London Borough of Waltham Forest – Progress Review

The council undertook an LGA Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) during 24–27 June 2024 and promptly published the full report with an action plan. 

The Progress Review is an integral part of the Corporate Peer Challenge process.  Taking place approximately ten months after the CPC, it is designed to provide space for the council’s senior leadership to:

• Receive feedback from peers on the early progress made by the council against the CPC recommendations and the council’s RAG rated CPC action plan.
• Consider peer’s reflections on any new opportunities or challenges that may have arisen since the peer team were ‘on-site’ including any further support needs
• Discuss any early impact or learning from the progress made to date 

The LGA would like to thank the London Borough of Waltham Forest (LBWF) for their commitment to sector led improvement. This Progress Review was the next step in an ongoing, open and close relationship that the council has with LGA sector support.

The Progress Review at London Borough of Waltham Forest took place onsite on 7 April 2025. 

The Progress Review focussed on each of the recommendations from the Corporate Peer Challenge, under the following theme headings: 

• Theme 1: Investing in our people so they can deliver on our ambitions
• Theme 2: Strengthening partnerships to maximise our impact around shared challenges
• Theme 3: Building a strong culture of assurance and measuring impact
• Theme 4: Setting up Mission Waltham Forest for success

For this Progress Review, the following Members of the original CPC team were involved: 

• Kate Kennally - Chief Executive at Cornwall Council
• Councillor Kieron Williams - Leader at Southwark Council
• Florence Kroll - Director of Children’s Services at the Royal Borough of Greenwich
• Satvinder Rana - Senior Regional Adviser at the LGA 

In addition, the peer team was joined by Megan Hermes (Regional Advisor at LGA) as a shadow peer.

Since the CPC in June 2024, the council has been managing a demanding workload and significant changes, including adjustments to its weekly waste collection and recycling, turnover in its senior leadership team (SLT), and several inspections. Despite these challenges, the council has delivered impressive results, with no major issues arising from the inspections, and has made good progress towards its corporate goals and priorities - particularly in relation to completing landmark regeneration projects and mobilising focused delivery towards its missions in areas such as housing and community safety.

The peer team would attribute these achievements to the strong leadership provided by the leader and the chief executive, and collaboration between the Cabinet and SLT. The recent SLT appointments have brought stability, enabling the leadership team to align more effectively with the Cabinet’s ambitions. This alignment is fostering a mature and open organisational culture, which staff have positively acknowledged. Employees appreciate the genuine commitment to improvement, reflected in the council’s balanced approach to internal audits, external challenges, and recommendations. This approach combines robust support with constructive feedback, demonstrating a willingness to learn and adapt. 

Guided by the Leader and cabinet members, the council prioritises responsible long-term decision-making, civility in public life, and effective place leadership, all with a focus on residents. The council’s strategic vision and ambitions, encapsulated in ‘Mission Waltham Forest’ (MWF) serves as a flexible and context-driven framework that shapes actions and decisions. There is an opportunity to enhance public communication about MWF’s achievements, future goals, and stakeholder roles in its future implementation.

Progress in addressing temporary accommodation challenges through a collaborative council-wide approach has provided valuable insights into high-risk areas. While noticeable progress has been made, there is a need to fully embed these working methods across all areas.

The council’s pragmatic approach to partnership working is evident in its collaboration with strategic partners. Positive feedback highlights improved relationships with the police and education sectors, including initiatives to support the mental health of black boys and young men, and enhanced engagement with schools through events like the State of the Nation and safeguarding workshops. This pragmatic approach and collaborative model could be instrumental in addressing upcoming challenges with the NHS, where the council’s initiatives and strong position may offer valuable support to health partners.

Engagement with the community and voluntary sector shows promise, potentially paving the way for a reset of the community engagement board with broader partners. However, strategic collaboration with anchor organisations and businesses to advance the inclusive economy mission will need to be developed/strengthened, and the formation of the Inclusive Economy Board is a step in the right direction. While resetting the four strategic partnership boards is also a step forward, the broader partnership landscape under MWF requires further development and embedding.

Internally, staff engagement efforts are yielding positive results. SLT’s active involvement and the clear organisational development strategy are reflected in encouraging staff survey results, demonstrating the effectiveness of investment in staff development.

The council’s financial challenges, though not unique, underscore its collaborative culture as a key strength. Adapting its approaches to service delivery from, for example, direct housing delivery facilitation, highlight a commissioning mindset that prepares the council for a multi-year financial settlement. Learning from past efforts will guide the next steps in the medium-term financial plan (MTFP).

Overall, the peer team commends the council’s dedication to progress, strong leadership, and a collaborative spirit driving meaningful change. The council’s embrace of CPC recommendations and aligning them with its overall transformation journey was heartening. Of the ten recommendations, six are progressing as expected or are complete, while four are slightly delayed or taking a different trajectory.

Theme 1: Investing in our people so they can deliver on our ambitions

Recommendation 1: Work with staff (including staff networks) and Trade Unions to bring forward clear organisational development plans which are visible to staff and set out how the council will close the gender and ethnicity pay gaps and ensure that the workforce reflects the community at all levels of the organisation.

The council's workforce and cultural transformation programme addresses critical workplace challenges to support the delivery of its missions. With 26 projects at its core, the programme focuses on three key areas: building a diverse and engaged workforce, making the council an attractive employer, and fostering inspirational leadership.

The Autumn 2024 staff survey saw record participation, with 1,674 responses (63 per cent of employees) – representing a 10 per cent increase from 2022, including improved engagement among staff with limited digital access. Survey results are under review, with collaborative sessions planned to develop tailored departmental action plans.

A new performance cycle is underway, featuring a leadership framework. The interim framework for 2024/25 was shaped by departmental and staff network feedback, and this input will refine the final version for 2025/26, with an emphasis on employee growth.

The Future Pathways Apprenticeship Programme, designed to support care leavers - who face higher risks of unemployment and educational exclusion - is helping them transition into the workforce. A draft plan proposes leveraging the Apprenticeship Levy more strategically to align with local inclusive economy goals.

Progress on the inclusion action plan, launched in November 2023, is going well, with nearly half of its goals achieved. Staff survey results show improved perceptions of fairness and respect since 2022, though some concerns persist. By December 2024, the gender pay gap had reduced to 11 per cent, and the ethnicity pay gap to 15.1 per cent. Efforts to increase disability status declarations have been successful, and the council was a finalist for Best Diversity and Inclusion Employer at the 2025 Local Government Chronicle Awards.

The council is holding collaborative sessions with leadership teams to analyse survey findings and create an action plan for May 2025, alongside a communication strategy to keep staff updated. A new staff appraisal process, co-designed with employees, will provide clear leadership expectations, training, and resources to support career development.

With plans to become a leaner organisation, saving £7 million through restructures and staff reductions in 2025/26, the council’s commitment to supporting its workforce through this period of change, guided by the ethos of the workforce and cultural transformation programme and robust equality impact assessment, will be critical.

Recommendation 2: Take prompt action to ensure that the office and wider estate, and ways of working are supporting front line practitioners to meet the needs of more vulnerable residents.

The council’s asset transformation programme has assessed 54 properties within its corporate estate and is developing a new asset transformation strategy, aligned with MWF, for Cabinet approval in the summer. A four-year implementation plan has been outlined based on the review’s findings, subject to political and community engagement.

Feasibility studies are underway for six key sites, exploring potential projects including the creation of ‘welcome hubs’ at three locations, a mixed-use development featuring community space, and two temporary housing initiatives. Construction on the ‘Families and Homes Hub’ at Sunflower House is progressing well and is scheduled to open by year-end, providing a range of co-located services to better address local needs. Additionally, work has begun on a new civic building within the Fellowship Square development, facilitating the relocation of staff from other offices and enabling those sites to be repurposed, redeveloped, or disposed of.

Complementing the property review, the council is implementing a new ‘way of working programme’ designed to modernise workplace practices. This programme introduces four role-based working styles, aimed at fostering collaboration, flexibility, and improved responsiveness to residents’ needs.

Recommendation 3: Review support for councillors to ensure they are equipped for the varied roles they hold in the council, e.g. ward councillors, executive, scrutiny, etc.

The council has a member development programme and has been delivering a wide range of activities aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of Councillors. Key topics covered include scrutiny, effective councillor practices, CPC findings and recommendations, personal safety, menopause awareness, use of the Councillor Hub, community ward funding, and corporate parenting/safeguarding.

Following the annual member development survey, the programme was refreshed, and a personal development plan template was introduced to provide tailored support and enable a more customised approach to learning and development for councillors.

To further strengthen member engagement, a new Member design group has been established. This group serves as a platform for Members to contribute to the delivery of MWF, test innovative tools and approaches, and take a leadership role in community engagement. Additionally, a Member induction working group has been set up to plan and prepare for the local elections in May 2026.

Theme 2: Strengthening partnerships to maximise our impact around shared challenges

Recommendation 4: Review and reset the strategic borough leadership arrangements to oversee and coordinate the delivery of the six outward-facing ‘borough missions’ of the MWF. In particular, reset relationships with schools to deliver for the borough, ensuring that there is sufficient leadership capacity to work with local schools.

The council has made progress across several areas and has shared the findings from the CPC and other external reviews with key strategic partners to drive improvements. Plans are underway to establish partnership priorities, embedding mission-based working into a statutory partnership improvement plan under the guidance of the partnership’s executive team.

The peer team heard examples of how collaboration with partners has been strengthened to tackle major challenges linked to MWF and reducing inequality. This includes early initiatives involving the council, health, police, housing, education partners, and young people to improve the mental health of Black boys and young men.

Council leadership has deepened engagement with schools, exemplified by the State of the Nation event in November 2024, which brought together all schools. Workshops to enhance local safeguarding practices have also led to co-designed recommendations. Regular meetings with senior officers, headteachers, and governors are now scheduled, with half-termly updates for headteachers. The annual education conference in May 2025 has been developed with input from headteachers to align priorities effectively.

The peer team heard about new regenerative partnerships which are building on the council’s successful placemaking initiatives. Notably, the tri-borough investment model with Enfield and Haringey Councils aims to enhance the Upper Lea Valley’s appeal as a prime investment destination, fostering business growth and optimising the use of public and private funding.

The council is also exploring new approaches to working with health partners to address ongoing challenges in health and adult social care. While operational delivery, funding, and long-term planning with NHS colleagues remain complex, the council is committed to strengthening these partnerships. Efforts will focus on formal agreements with the Northeast London Integrated Care Board and securing joint funding arrangements for Continuing Healthcare.

Theme 3: Building a strong culture of assurance and measuring impact

Recommendation 5: Ensure that SLT continue to embed, on a quarterly basis, a proactive focus on organisation-wide assurance, covering audit recommendations, risk management, and statutory officers’ assurance.

The corporate performance report, now renamed the Corporate Impact Dashboard, has been upgraded to more effectively monitor the council's activities. New key performance indicators (KPIs) have been introduced, including metrics for temporary accommodation and public health, to reflect current priorities. The dashboard now features 29 detailed ‘drill-throughs’ that provide deeper insights into metrics, incorporate equality perspectives, and offer additional context for high-level KPIs.

The dashboard is designed to highlight critical measures related to demand and cost pressures. Metrics are updated monthly, with service commentary provided every two months. A regular reporting schedule ensures updates are shared bi-monthly with SLT, informal Cabinet, and scrutiny committees. Additionally, a new bi-monthly integrated assurance process has been implemented, providing evidence-based oversight of organisational changes. This process is considered instrumental in ensuring deliverables, particularly required savings, are met to maintain the council's financial stability.

SLT now conducts weekly reviews of key financial metrics, including the number of children in care, education health and care plans (EHCPs), households in temporary accommodation, and other demand-driven services. These reviews enable SLT to promptly identify and resolve emerging issues.

Quarterly updates on audit, risk, and assurance continue to be provided to SLT. Despite the increased workload from four recent statutory inspections - Ofsted, SEND, Housing, and Adult Social Care - the council has maintained robust assurance processes by flexibly reallocating internal resources.

The peer team heard about efforts to align the strategic risk register more closely with MWF to improve oversight of risks and opportunities, ensuring proactive management of corporate risks. By consolidating audit and risk management within the same council service, reporting can be synchronised in line with Corporate Performance Committee recommendations.

Recommendation 6: Develop the impact framework for Mission Waltham Forest to identify shorter-term proxy measures against which to assess longer-term impact, which is reported formally to Cabinet.

The corporate impact dashboard tracks the goals of MWF using 90 key metrics. Following its launch, the dashboard was promoted through a comprehensive campaign and is now accessible to all council staff via the dedicated ‘Mission Explorer’ page on the council’s SharePoint. Training sessions have been conducted to equip staff with the skills needed to utilise the dashboard for evidence-based decision-making and impact measurement.

The ‘Mission Explorer’ page also features the ‘Research Explorer,’ which makes the resident insight survey more accessible for staff working on mission-based objectives. Additionally, the ‘Data Explorer’ provides a variety of dashboards and insights to help staff integrate data into their daily work effectively.

A benefits realisation framework has been established to ensure a clear and consistent focus on outcomes. This framework incorporates financial metrics to assess the success of the transformation programme and other strategic initiatives aligned with MWF.

The council should continue challenging itself in terms of delivery target as part of its continuous improvement journey.

Recommendation 7: Build on the strength of the capital finance function to support development of a robust approach to revenue management using the CIPFA five-star model.

The council has implemented a new assurance process to ensure effective monitoring and reporting of financial performance. Regular reviews are shared with strategic directors and subsequently reported to the council’s Modernisation and Transformation Board. Budget managers provide monthly forecasts and accompanying narratives, which are reviewed and approved by strategic directors. These updates are presented monthly to SLT and the Leader, with a comprehensive quarterly report submitted to Cabinet.

This has enabled a stronger grip on finances, greater transparency in financial information and better due diligence and ownership in financial management across the organisation.

For the 2025/26 financial year, the council has successfully achieved a balanced budget, building on the foundations of its Medium-Term Financial Strategy. This budget is designed to maintain financial stability while ensuring the delivery of essential services, particularly for residents in greatest need. Weekly reviews of key financial metrics, known as ‘bellwether’ indicators, are conducted by SLT to monitor financial sustainability. These indicators will be integrated into a broader benefits realisation framework that tracks both financial and non-financial outcomes across the council’s initiatives.

The assurance process has also enabled the council to identify early risks and challenges in meeting planned savings targets. A standardised approach is being employed to address these risks and develop new proposals where necessary.

In collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), the council is working to enhance the financial management skills of budget managers. This initiative aims to optimise resource utilisation and strengthen financial resilience. The partnership with CIPFA should continue to support these efforts throughout 2025.

Theme 4: Setting up Mission Waltham Forest for success

Recommendation 8: Ensure the delivery plan translates MWF and provides clear phasing and sequencing of activity and benefits, and takes account of the capacity, capability and engagement of middle managers as part of a wider organisational development approach.

The council has established a delivery framework to advance MWF through identified 'mission action areas' across the organisation. Priority has been given to areas with significant financial implications and high resident concerns, supported by additional resources to drive progress. One example is the council’s focused approach to addressing temporary accommodation challenges. This involves a coordinated plan, a progress-tracking dashboard, and a mission board comprising diverse representation. Key interventions include prevention training for teams and initiatives to support residents in securing employment and improving income. Early results indicate reduced unit costs for temporary housing and positive outcomes from these efforts.

To strengthen staff capacity and capabilities, the council is developing an internal communications and organisational development plan to enhance awareness and showcase the impact of MWF. Additionally, a new leadership framework is being introduced, with a particular focus on middle managers. This framework aims to pilot innovative approaches and build workforce capacity.

The council also plans to implement a diverse talent development programme to recruit and prepare staff from under-represented groups for senior roles. This initiative will focus on equipping employees with the skills, experience, and confidence needed to progress within the organisation.

Recommendation 9: Develop a clear narrative which tells the story of the council’s success and builds enthusiasm for the future, identifying how MWF will work and a focus on what success looks like for residents, business, young people and employees.

The council is developing a new communications plan, informed by insights from surveys and Member engagement. This plan aims to deliver evidence-based messaging and actionable content to effectively convey the story of MWF across diverse channels and platforms. The objectives are to clarify the mission's purpose, showcase successes, and inspire collective action, as well as fostering a sense of pride in Waltham Forest.

As part of this effort, the council will launch the Waltham Forest “Together” campaign in Spring/Summer 2025. Featuring creative ideas and engaging content, the campaign is planned to run throughout the year, offering information, encouraging community involvement, and supporting teams in achieving council objectives.

Recommendation 10: As part of the council’s transformation programme bring forward business cases for the investment in the social infrastructure - notably to promote the effective engagement of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector and business community.

The council is collaborating with VCS pilot tenants to finalise secure lease agreements and establish service level agreements to monitor the impact of social infrastructure. The newly formed Waltham Forest CVS, an independent representative body for the VCS, is making progress towards key milestones, including governance development and achieving charitable incorporation by spring 2025, with support from a dedicated CVS transition board.

Efforts are also underway to strengthen collaboration and understanding between statutory commissioning services and VCS partners. Two pilot commissioning projects - covering information, advice, and guidance, as well as befriending services - are introducing a new, more inclusive approach that enhances local VCS involvement.

Additionally, the council has developed an inclusive economy framework to harness the VCS’s potential in engaging communities furthest from the job market and financial stability to drive progress toward inclusive growth.

The LGA would like to thank the London Borough of Waltham Forest for undertaking an LGA CPC Progress Review.

We appreciate that senior managerial and political leadership will want to reflect on these findings and suggestions in order to determine how the organisation wishes to take things forward.

Under the umbrella of LGA sector-led improvement, there is an on-going offer of support to councils. The LGA is well placed to provide additional support, advice and guidance on a number of the areas identified for development and improvement and we would be happy to discuss this.

Kate Herbert (Principal Adviser for London) is the main point of contact between the council and the Local Government Association (LGA) and her contact details are: email: [email protected] Tel: 07867 632404.