Tower Hamlets Council has defended its response to new ministerial directions, acknowledging that its approach may have appeared defensive. The council's Chief Executive, Steven Halsey, stated that while the council does not agree with every aspect of the government's assessment, it is determined to accelerate improvement.
During a meeting, councillors questioned the council's handling of the ministerial directions, which focus on governance, audit, and use of resources. Councillor Abdi Mohamed suggested the council's response seemed defensive, a perception Halsey acknowledged. He explained that the joint letter with the Mayor was encouraged under the executive-mayor model, where the Mayor is a key decision-maker and policy initiator, and the Chief Executive is responsible for delivery. This model requires a joint responsibility in responses, and Halsey admitted that, in hindsight, he might have veered more to realism.
Halsey stressed the importance of staff pride in their achievements and the commitment shown in a recent People's Survey, where over 3,000 staff participated. He stated that the council's response to external commentary was to ensure accurate reporting and protect its reputation, particularly concerning grant funding and government support.
Councillor Asma Islam raised concerns about specific instances of poor service delivery within housing and governance. She cited a serious safeguarding issue in Weaver's Ward
related to anti-social behaviour, which was addressed promptly after she contacted the Chief Executive. However, a very serious email
concerning housing, sent on February 17th, had not received an acknowledgement even by March 17th, leading to her worry about residents falling through the cracks. Halsey apologised for the lack of response, deeming it unacceptable,
and assured that capacity issues for handling member inquiries would be addressed.
Councillor Ahmodur Khan inquired about the council's steps to tackle misinformation regarding the new directions. Halsey indicated that the focus is on ensuring the directions are understood, particularly the nature of 'reserved powers'. These powers, related to the role of lead envoy Kim Bromley-Derry, allow for escalation if the council is not complying with its best value duty in specified areas. If concerns are not resolved, the envoy can act on the council's behalf. Halsey stressed that claiming that the powers don't mean this or they do mean that
constitutes misinformation, and that clear lines of communication would be established to help the public understand these matters.
Regarding the council's finances, Halsey clarified that while the council does not necessarily agree with every aspect of the government's assessment, particularly concerning its finances, the issue is not with the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) or the council's reserves. He stated that the Minister confirmed it is about the use of resources element of the best value regime.
Councillor Nathalie Bienfait questioned the council's approach to delivery and the perceived planning for a plan
issue. Halsey accepted that there had been a lot of talk
but explained this was necessary to develop plans where they were lacking, clarify areas for improvement, and resource these efforts. He acknowledged that the Secretary of State felt delivery had not been quick enough in certain areas. To address this, the council has set aside nearly £23 million in its MTFS for delivery and has agreed with the envoys to address capacity issues, acknowledging a need for more people in the centre to provide corporate grip. John Lloyd will lead these efforts.
Halsey also addressed the capacity issues for handling member inquiries, acknowledging thousands of members' inquiries live at the moment.
He stated that Tower Hamlets has a higher proportion than any other local authority in London and that resources need to be matched to deal with them quickly. He has met with the lead envoy to discuss the speed of responses to FOIs, SARs, and complaints, and a thorough piece of work is underway to prevent future delays.
Regarding the specific instances of poor service delivery cited by Councillor Islam, Halsey acknowledged the unacceptable
lack of response to the housing email and assured that capacity issues for handling member inquiries would be addressed. He also confirmed that a safeguarding issue in Weaver's Ward was promptly handled after his intervention.
The council's commitment to improvement is underscored by its efforts to develop plans, clarify areas for improvement, and resource these initiatives, including a significant financial commitment in its MTFS. The focus remains on ensuring understanding of the ministerial directions and their implications for council operations.
Further details on the council's budget monitoring and performance reports can be found in the Public reports pack and the Strategic Delivery and Performance Report Year 4 Q3.
