Priority 2: getting the basics right
Residents should be able to rely on us for the things that matter most. A decent home, support that arrives at the right time for the people who need it most, children who are healthy, learning and supported to do well and a clear, honest response when something goes wrong.
Getting the basics right means dependable services, someone taking ownership of a problem, and learning when we fall short.
What we will continue and improve
We will:
- deliver high-quality services that keep residents safe and meet their adult social care needs in a timely way
- identify opportunities to improve residents’ experiences and support them to live independently
- work with schools to improve attendance, reduce persistent absence and exclusions and strengthen support for children with special educational needs and disabilities
- provide homelessness prevention earlier through advice, training, employment support, financial advice and reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation
- meet requirements of Awaab's Law, which requires social landlords to investigate and fix dangerous property hazards such as damp, mould and other serious hazards within strict timeframes, telling residents clearly how their case will be handled
- act on the resident-led end-to-end review of complaints to build an approach residents have confidence in
What we commit to
We will:
- Work to ensure residents’ homes are safe and comply with the Decent Homes standard by 2030, continuing major improvement works across the borough
- Continue the resident co-designed refurbishment of Lancaster West Estate, including providing low-carbon heating and hot water to homes and community buildings across Notting Dale
- Commission an independent review of council culture, publish its findings in 2027 and act on what it tells us
- Provide 65 extra care homes at Lots Road and identify opportunities for specialist and supported accommodation at council-owned sites, such as Kingsbridge Road and Princess Beatrice House
- Support children and families, providing the right help at the right time, from the earliest years through to adulthood, helping every child get the best start in life and thrive as they grow
How we will show success
The full set of indicators and targets sitting behind these measures will be published in our performance framework.
This will include:
- continued strong levels of resident trust in the council (2026 Resident Survey baseline of 87%) and increase the view that the council has a good understanding of the needs of the community (2026 Resident Survey baseline of 73%)
- increase the numbers of people supported to live more independently
- decrease attainment gaps between different groups of children
- increase school attendance levels including reducing levels of persistent and severe absentees
- increase the number of young people in education, employment or training by 2030
- reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation including households with children
- bring all council homes up to the Decent Homes standard by 2030
- increase tenant satisfaction rates with the overall service from their landlord and ensure their home is well-maintained