A Local Government Association (LGA) ‘peer challenge’ found the council had strong political and organisational leadership – and a clear focus on achieving equity and justice, which “shines through” Lambeth’s ambitious masterplan for the borough.
The LGA team also reported that Lambeth was making sustained progress on improving performance in key public services such as Housing and Children’s Services.
The LGA visited Lambeth in November and carried out a ‘Corporate Peer Challenge’, the results of which will be considered by the Council’s Cabinet on February 24. Cabinet members will also consider an action plan for carrying out the recommendations.
The peer team reported that the council has shown strong leadership on climate change and net zero, and is leading from the front with innovative practice common. The report also finds that the council has worked hard to mitigate the significant financial challenges it faces, in common with other local authorities, but recommended that it go further and faster to ensure the council’s future financial stability.
“Lambeth has a clear and ambitious borough plan, Lambeth 2030, in which equity and justice shines through,” the Peer Challenge report concluded. “The vision is well-understood by members, staff and key partners alike, and is underpinned by a new performance framework which the recently established Communities, Governance and Change (CGC) directorate is working with service directorates to embed.”
Peer reviews are a voluntary assurance and improvement process that local authorities are encouraged to undertake. The LGA Peer Team at Lambeth included Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Chief Executive Stephen Evans and Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, Leader of Hounslow Council.
Word from the Cabinet
Cllr Claire Holland, Leader of Lambeth Council, said: “Hosting this review brings a fresh perspective to look at how we work, how we prioritise and where we must increase the pace of our work. There’s some really useful feedback here.
“As well as that as part of their feedback the review team highlighted that Lambeth’s greatest strength is the diversity of its workforce and its elected members, that partnership working is a key strength and that equity, diversity and inclusion is a clear focus through Lambeth 2030’s golden thread of equity and justice.
“I thank the peer review team for their time and look forward to taking our work to the next level to deliver for our residents.”
The council asked the LGA peer team to provide advice and insight on how the council could continue to drive delivery to realise the ambitions of Lambeth 2030 given the council’s significant financial pressures.
To do that the review team looked a wide range of documents and held interviews and focus groups with more than 90 people including senior council leaders, frontline staff, anchor institutions, as well as voluntary and community sector partners and residents.
The LGA team also identified “solid political leadership and stability at the Council and good relationships between officers and members”, and said Lambeth’s role in several partnerships across the community was “a key strength for the Council”.
The report added: “The Council was noted to have strong political stability, and the Leader and Cabinet were widely praised, with Cabinet members described as ‘having a keen interest, in-depth understanding of their areas, and supportive’.”
The council action plan sets out the council’s response in four themed areas – with key actions under each recommendation made by the peer review team. They will return to Lambeth for a follow-up review and to observe progress against the actions in the Autumn.
