Lewisham Council is set to overhaul its parental leave policy, aiming to introduce a minimum of six weeks' fully paid paternity or adoption leave for all eligible parents. This significant change was agreed upon during a Council meeting on Wednesday, 23 September 2026.

The motion, initially proposed by Councillor Andre Bourne and seconded by Councillor Oana Olaru-Holmes, was amended to ensure inclusivity for diverse family structures and to foster engagement with trade unions. The amended motion also commits to championing Lewisham Council as a family-friendly employer.

Current Provisions and Proposed Changes

Currently, Lewisham Council offers up to two consecutive weeks of paternity leave, paid at full pay for employees with at least one year's continuous service. Those with shorter service may receive less generous provisions. The proposed changes aim to significantly enhance this, offering a minimum of six weeks fully paid paternity or adoption leave for all eligible fathers and second parents. The Council's maternity provision currently stands at six weeks at 90% pay, followed by 20 weeks at 50% pay plus Statutory Maternity Pay, subject to eligibility. The Council also provides Shared Parental Leave and Neonatal Care Leave.

Embracing New Government Rights

The review will also focus on how the Council can best utilise new government rights. From April 2026, parental leave and paternity leave became day-one employment rights, removing the previous qualifying-service requirement for taking leave, although qualifying requirements for Statutory Paternity Pay remain. Furthermore, the government has introduced Bereaved Partner's Paternity Leave, offering enhanced rights for fathers and partners who lose their partner within the first year of a child's life. The government is also continuing its Parental Leave and Pay Review, examining maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave and pay.

Inclusivity and Diverse Family Structures

A key aspect of the amended policy is its commitment to inclusivity. The motion resolved to ensure that any proposed improvements are inclusive of different family structures, including same-sex parents, adoptive parents and intended parents through surrogacy, and use inclusive language throughout the Council's policies. This ensures that the policy reflects the diverse realities of modern families.

Engaging with Trade Unions and Staff

Meaningful engagement with trade unions, staff networks, and employees is central to the review process. The motion resolved to Engage meaningfully with trade unions, staff networks and employees as part of the review, recognising their expertise and experience of the Council's existing policies. Councillor Andre Bourne highlighted the impetus for this review, recalling his personal experience in 2014 when his daughter was born. When my daughter was born in 2014, I had already been elected as a Councillor. I contacted Lewisham because I wanted to take paternity leave and quite reasonably I expected there to be a policy that would tell me my rights. However, there wasn't. At that time, there was no policy covering newly elected Councillors in those circumstances, he stated. Echoing these sentiments, Councillor Shireen Asaw, Cabinet Member for Workers, Business and Skills, mentioned, One of the first things I did after being elected was organise meetings with the Council's trade unions. Our unions raised concerns with me about the maternity and paternity provision for the Council workers and teachers, so I went away and looked at our policies and I agreed that they are not where they could be.

Councillor Justin Calcutt Cheadle, who seconded the amendment, emphasized the need for broader support beyond just parents, including grandparents and kinship carers, and stressed the importance of longer-term support such as flexible working arrangements.

Councillor Corin Ashwell, Cabinet Member for Environment, Nature, Transport and Climate Action, supported the motion, noting that while current provisions are not inadequate, there is ample room for improvement. She acknowledged the financial and workforce implications that would need careful consideration during the review.

The findings and recommendations from this comprehensive review will be reported back to Cabinet within an appropriate timescale. The full details of the Council meeting can be found in the Public reports pack.