation initiatives across the Council, providing training and resources to help staff and managers adapt to the changes, and continuously refine initiatives based on feedback and changing organisational needs.
Directorates and programme teams will be accountable for aligning their workforce plans with the strategy. Progress will be monitored through regular reporting, PDR alignment, and annual reviews. The strategy is designed to evolve in response to changing needs, financial pressures, and legislative developments.
While the Cabinet Report - Workforce Strategy Refresh 2025-2027 Final states that there are no direct financial implications required to date, much of the work will be undertaken by existing resources already budgeted for, including staffing, ICT systems, and occupational health contracts. There may be a need for some targeted investment in leadership development, developing digital infrastructure, career pathways, and wellbeing initiatives, potentially utilising reserve funding and/or integration into the annual budget cycle to ensure alignment with the Council's strategic priorities. Finance Business Partners will support modelling and risk assessment.
