Kensington and Chelsea Council is making progress on its commitments stemming from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, with a public-facing dashboard in development to track these efforts. An update provided to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee on July 8, 2026, revealed that 16 out of 45 commitments have been completed, with 26 currently in progress and three identified as standards for continuous improvement. The Council is reorganising these commitments into four themes: Safety; Relationships, Trust and Resident Voice; Organisational Leadership, Workforce and Oversight; and Assurance and Resilience.
Key areas of progress highlighted include an independent review of Council culture, which is expected to begin evidence gathering in August/September 2026 and conclude with a report and recommendations in January 2027. This review will examine organisational culture, build a robust evidence-based assessment, establish a baseline for future progress, and identify practical changes, exploring concerns about social and racial discrimination.
An end-to-end review of the Council's complaints process, co-designed with residents, is also nearing completion. It has developed recommendations focusing on improving the quality of responses, prioritizing solutions for complainants, and providing independence through a semi-centralised model. These actions will be complemented by enhanced staff training and an improved digital system. The recommendations are due for sign-off by the Executive Management Team in July 2026.
However, challenges remain. The report noted that the Organisational Leadership, Workforce and Oversight theme has seen slower progress, with some commitments still in early development. This is attributed to the cross-cutting nature of these changes and the complexity of embedding them across the organisation. Concrete steps being taken include refreshing the approach to workforce strategy, prioritising the Oracle system, and embedding cultural changes informed by the independent review. Digital and systems changes are also anticipated to support better communication and data sharing.
The cyber-attack in November 2025 significantly impacted progress in several areas, particularly those reliant on IT systems. Service backlogs built up in revenue and benefits, planning, and complaints, with completion targeted by December 2026. Income collection for Council Tax and Business Rates was also affected, though the full long-term financial impact is not yet assessable. While recovery efforts are on track to restore most systems by Summer 2026, some internal processes like integrations, printing, and web-based forms remained under development. The Council is also managing the implications of a data breach, with a notification program for affected residents to begin soon. Delays in awarding new contracts for Soft Facilities Management and the Parking Suspensions IT system were also attributed to the attack. Furthermore, IT issues affected the Housing Benefit service, and income losses were estimated in Development Management and land charges due to disruption to licensing systems. The General Fund Revenue Budget incurred direct costs of £1.162m for the response and initial recovery, with further expenditure expected. Recruitment delays following the cyber incident also impacted staffing budgets in Children's Services and Environment and Neighbourhoods, with Parking Services income affected by IT system outages.
A public-facing dashboard is being developed to present progress dynamically and accessibly, aiming to provide a clearer and more transparent view for residents. This dashboard will include key measures and desired outcomes for each commitment, with mock-ups presented to the committee. The Council is also refreshing the role of the Inquiry Oversight Group (IOG) to strengthen ownership and accountability. The refreshed IOG will meet individually with commitment owners, focus discussions on establishing key dashboard measures, and provide quarterly updates to the Executive Management Team, overseen by the Director of Grenfell Legacy and Corporate Strategy.
In response to resident feedback, the Grenfell Assembly will continue to serve as a forum for broader discussions on Grenfell-related issues, not solely focusing on commitment progress. The Council is also working to improve communication and engagement. Senior officer engagement with ward councillors is a commitment, though concerns have been raised about the lack of engagement in certain areas. The Your Council Comes To You events
are being reviewed to enhance this engagement, with the principle that ward councillors need to be consulted on both small and large matters.
Public reports pack 08th-Jul-2026 18.30 Overview Scrutiny Committee.pdf
