Issue - meetings

The purpose of this report is to provide Cabinet with an end of year summary of Brent Council’s performance for 2025/26. Throughout 2025/26, Cabinet has received detailed quarterly performance reports, highlighting the latest performance position, key drivers and actions being taken where required. This report represents the final update for the year 2025/26, providing a broad end-of-year assessment across each Borough Plan priority. This summary focuses on overall progress across 2025/26, key achievements, common themes and areas requiring continued focus.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)  To consider and endorse the 2025-26 performance set out in section 3 of the report.

Councillor Gwen Grahl (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources) introduced a report from the Corporate Director of Service Reform and Strategy presenting an end of year summary of Brent Council’s performance across the Borough Plan for 2025-26.

In presenting the summary, Councillor Grahl began by acknowledging that, whilst areas for improvement remained, progress continued to be made in terms of the improvements in performance identified and number of indicators meeting their target particularly in relation to the services used and relied on residents on a daily basis.

Further detailing the improved performance, Councillor Grahl confirmed that data showed that the Cleaner, Greener Future priority ended the year with no red indicators. Road repairs were completed on time, fly-tipping clearance and enforcement was strong, recycling rates remained above target and household waste continued to fall. Longer-term progress was also being made with increased bike hangars and School Streets, improvements to Council homes and a 71.9% reduction in emissions from the Council’s own estate and operations since 2010.

Other areas of improvement were detailed, including libraries which had welcomed more than 1.2m visits and issued 900,000 books and downloads; the reach of grants and resident forums / community programmes; the performance of Community Hubs; nearly 4,000 health checks delivered across more than 790 community health events by Brent Health Matters alongside new birth visits and reablement performing strongly which she highlighted reflected prevention in practice, bringing support into communities and building trust to avoid crisis. For children and young people, Family Wellbeing Centres continued to reach families across the borough, Brent Youth Parliament had exceeded expectations with education, employment and training outcomes for looked after children and care leavers having also improved.  Whilst recognising the progress made, Councillor Grahl acknowledged that there were areas requiring further focus with the Council aware of the issues to be addressed and open about the improvements required.

In summing up, Councillor Grahl felt that the report presented a Council that continued to deliver and perform despite the significant financial pressures identified as well as being an organisation that continued to learn, adapt and focus on results. She signalled that the upcoming Council Plan provided an opportunity to build on the progress made, break down silos and ensure resources were concentrated on areas that mattered most to residents.

Cabinet endorsed the 2025-26 performance report, commending the performance against Cleaner, Greener Future targets which reflected strong and sustained delivery across core environmental services and continued progress on long-term climate and active travel ambitions. They also welcomed the preventative strategy towards health and wellbeing which was supported by the Brent Health Matters programme.

In recognising the progress made and acknowledging the areas of focus going forward around housing indicators and Adult Social Care assessment timeliness and responsiveness, Cabinet RESOLVED to endorse the 2025-26 performance reporting set out in section 3 of the report.