The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea ANNUAL REPORT

REPORT TO TAXPAYERS 2014

September 2014

INDEX PAGE

FOREWORD 3

1. INTRODUCTION 4

About the report The Royal Borough at a glance Context The Council’s mission Organisational changes

2. OPEN AND TRANSPARENT COUNCIL 6

How we performed in 2013-14

3. COMMUNITY AND LOCAL LIFE 7

Residents’ views Building a stronger community

4. A SAFER BOROUGH 10

Fighting crime and antisocial behaviour Parks police Environmental health

5. A CLEANER, GREENER BOROUGH 12

Keeping our streets clean Parks and ecology Leisure Climate change Transport, traffic and street improvements

6. A VIBRANT BOROUGH 15 Regeneration Culture Libraries

7. PLANNING, CONSERVATION AND HOUSING 17

Planning Housing

8. ADULT SOCIAL CARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 21

Adult social care Public health

9. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES 25

Keeping children safe Corporate parenting Educational achievement Children with disabilities and special education needs Children and young people in need

10. HOW THE COUNCIL SPENT YOUR MONEY 28

How our spending is funded Total spending on services Capital spending The balance sheet

THE COUNCIL’S KEY DOCUMENTS 31

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FOREWORD BY THE

LEADER Over 2013-14, I believe that we demonstrated a very creditable performance: we are still delivering on our capital ambitions for Kensington and Chelsea and still maintaining the quality of our services to residents despite another year of austerity. We opened a handsome new ecology centre in Holland Park, unveiled a new pavilion at Avondale Park and completed work on the new Middle Row primary school which is now the Ark Brunel Academy. We made huge progress on our new leisure centre and secondary school in North Kensington and on Olive House, our new children’s home at East Row. And while these projects were under construction, several others entered the pipeline. We have plans for a brand new Marlborough School, a major extension at Fox School, a new primary school at Warwick Road and a new library in North Kensington. As well as delivering the infrastructure the Royal Borough needs for its future, we continued to deliver good services – and in some cases improve them – despite a further decline of £8.5 million in our grant from central government. We are heartened by the evidence that the Royal Borough’s residents recognise these achievements. In the Annual Survey of Londoners 87 per cent of residents said we are doing a good job, 80 per cent agreed that we are efficient and well run and 64 per cent that we represent good value for money.

Even so, there is more to be done. We know, for example, that residents are far more worried than they used to be about the impact of major developments and they are worried too about the lack of affordable housing. In next year’s report to taxpayers I hope to be able to report measures taken by the Council to address these and other challenges. Thank you for your attention.

Councillor Nicholas Paget-Brown Leader Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

For thoughts and notes of Councillor Nicholas Paget-Brown, Leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, see his blog, Nick’s notes: http://rbkcleadersblog.wordpress.com/

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1 INTRODUCTION

About the report It is not a statutory requirement for the Council to publish an annual report to taxpayers but we have been publishing them since 2006. For us, it is a matter of good practice and one of the ways to show accountability to residents. The Report to Taxpayers 2014 looks back on the most significant developments and achievements in 2013-14. In it you will also find a summary of the Council’s full accounts, published in draft at the end of June 2014. We are keen to receive your comments on the report. Email or write to us please at:

serviceimprovement@rbkc.gov.uk, or

Service Improvement Team Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea First floor, Town Hall Hornton Street London W8 7NX

The Royal Borough at a glance

The media tend to describe the Royal Borough as one of the most expensive places to live and a borough of the rich and famous. The richest source of data, Census 2011, paints a more nuanced picture – that of a borough which is dynamic, densely populated, transient and cosmopolitan, with more privately rented housing than the average. Populated by many new arrivals, the borough is attractive to the affluent, but is also home to many vulnerable households and significant deprivation.

Following the Local Government Boundary Commission’s review of the size of the Council and its ward boundaries, the number of Councillors now reflects current and projected changes to the population and each Councillor represents roughly the same number of electors.

DID YOU KNOW?

18 – wards in the Royal Borough

50 – councillors representing these wards

Context At the time of writing, it is generally accepted that the economy has started to grow again. However, 2013-14 was still a year of continuing challenges for the Council, from ministers seeking to reduce the public sector deficit to increased pressures on services. By 2014-15 the Council’s gross revenue budget had seen a cash reduction of £38 million over four years and, allowing for increases in prices, a reduction of nearly 16 per cent in real terms. From 2010 Kensington and Chelsea has stuck to a demanding programme

The location of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in relation to London boroughs

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of savings. As a result of its prudent financial stewardship and sharing of services with its neighbouring councils (London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and Westminster City Council), the Council exceeded its savings targets and more than matched the loss of grant from central government. Thanks to this success, Royal Borough council tax payers had their council tax frozen for the fifth year in a row and also received a one-off £100 dividend. �� Read more about the Council’s approach to revenue budgeting in Budget Proposals 2014-15: http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/pdf/BP_2014-15.pdf

The Council’s mission

We want the Royal Borough to be a place where people of all backgrounds wish to live: an attractive, safe and diverse area in which residents, businesses and visitors have the opportunity to thrive; a place that is smart, creative and prosperous, with resilient and public spirited local residents who respect their neighbours and contribute to their local communities.

Kensington Town Hall

Organisational changes The pioneering initiative to share services with its two neighbouring councils has brought significant changes to the Council. Its services are now delivered on a tri-, bi- or sovereign-borough basis, as follows:

Tri-borough services

- Adult Social Care - Children’s Services - Public Health - Library, Archive and Heritage Services - A few Corporate Services

Bi-borough services

- Environment, Leisure and Residents’ Services

- Transport and Technical Services

Sovereign-borough services

- Most Corporate Services - Housing Services - Planning and Borough Development

The Council’s departments

More Corporate Services’ functions such as IT, legal, procurement, and revenues and benefits could be shared with the other two boroughs subject to approval of plans in autumn 2014. Tri-borough services are currently saving the Council about £10 million a year and thus helping to safeguard front-line services.

Kensington and Chelsea 31 March 2013

Employees in post (headcount)

2,332

Employees in post (FTE) 2,040

Spend on salaries (2013-14) £95 million

Key facts about the Council’s workforce

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2 OPEN AND

TRANSPARENT COUNCIL

The Council’s commitment to accountability predates the Coalition’s drive to make public bodies more open and transparent. It was one of the first local authorities to launch a ‘transparency portal’ and publish recommended information and data sets, including in a machine readable format. Visit the Council’s transparency portal here: http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/councilanddemocracy/transparencyinthecouncil.aspx.

Our policy is that Council departments should publish information and datasets unless that poses additional cost to the taxpayer.

Releasing data that shine a spotlight on spend is just one of the ways that the Council demonstrates its accountability to the citizens of the borough. Alongside established reports on the performance of the Council, mystery shopping and an array of consultation activities, there are other new ways to help local people scrutinise and engage with the work of the Council, from Twitter to Ask Nick events for residents to talk to and hear from the Leader of the Council. Find out how you can help the Council’s scrutiny function to hold decision makers to account. http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/councilanddemocracy/whatisscrutiny/howtogetinvolved.aspx

The Council shows that it embraces openness not only by making publicly available a wealth of information and data, but by making changes to service design in response to users’ opinions and feedback. The planned reconfiguration of social services for adults is a case in point.

An organisation which delivers several hundred services in a complex milieu of national restrictions and local expectations may not always be able to deal with all the challenges it faces to everyone’s satisfaction. But we are determined to keep the bar high. Our unprecedented enforcement activity, to protect residents’ quality of life from others’ building works, is one such example.

How we performed in 2013-14 Each year in July, we publish an overview of how the Council’s services perform. This year’s report shows performance against 128 indicators. Kensington and Chelsea: Performance Report

2014 is published here: www.rbkc.gov.uk/kcpr. Overall, the performance picture in 2013-14 is an improving one. Depart-ments met or nearly met 85 per cent of their performance targets. And, where performance is comparable with the previous year, they achieved the same or a better level of performance for 60 per cent of indicators. While performance trend is measurable for more indicators in 2013-14, proportionately fewer (36 per cent) have seen a decline in performance compared to the previous two years. Targets

Trends

Overview of 2013-14 performance targets and trends

64%

21%

12% 3% Met

Nearly met

Not met

Await data

54%

6%

36%

4% Improving

Static

In decline

Await data

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3 COMMUNITY AND

LOCAL LIFE

Residents’ views Residents’ personal concerns, perceptions of the Council and views on services are an important barometer for us. That is why, for the eighth year running, we have taken part in the Annual Survey of Londoners, which shows us how the Council compares to the rest of London. For full results of the Annual Survey of Londoners 2014 visit: https://www.consultation.rbkc.gov.uk/UploadedFiles/ASL14%20-%20full%20results%20report.doc In 2014, the top three areas of personal concern for Kensington and Chelsea residents were lack of affordable housing, traffic congestion and crime. For the first time crime was not the top area of concern and no other issue saw a significant increase in concern since last year.

DID YOU KNOW?

87% – agree that in the Royal Borough

people from different backgrounds get on well together

Kensington and Chelsea continues to outperform London in a number of universal services, including repair of roads and pavements, street cleaning, policing and street lighting. The experience of users of specific services, such as social care for children and families and libraries, is also better than the London average, as shown in the graph below. Education, leisure and sports and recycling facilities compare less favorably this year. We expect our capital programme (new and refurbished schools and leisure centers) and other work will go some way to improve these results in the future.

Annual Survey of Londoners 2014: Percentage of Kensington and Chelsea service users satisfied with selected services compared to the average for London

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Secondary education

Nursery education

Leisure and sports facilities

Primary education

Recycling facilities

Housing benefit

Adult education

Parks and open spaces

Libraries

Parking services

Social services for adults

Social services for children & families

RBKC 2014 London 2014

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Building a strong community Ward initiatives The Council has continued to invest in City Living, Local Life, our flagship initiative to encourage residents and community groups to work with councillors to develop practical projects which make a difference in their wards.

DID YOU KNOW?

141 – community projects funded through City

Living, Local Life in 2013-14

In 2013 we funded eight organisations to encourage people into training or employment, tackle isolation in communities and encourage volunteering and neighbours to get along. This included a grant to the Second Half Centre in the north of the borough; community cafes that train and employ local people; and the Goldfinger Factory under Trellick Tower which teaches new skills to the unemployed.

A City Living, Local Life event

For further information about City Living, Local Life and to find out more about what was achieved last year visit: www.citylivinglocallife.org

The Council remains committed to investing in the voluntary and community sector to deliver services on its behalf. We have protected the £2 million budget and made available an additional £275,000 to fund innovative projects in the voluntary sector. We have also made available additional money to support local groups during a difficult funding climate.

Employment and community learning From educating pupils and assisting the unemployed to helping older residents keep up with modern technology, the Council – with its many partners – has stepped up efforts to help reduce the number of people in the borough reliant on out of work benefits. In 2013-14, the number of Job Seekers Allowance claimants fell by 22 per cent (to 2.1 per cent). Activities included projects organised in collaboration with Jobcentre Plus to help over 50s back into work and with voluntary sector providers to deliver personalised employment support. For example, the Nova Workwards project has supported 26 previously unemployed residents into sustained employment. Acquiring new knowledge and skills not only provides a stepping stone to finding and staying in employment, it helps to improve the quality of life. An example of this is a course to introduce older residents to new technology through tablet computers.

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DID YOU KNOW?

3,381 – adult learners took part in

programmes in the 2012-13 academic year

Nearly half of all our adult learners reside in the most disadvantaged parts of the borough. It is encouraging that almost three quarters of all learners progress to further learning, employment or volunteering. As important as learning later in life, is preparing pupils for employment and the world of work. That is why the Council is supporting a tri-borough pilot in two schools in the borough to deliver an employability programme for 1,105 pupils. Through our joint work with voluntary organisations, 54 young people have been supported with their search for employment. So far, 16 of them have been assisted into work. We have also renewed arrangements for an apprenticeship programme which will provide 90 placements with a variety of employers between 2013 and 2016.

DID YOU KNOW?

36 – graduates on work experience

placements within Council teams in 2013-14

Supporting local people The Royal Borough’s credit union, YourCU, uses deposits to lend money to people on low incomes who might otherwise be unable to access mainstream banking.

In March alone, YourCU lent £60,000 to local people, many marginalised from financial services and often at the mercy of payday lenders and pawnbrokers. Not-for-profit Octavia Housing is now encouraging its residents to find out more about the benefits of joining the credit union, which has increased its catchment area to include the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, Westminster City Council, parts of the London Boroughs of Brent and Wandsworth.

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4 A SAFER BOROUGH

Fighting crime and antisocial behaviour Last year was a year of firsts. As a result of the strong partnership with the Police, the Royal Borough experienced the lowest volume of crime (17,960 reported crimes) in 14 years. Mirroring this, residents’ concern about crime also fell to a record low level1. But the Council hopes to do better still.

DID YOU KNOW?

58 – Police Community Support Officers

(PCSO) funded by the Council in 2013-14

With the PCSO scheme coming to an end, as part of the Metropolitan Police Service’s package of measures, a new matched funding scheme has been extended to councils enabling them to fund fully fledged police officers.

Officers on patrol in the Royal Borough

Believing that it can achieve a bigger impact on crime and fear of crime by investing in these officers, the Council has pledged an annual £1.4 million for 41 officers who will be deployed in 2014-15 and known as the Kensington

1 Crime is an area of personal concern to 24 per cent of residents, compared with the 43 per cent when the Annual Survey of Londoners was first conducted in 2007.

and Chelsea Community Policing Team.

DID YOU KNOW?

69% – of residents feel safe after dark in the

area where they live

36% – indicate there are places in the

borough they worry about visiting

Areas of particular success last year were reductions in robbery, pick-pocketing and bag-snatching and violence with injury. However, motor vehicle crime, violence against women and girls and domestic abuse still remain areas of challenge and thus a priority for the Community Safety Partnership. The partners organised events for residents and professionals promoting the White Ribbon and United Nations end-violence-against-women campaigns at Kensington Town Hall, St Charles Hospital and tube stations to raise awareness of the issues. In addition, services to prevent violence against women and girls were reviewed last year, to ensure they are effective and provide value for money. Findings of Violence against Women and Girls needs assessment were published here in 2014: http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/communityandlocallife/keepingthecommunitysafe.aspx

The Community Safety Partnership tackles crime and disorder in the borough in many other ways. For example, we assisted 796 households that were vulnerable to burglary to make them more secure. We also used funding from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) to work with young people at risk of becoming involved with serious offending.

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And we commissioned a number of services to support victims of domestic abuse and provide perpetrators with the opportunity to reform.

STOP THE TRAFFIK: A global initiative to fight human trafficking

The Council is also leading a two-year multi-agency programme to stamp out human trafficking both in the capital and abroad. Partners include agencies from Italy and Lithuania.

Parks police Each day of the year uniformed officers patrol the parks and open spaces in the borough during daylight hours to fight crime and antisocial behaviour. Some late patrols are also organised to tackle specific problems. Although they are Council employees, parks police have powers of arrest within the parks.

Owners of pubs, bars and clubs are making their contribution to safety in the Royal Borough. More than 60 have entered last year’s Best Bar None competition which encourages managers to make their pubs and clubs crime free and ensure that their customers do not disturb neighbours.

Environmental health Now a bi-borough function, these regulatory services are here to protect and improve the quality of life, health and well being of residents and visitors to the borough. For example, every year we investigate 10,000 noise and nuisance complaints and make 30,000 visits to eradicate rodents and pests. We know that construction works in the borough cause nuisance. To minimise the disruption for neighbours, a number of services now work together to manage the impact of these works.

DID YOU KNOW?

717 – requests to investigate housing

conditions in the private rented sector

244 – inspections made in licensed premises

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5 A CLEANER, GREENER

BOROUGH While our work on environment, leisure and residents’ services is diverse, everything we do is linked by a commitment to improve the quality of life in the Royal Borough, whether through enhancing and protecting the physical environment or by offering choices to residents.

Keeping our streets clean From regular street sweeping to huge clean-up operations, we have managed to maintain the borough’s very high standards of cleanliness. For example, only two per cent of sites surveyed had unacceptable levels of litter.

DID YOU KNOW?

4,800 – community order hours used to

enhance grot spots in the borough (removing litter and chewing gum and painting out graffiti)

And Notting Hill streets are pristine just hours after the carnival finishes. The massive clear-up on both Notting Hill Carnival nights was last year filmed by the BBC’s Keeping Britain Safe programme. We collect about 52,000 tonnes of refuse from 87,000 homes per year, approximately 25 per cent of which is recycled.

DID YOU KNOW?

£3,379 – the cost of sweeping and cleansing

100m of street

£56 – the cost of refuse collection per

domestic dwelling per year

Parks and ecology

The Royal Borough’s award-winning parks are enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. Ten national Green Flag awards, eight gold

London in Bloom awards and 14 It’s Your Neighbourhood awards were won in 2013-14. Our kitchen gardens project is going from strength to strength. What started off as a modest plan to beautify forgotten areas among the concrete of North Kensington has furthered a sense of community throughout the borough. More than 50 kitchen gardens have now been created, where over 1,000 residents grow their own fruit and vegetables. A new pavilion unveiled in March 2014 is the final part of a project to revitalise Avondale Park. A brand new ecology centre has opened in Holland Park and quickly proved popular with both children and

adults. Over 10,000 visitors were recorded during the year.

Kyoto Garden in Holland Park

“Looks like cows have done a good job clearing all the nettles in Holland Park”

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Leisure Last year we reported on the start of construction works to replace the outdated Kensington Leisure Centre.

Kensington Academy and Leisure Centre in development

As part of the £58 million Kensington Academy and Leisure Centre project, a modern, energy-efficient leisure centre will open in 2014, replacing the old centre and offering first-class sports and leisure facilities to be enjoyed by local people for many years to come. In the meantime, a transformed Chelsea Sports Centre opened in July 2014, following a £1.4 million refurbishment. The new sports hall now offers double the space with a new state-of-the-art gym, dry-side changing rooms and reception area with a fast track access kiosk. The Council runs a lively sports programme to promote healthier lifestyles. It has something for everyone – from everyday sport for staff members and ‘Active for Life’ sessions to targeted community activities.

Climate change The Council believes that in the future we may face: - more frequent flooding from

torrential rain, excessive run-off and overflowing drains;

- droughts and more frequent water restrictions;

- storm damage to property; - more variable temperatures; and - higher average temperatures,

which create a greater need for cooling in offices and homes and affect the health of the elderly and the infirm.

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges for the Council. We are pressing on with a range of measures, including advising residents and businesses how to be greener to

help reduce their environmental impact.

In 2012-13, we achieved a 12.6 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, compared with the 2007-08 baseline. Our target is to reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent by March 2020. Residents who want to be prepared for an emergency, including that caused by extreme weather, can minimise potential disruption by preparing a Home Emergency Plan available here: http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/communityandlocallife/emergencies/thehomeemergencyplan.aspx

The Council’s Greener Living Guide: useful tips for going green, available online and in libraries

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Transport, traffic and street improvements

DID YOU KNOW?

£6,508 – the annual cost of maintaining 1km

of road in the borough

Traffic congestion and poor air quality are both characteristic of central London. In response to residents’ concerns, the Council is deploying a range of measures within its power to help alleviate these problems, so. You can see the level of air pollution in your area by visiting: http://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/publicbulletin.asp?la_id=20&MapType=Google

One such measure is car clubs, as we believe that they offer great potential to reduce both traffic congestion and on-street parking stress.

DID YOU KNOW?

170 – on-street car club locations. The club

enables a person to pay only when using a car.

Another example is the permanent exclusion of traffic from the paved area at the southern end of Norland Road, to preserve a safe route for pedestrians and cyclists and a place for children to play and residents to meet.

We are concerned about local air quality as well as climate change, and encourage the use of sustainable methods of transport, walking and cycling in the borough. We have made four one-way streets two-way for cycling and added 23 new cycle hire docking stations. There are now 86 docking stations with over 2,000 bikes. With funding from Transport for London (TfL), we have extended the wayfinding scheme from King’s Road to busy areas around Gloucester Road and Sloane Street to help visitors and Londoners find their way around the borough. A website created to encourage more Royal Borough residents to get on their bike has won the Council the London Cycling Campaign's Digital Campaign of the Year: www.bikeminded.org.

Together with the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, the Council has secured funding to lengthen platforms on the West London Line which will allow eight-carriage trains and reduce crowding on trains and platforms.

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6 A VIBRANT BOROUGH

Regeneration For many years, the Council has been dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Royal Borough for future generations. An impressive programme of capital projects – from schools and new homes to the regeneration of North Kensington – has resulted. One of the Council’s flagship projects, Kensington Academy and Leisure Centre, is nearing completion. The Kensington Aldridge Academy will open in autumn 2014. It will meet the pressing need for a new secondary school in the north of the borough and plays a key role in the redevelopment and regeneration plans for the Latimer area.

Kensington Academy and Leisure Centre: scheduled to open in autumn 2014

Another project in the north of the borough is the redevelopment of the Wornington Green Estate. Led by Catalyst Housing, the first phase of this transformation, which will take eight years in total, was completed in May 2014.

Wornington Green Phase 1: a mix of private and social housing

The Council is also funding the £10 million refurbishment of the Royal Borough’s Grenfell Tower and a construction company has been appointed to carry out the work. Elsewhere in the report you can read about other capital projects. To read about current and completed projects visit: http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/newsroom/capitalprojects.aspx

By far the most ambitious local regeneration project is the transformation of the Earls Court Opportunity Area, a 77-acre plot of land spanning the boundaries of the Royal Borough and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. The project forms part of the Mayor’s plan for long-term development of the capital. Our planners are continuing to lobby hard for a Crossrail station at Kensal, to act as a catalyst for the regeneration of parts of North Kensington, including a residential development on the former Kensal Gasworks site. As the 2011 census demonstrated, the complexion of the Royal Borough is changing. One concerning aspect of this change is the emergence of a growing stratum of absentee property owners. They do not reside in the borough but can cause disruption as

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they seek to add value to their properties by extending them. The detrimental impact of such developments has become the number one local issue for many nearby residents. Section 7 below describes what the Council is doing to minimise such disruptions. Town centres and markets The Royal Borough is home to some of the most famous landmarks in the UK, with shopping areas and award-winning markets that attract visitors from all over the world. The Council takes a keen interest in local growth and actively supports the economic development of the borough. Examples of this range from grants for shop front improvements to the annual competition awarding young entrepreneurs.

Culture The Council not only supports a vibrant retail sector but also invests in a rich programme of cultural experiences that encourage all parts of its diverse population to be part of the local community – from museums and festivals to arts and dance events.

Nour 2013: with more than 60 events, the biggest ever programme

One such example is our annual Nour festival. Its varied programme is designed to appeal to all residents, but

particularly those of North African and Arabic origin, who comprise one tenth of the borough’s population. Now in its eighth year, our InTRANSIT festival provides exciting avenues for people of all ages to explore and enjoy the physical spaces and architecture of the borough. Last summer was another great year for Notting Hill Carnival, enjoyed by more than a million revellers over the two days. The Council and its partners again tackled efficiently the many challenges (such as public safety and littering) inherent in staging such a big event.

Libraries Our residents can now access books and events at 23 libraries across the Royal Borough, Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham. Almost 940,000 library visits were recorded in 2013-14 and the service continues to diversify and modernise its offer. There were 10 per cent more e-books borrowed, compared to the year before. More than 49,000 children visited the libraries to participate in an event or activity and more than 630 attended the homework clubs at Central, North Kensington, Brompton and Chelsea Libraries since the clubs’ introduction in autumn 2013.

DID YOU KNOW?

695,504 – items were loaned by libraries in

the borough last year

Reading groups remain popular, and attracted nearly 300 people last year. Kensington and Chelsea libraries hosted various successful events (including for the London History

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Festival and World Book Night) and organised projects such as Our Communities, Our Stories which brings together local schoolchildren and older volunteers.

Inter-generational project: A picture made by the children for the older people

By expanding its range of journals, Kensington Reference Library has become a notable intellectual resource for academics, students and the reading public – a go-to collection for the whole of west London.

And a much needed overhaul of Kensington Central Library is progressing, so that the library can continue to meet the needs of the community well into the 21st century.

7 PLANNING, CONSERVATION AND

HOUSING

Planning Regeneration of North Kensington and other sites in the borough is an example of how our planners work very closely with other departments to preserve the distinctive character of the Royal Borough and to meet local needs, for the benefit of the whole community. Demand for properties in the Royal Borough by overseas investors, consequential soaring prices, massive building projects and opportunist developers – combined with an essentially permissive national planning system – have resulted in relentless property developments which are now affecting the quality of life of our residents. That is why the Council is fighting hard for tougher controls on basement developments, super prime flats and for more affordable housing. Our new policies – fiercely contested by some developers – are soon to be the subject of a public inquiry. In order to put forward the new, more restrictive, policy for basement development the Council compiled a considerable evidence base, which includes listening to residents’ concerns.

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DID YOU KNOW?

106,000 – letters sent out to residents to

inform them about new planning applications received by the Council

64% – applications granted with conditions

36% – applications refused or withdrawn

before they were decided

We are also reviewing other parts of the Development Plan for the borough (known as the Core Strategy), such as design policies. This is to ensure that the plan is as up to date as possible and in line with the latest Government guidance. Reviews of our housing and employment policies are also continuing apace. Thanks to our proactive work to build a robust evidence base, we were the only council in the country to secure protection for our office accommodation across the whole of the borough, so that it cannot be changed to residential use as part of the freeing up of permitted development rights. An ambitious programme for the review of all our conservation area guidance is now underway. We will replace the current guidance, some of which is quite dated, with new conservation area appraisals. We aim to have this work completed in about three years with over 30 documents to review. In the spirit of transparency, we have widened public speaking rights so that more residents can address members of the Planning Committee. And our planning website has been simplified and is now easier to navigate.

The following graph illustrates the steady increase in the volume of applications dealt with by planners:

Planning applications: the rising volume of applications

Enforcement The Council is doing everything in its power to protect neighbourhoods from nuisance and disruption. We have strengthened our enforcement team to deal with unauthorised developments and other breaches of planning permissions. More enforcement activity has been carried out in the past year than ever before. This is sending a clear message that owners and developers must respect planning law and their neighbours.

DID YOU KNOW?

46 – enforcement notices served, requiring

unauthorised developments to be removed

4 – prosecutions, securing convictions in each

case

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Housing Our ambition is to be a borough with sustainable housing of outstanding quality which allows a diverse population to live as part of the same community.

Being one of the country’s most popular, expensive and densely populated places to live poses considerable challenges to the Council. We have tackled these challenges to deliver a service that enables our customers to realise their aspirations and make advantageous life choices for themselves.

DID YOU KNOW?

10,000 – properties managed by Kensington

and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation on behalf of the Council

Making best use of our stock

A quarter of our households live in social housing (which includes homes rented from the Council and housing associations) and demand for this type of housing will remain high. After consultation and scrutiny, the

Council adopted a new housing allocation scheme. The reform tightens local residence criteria, awards points to working households and gives priority to armed forces

personnel.

In order to avoid giving false hope of obtaining social housing, a number of people have been removed from the housing register, enabling the Council to concentrate its resources on assisting applicants who have a

greater chance of being rehoused.

World’s End estate

Our new tenancy policy sets out how the Council issues tenancies for the social homes it owns and which Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation manages on its behalf. Flexible tenancies have been introduced for new Council allocations enabling the Council to make better use of its stock. We continue to promote social housing mobility: 31 under occupying households were rehoused, six households moved from social to private sector housing and eight mutual exchanges were made between under occupying and overcrowded households. The Council will have the power to prosecute social housing tenants who commit one of two new criminal offences – subletting without landlords’ consent and failure to occupy the property as their only or principal home.

DID YOU KNOW?

30+ – properties taken back by the Council

since April 2013 due to fraudulent use

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Temporary accommodation and supported housing Changes to subsidy for temporary accommodation have made it difficult to find local temporary accommodation for homeless households. However, we continue to procure new units for temporary accommodation and placed 99 per cent of our homeless households in London.

No households are placed in (more costly) nightly rate accommodation unless absolutely necessary and families are only placed in short term bed and breakfast accommodation as a last resort. Housing Revenue Account By law, the funding of council properties must be separate from the rest of a council’s finances, so that rents and service charges from tenants cannot be used to fund unrelated council services. This is known as the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). In 2012, HRA subsidy system ended which means councils can now keep their rental income and use it to fund their housing stock (called ‘self-financing’). A revised rent model has been agreed for the HRA. By increasing 2014-15 rents by an average of 6.26 per cent, an extra £7 million will be generated over five years to reinvest in the

housing portfolio. Despite the increase, the average council rent in Kensington and Chelsea will still be just £118.29 per week, a fraction of the market rate. New homes and regeneration The change in the regulations governing council spending has allowed us to open the first newly-built Council homes for more than 20 years. Six new homes have been built in what was unused space beneath Greaves Tower and Holmfield House, as part of our Hidden Homes Programme. Similar opportunities will be sought out in the future as we explore further options to improve and build more new homes on our estates. Local projects delivering new homes for rent, shared ownership and sale are progressing. Work continues with Peabody Housing Association on the Silchester Garages site to build 112 new homes, with completion to be phased between November 2014 and September 2015.

A business plan for capital expenditure on the Council’s housing stock has been developed which sets out the short, medium and long term investment requirements.

Silchester Estate: Artist’s impression

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8 ADULT SOCIAL CARE

AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Adult Social Care The Council commissions and provides a range of services particularly to those in need of support: older people, vulnerable adults, carers, those with a disability, and those with mental health problems. We aim to provide a safe, efficient and integrated service.

Breakdown of social care services that the 2013-14 budget paid for (£65 million) Combining services with Hammersmith & Fulham and Westminster has enabled us to reduce the impact of budget cuts and protect front line services, while maintaining service standards. Levels of customer satisfaction with our services has improved on last year (please see the table below).

Adult Social Care survey 2013-14: provisional results

2012-13 2013-14

Overall satisfaction of people who use the service with their care and support

62.6% 66.0%

Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey 2013-14: provisional results

However, in common with other local authorities, the Council continues to

face reductions in central government funding and a growing demand on services due to demographic pressures and an ageing population.

DID YOU KNOW?

29% – projected growth of the number of

older people (aged 65 and over) in the borough between 2012 and 2020, according to Greater London Authority population projections

The Government has also responded to the shifting social care environment through the Care and Support Bill, which creates further significant change at the local level. We therefore need to be smarter about how we deliver adult social care. Tri-borough adult social care is being transformed to provide person centred, high quality care delivered jointly with health services in people’s homes and communities, while securing greater value for money. Aspects of the ambitious transformation programme include: preparing for the implementation of the Care Act in 2015; working more closely with the NHS2; making changes in care at home services; and making sure our care contracts are more efficient. Customer journey Underpinning these initiatives is the mapping of the customer experience of the services people receive to understand how it can be improved. Customers have confirmed that what they value most is being in control of their care, high quality staff,

2 The Government’s £3.8 billion Better Care Fund was announced in June 2013 to ensure a transformation in integrated health and social care

Aged 65 and over

49%

Mental health needs 12%

Learning difficulty

24%

Physical disability

7%

Other 0%

Mgmt and support services

8%

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coordinated services and clear information.

These findings and other staff and users’ feedback all help to inform the restructuring of the department and the design of future services. For example, overly bureaucratic processes will be reduced.

DID YOU KNOW?

4,400 – Kensington and Chelsea adults in

need received our services in community and residential settings last year

Targeted, preventative services The key to effective future delivery of social care lies primarily in further integration with the NHS. But other Council services (such as housing, leisure and adult education) also play a very important role in preventing problems from developing. And we need to make sure that our services are suitable for people with a wide range of needs – from providing extra care sheltered accommodation to tailored courses and sports activities. We have continued to work closely with health and voluntary organisations, such as the new Dementia Action Alliance, who often reach a wider section of the community than our own services, particularly the most vulnerable and isolated. By offering the right help at the right time, residents are making a better recovery from acute events, maintaining independence and being more self-reliant. Better Care Fund With the older population increasing, many people have complex health conditions that do not need to be managed in hospital settings. Better

Care is the national fund which helps local areas to provide support in a ‘joined up’ way. We use the funding to arrange social care packages at weekends as well as weekdays, so that people waiting to be discharged from hospital can return home as quickly as possible. We are also improving the way in which we give our customers intensive support for shorter periods of time through ‘reablement’ because there is evidence this helps them to improve more quickly. Reablement helps people after illness or injury to re-learn and practice particular day-to-day skills. Community Independence Service As part of the Better Care Fund, the Community Independence Service is being redesigned to ensure closer working with health services. This integrated NHS and Council social care team provides short term rehabilitation services to help prevent unplanned hospital admissions, support early hospital discharges and maximise an older person’s independence so that they can continue to live in their own homes. The team aims to provide urgent clinical input to residents at risk of an unplanned hospital admission or re-admission, within two hours.

DID YOU KNOW?

1,280 – older residents receiving home care

in 2013-14

The tri-borough home care service is being remodelled to ensure closer working with health services, so that residents stay independent for longer.

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Thanks to our Supported Direct Payment service, which makes payments for day care services on customers’ behalf, a wider range of customers are now able to use the ‘personalised budget’ who otherwise would not have been able to. Community-based services The proportion of older people living on their own in the Royal Borough is amongst the highest in the country. Many face loneliness and even food and fuel poverty. Loneliness itself has double the effect on early mortality than that of obesity and can also lead to early onset of dementia and heart disease. We are working with partners (such as Open Age, Age UK Kensington & Chelsea and the Health Dietetics Service) to respond to this emerging public health threat by supporting people to maintain their social links and creating environments that encourage social connections. For example, there is a wide range of lunch clubs schemes on offer – from affordable meals for over 50s in local pubs and restaurants to ‘Food and Friends’ for those residents who are unable to go out alone. The Council continues to fund a wide range of community based services for older people. For instance, Octavia Housing is redeveloping Kensington Day Centre which will become a modern community centre by 2015.

Second Half Centre at St Charles Hospital in North Kensington In September 2014 vital services for people with dementia will relocate to more flexible premises at St Charles Centre in North Kensington in order to meet demand and improve the range of services on offer. We are continuing to invest in the Learning Disability Resource Centre, which aims to equip customers with useful skills. Through the Multi Me project people with learning disabilities can use social networking in a secure web environment and, through a project with Nova, they can gain IT skills. Thanks to the partnership with Nova Innovation there have been more volunteering placements. As well as a rotating placement in the Learning Disability Team, the latest placements have included the volunteer centre and Portobello Rugby Club. This is proving to be a highly successful scheme with service users going from needing one to one support in the workplace to complete independence. We recognise that providing the right support and opportunities for carers is important, so that they can continue to care for people in need and to protect their Kensington Day Centre

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own health. Last year we developed new carers’ literature and services.

Our improved People First website is the first port of call for social care needs. http://www.peoplefirstinfo.org.uk/

DID YOU KNOW?

£789 – a week’s residential care for an older

person

£1,048– a week’s residential care for a

person with physical disability

£1,389 – a week’s residential care for a

person with learning disability Note: these costs exclude overheads and do not account for any client contributions

Public health The public health service transferred from the National Health Service to the borough in 2013-14. A significant amount of work has been undertaken so that action to improve health becomes an automatic part of the work and culture of every Council department. There has been increased uptake in the tri-borough Healthy Schools Partnership over the past year. Eight schools now have the bronze award and one has won silver.

A new contract has been secured for the

Stop Smoking Service (quits and

preventions), providing a wider range of

provision for less money.

A great deal of work has been undertaken to develop the Voluntary and Community Services marketplace to be better placed to respond to the borough’s requirements in the future. In the last 12 months, 117 candidates across the three boroughs have qualified as community champions, making them by far the biggest part of our public health team. The first Community Champions Conference was a success, and reinforced the importance of community resilience and action. About 60 volunteers are now working in World’s End and Dalgano estates.

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9 CHILDREN AND

FAMILIES

The Council provides children’s services through a tri-borough shared services agreement. The service aims to improve the lives and prospects of children, young people and families, providing support before problems become entrenched and protecting children from harm when this is required. We also want to ensure that all children have access to an excellent education and achieve their potential.

Many of the achievements in 2013-14, described below, have resulted from the sharing of

ideas and learning with our tri-borough partners, the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and Westminster City Council.

Keeping children safe

The Early Help service is working well with schools and other agencies to ensure that vulnerable families receive support before their problems escalate. A tri-borough Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is up and running. This service ensures that information held by social workers, police and health services can be collected and analysed quickly to assess the level of risk to children about whom we have safeguarding concerns.

Schools play a major role in ensuring children’s wellbeing. A dedicated officer has been introduced who supports our schools with their safeguarding practices. We have set up a new service, Support for Change, which helps parents whose children have been taken into care. The team helps parents address the problems which led to their children no longer being able to live with them, with a view to preventing a recurrence.

GCSE achievement 2012-13 National average

Five or more A*-C (or equivalent) including English and Maths.

80% 59%

Summer 2013 saw the Royal Borough placed second nationally for GCSE achievement. And with more than half our pupils in maintained schools speaking English as an additional language, we are proud that their results were similar at Key Stage 2 and even better than their peers at GSCE level.

A-level achievement 2013-14 National average

Achievement of A*-A 41% 26%

Achievement of A*-B 73% 52%

Achievement of A*-C 92% 77%

At A-level, the percentage of students achieving the top grades also increased and is well above national averages.

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Corporate parenting Corporate parenting means ensuring that children in care and care leavers are safe, healthy and succeed. The Royal Borough continues to look after a comparatively small number of children (98 at the end of 2013-14). This means that many vulnerable children are brought up by families (with support from services where required) rather than entering the care system.

The reduction in the length of care

proceedings (where the Family Court

considers a child's situation and decides

if a legal order is needed to keep

them safe) since 2012 has been maintained. Delays to

securing permanent placements in families for vulnerable children in care

are being avoided and the Council’s legal costs have decreased as a result.

The majority of the Royal Borough’s children needing foster care are now placed with tri-borough foster carers. This is being supported by a new campaign to increase the number of local foster carers. Twenty five new adoptive parents were recruited across the three Councils, increasing the number of options for children who need permanent families. The campaign has had a particularly positive response from Royal Borough

staff and residents. A £2.6 million state-of-the-art children’s home has been opened, replacing the old East Row home at Whistler Walk on the World’s End

Estate.

Olive House: the new children’s home replacing Whistler Walk

There is a national issue with ensuring good outcomes for young people leaving care. In the past we reported on the careers of care leavers at the age of 19. This year we are also tracking their progress at the ages of 20 and 21. Results indicate the proportion of this larger group of care leavers in education, employment or training has increased compared with the rate for 19 year-olds in 2012-13.

DID YOU KNOW?

24 – young people formerly in the care of the

Royal Borough are attending higher education (as of autumn 2013)

Educational achievement By April 2014, 92 per cent of Kensington and Chelsea schools were judged good or excellent by Ofsted, an increase from 82 per cent in 2012-13 (which was already well above the national average). The Council has invested heavily in new schools. In addition to Kensington Aldridge Academy, the new Ark Brunel School will open in September 2014 following a £12

Ark Brunel Academy

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million transformation of the former Middle Row site. Membership of the Mayor of London’s Gold Club for 2013 was awarded to Fox, Our Lady of Victories, St Barnabas and St Philip’s and Thomas Jones Primary Schools and Holland Park Secondary School as exceptional schools which succeed with all their pupils, especially the most disadvantaged.

Children with disabilities and special educational needs A major consultation has taken place with parents on their views of the current local offer of services and support for children with special educational needs. A comprehensive resource for parents describing the local offer is now being compiled, as required under the Children and Families Act.

Children and young people in need The Council is committed to improving the life chances and wellbeing of children and young people in need. We are meeting demand from vulnerable families who are eligible for 15 hours a week of childcare for their young children under the Government's targeted two year-old education offer. By April 2014, 152 two year-olds were allocated places. A further 75 children, who had since

turned three, are also benefiting from the offer. More families are expected to benefit from this targeted entitlement from September 2014 when the eligibility criteria expands to include more families with low incomes, children with special educational needs and those who have been adopted from care. By the end of 2013-14, 333 local families, experiencing significant problems and who sometimes cause problems for the community around them, had received support through the Troubled Families Programme. Significant numbers now have reduced involvement in crime or anti-social behaviour and increased school attendance. There has been a continued reduction in the number of young people who became involved in the youth justice system because of criminal behaviour, from 63 in 2012-13 to 33 in 2013-14. In February 2014, an Employee Led Mutual (ELM) started to deliver youth services to young people in the Royal Borough. This was through a Community Interest Company under contract to the Council. Existing staff have opted out of the Council’s employment and now operate independently in the new company called EPIC.

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10 HOW THE COUNCIL

SPENT YOUR MONEY

This section provides a short summary of our full accounts published in draft at the end of June and in final form by the end of September, after auditors have checked them for accuracy. To view the Council’s Statement of Accounts for 2013-14 please go to: http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/councilanddemocracy/howthecouncilmanagesmoney.aspx#statements

Our strong financial management was again this year endorsed by the ‘AAA’ credit rating by the ratings agency Standard & Poor's.

For the Council’s latest financial plans, please see our latest Budget Proposals document: http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/budgetproposals

Despite continuous cuts in its main sources of revenue over the past few years, the Council has finished the financial year with balanced books, owing to major efforts to reduce operating costs. The borough will continue to benefit from sharing services with Hammersmith & Fulham and Westminster, thus saving on overheads and achieving lower procurement costs.

How our spending is funded The Council receives funding from the Government and from local sources. In 2013-14, the Government’s direct and indirect funding contributed to 62 per cent of our overall budget. Council tax receipts contributed just 17 per cent (£71 million) because the rates of council tax in the Royal Borough have been kept significantly below London and England averages.

FUNDING SOURCE 2013-14

(£ million)

Dedicated Schools Grant 74

Other grants, contributions and fees and charges

200

Revenue Support Grant 69

National Non-Domestic Rates 44

Council Tax Payers 71

Housing Revenue Account (Social Housing)

55

Total £513

Funding of revenue expenditure in 2013-14

The Housing Revenue Account for the provision of social housing is ring-fenced and operated separately (please see page 20).

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Total spending on services The Council’s gross revenue budget in 2013-14 was £513 million, including payments of housing benefit. Revenue spending supports a wide range of services available to residents, from street cleaning to schools and social care. (The Council’s Budget Proposals 2013-14 shows a lower figure as it excludes the Housing Revenue Account and various other transactions).

SERVICE AREA SPENDING 2013-14

(£ million)

Adult Social Care 76

Children's Services (including schools)

152

Environment, Leisure and Resident's Services

45

Housing Services 36

Housing Revenue Account (Social Housing)

55

Library, Archive and Heritage Services

6

Planning and Borough Development 9

Public Health 17

Transport and Technical Services 37

Corporate Services, including benefit payments

41

Adult and Family Learning Services 1

Other items, including interest and levies

38

Total service spending £513

Total spending on services in 2013-14

Capital spending We invest significant sums to improve our buildings, streets, council housing and make capital investments in services. Capital spending is recorded separately from spending on services, and in 2013-14 our capital investment totalled £67 million.

SERVICE CAPITAL SPENDING 2013-14

(£ million)

Adult Social Care 1

Children's Services 32

Environment, Leisure and Resident's Services

11

Housing General Fund 1

Housing Revenue Account 9

Library, Archive and Heritage Services

1

Transport and Technical Services 1

Corporate Services 11

Total £67

Capital spending in 2013-14

Capital expenditure in 2013-14 was funded mainly from the Council’s own resources, with £20 million of external grants and contributions. The Council is also planning to fund an ambitious capital programme – £160 million over three years – without any additional external borrowing. This is made possible by careful stewardship of our reserves over many years.

FUNDING SOURCE 2013-14

(£ million)

External funding (e.g. grants and contributions)

20

Internal funding (e.g. use of reserves, sale of assets)

47

Total £67

Funding of capital expenditure in 2013-14

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The balance sheet Our balance sheet is a snapshot of everything the Council owns (assets) and what it owes others (liabilities) on the last day of the financial year. The Council’s capital assets, such as land, offices, dwellings, roads, bridges and buildings under construction are valued at some £1.5 billion. The balance sheet as at 31 March 2014 is summarised below. Aside from pension liabilities, which are volatile and re-estimated each year, the overall position is stable with some increase in value of property assets reflecting the buoyant London property market.

BALANCE SHEET £ million

Long term assets 1,474

Current assets less current liabilities 197

Net Pension liabilities - 199

Other long term liabilities - 170

Net assets 1,302

Represented by:

Usable reserves 267

Unusable reserves 1,035

Total reserves 1,302

Balance sheet as at 31 March 2014

We hold reserves not only to pay for future capital spending, but also to meet any potential demands that cannot be foreseen, such as higher demand for services or lower income.

The Council has never drawn on reserves merely to balance its budget. As at 31 March 2014 we had £267 million in usable reserves, of which £62 million will help pay for our ambitious capital investment programme. Council reserves are projected to fall over the coming years.

--=O0O=--

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THE COUNCIL’S KEY

DOCUMENTS

Governance information The Council’s committee documents https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/committees/ Forward Plan of Key Decisions www.rbkc.gov.uk/councilanddemocracy/howwemakedecisions/forwardplan.aspx Scrutiny www.rbkc.gov.uk/councilanddemocracy/whatisscrutiny.aspx Annual Scrutiny Report http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/councilanddemocracy/whatisscrutiny/scrutinylibrary/scrutinyannualreports.aspx Council performance (including the Kensington and Chelsea Performance Report) www.rbkc.gov.uk/councilanddemocracy/performance/performancemonitoring.aspx Council finances (including the Statement of Accounts, capital programme and Revenue Budget) www.rbkc.gov.uk/councilanddemocracy/howthecouncilmanagesmoney.aspx Whistleblowing (Whistleblowing Policy and Anti-fraud and Corruption Strategy) http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/businessandenterprise/sellingtothecouncil/whistleblowing.aspx Consultation (including Vital Messages - the consultation database) www.rbkc.gov.uk/councilanddemocracy/consultation.aspx

Strategies and plans Budget Proposals 2013-14 www.rbkc.gov.uk/budgetproposals Community Strategy 2008-18: The Future of Our Community (including A Picture of Our Community) http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/voluntaryandpartnerships/kcp/publicationsanddocuments.aspx Violence Against Women and Girls Needs Assessment January 2014 http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/communityandlocallife/keepingthecommunitysafe.aspx Joint Strategic Needs Assessment www.rbkc.gov.uk/voluntaryandpartnerships/healthandwell-being.aspx Tri-borough Public Health Report 2013-14 http://transact.westminster.gov.uk/docstores/publications_store/healthandsocialcare/tri-borough-public-health-report.pdf A Bright Future for Us All: An Older People’s Strategy for Kensington and Chelsea 2007-17 www.rbkc.gov.uk/voluntaryandpartnerships/jsna/currentstrategyandresearch/olderpeoplesstrategy.aspx Housing Strategy 2013-17 http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/PDF/Housing%20Strategy%202013%20to%202017.pdf Tenancy Strategy and Tenancy Policy http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/housing/informationonsocialhousing/socialhousingintheborough.aspx Planning policies (including the Core Strategy) www.rbkc.gov.uk/planningandconservation/planningpolicy.aspx Annual Parking and Enforcement Report 2013 http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/environmentandtransport/parking/annualparkingreports.aspx Visitor Strategy 2009-20 http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/pdf/VISITOR%20POLICY.pdf

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Arts and Culture Policy 2009-20 www.rbkc.gov.uk/leisureandlibraries/cultureservice/artsandculturepolicy.aspx Climate Change Strategy 2008-15 http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/environmentandtransport/climatechange/climatechangestrategy.aspx

Air Quality Action Plan 2009-14 http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/environmentandtransport/airquality/reportsanddocuments.aspx

Published by:

Service Improvement Team

Policy and Partnerships Unit Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Town Hall Hornton Street

London W8 7NX

serviceimprovement@rbkc.gov.uk

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