Bexley’s Transformation programme is closely aligned with our MTFS, ensuring that finance staff are involved from the outset in the shaping and supporting of the delivery of transformation.

Financial resource has been currently prioritised to support the  development of the Children’s Transformation business case.

A successful campaign has recently been completed with a finance lead for the Transformation team being recruited and onboarded in August 2025.

We have now completed a review of the Spend Panel and the Assets Board.

With our Transformation Programme, we continue to actively seek new approaches and ways of working differently, that will avoid a reduction in service levels and reduce the financial and operational risks to the Council, whilst maintaining and improving our service offer for residents.

We have started new transformation activity with five key programmes and will develop more programmes over the period of the MTFS. This will be alongside ensuring we are managing our resources well, making the most of technological improvements, developing a programme of continuous improvement and finding new ways to join up services. 

Specifically:

We are already thinking further ahead with our recently published Bexley 2050 Vision with the Bexley Partnership and are developing a refreshed corporate plan from 2026. The Bexley Partnership is a collective of key organisations from the private and public sector (as well as headteachers representing Bexley schools), which has agreed 5 goals to which we will work together as a partnership to achieve by 2050.

The culture programme has begun with staff at all levels being required to include transformation objectives for 2025/26, a development programme for Deputy Directors, a new staff survey completed and work underway to develop a new target operating model and set of values and behaviours to describe our desired culture.

Once this is complete, the Council will begin to implement the new culture through key interventions such as a new Leadership Academy for Heads of Service and below launching in Autumn of 2025, and a review of our appraisal system in advance of the 2026/27 performance year.

In July 2025, Public Cabinet approved the Children Services Transformation programme which will continue to improve the outcomes for children, young people and families by:

The programme aligns with the wider Children’s Social Care Families First reform programme as well as the Children’s Schools and Wellbeing Bill proposals and will include work on a refresh of the vision for Children’s Services in line with this.

The culture programme aims to create a ‘one council’ culture, breaking down silos and improving collaboration across departments. This has begun with transformation objectives for 2025/26 implemented for staff at all levels, a development programme for Deputy Directors, a new staff survey completed and work underway to develop a new target operating model and set of values and behaviours to describe our desired culture.
 

Once this is complete, the Council will begin to implement the new culture through key interventions such as a new Leadership Academy for Heads of Service and below launching in the Autumn of 2025, and a review of our appraisal system in advance of the 2026/27 performance year.

Public Cabinet agreed the governance and programmes in July 2025. This followed an all Members briefing in May 2025. A report was considered by the Finance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny committee in July 2025. Updates on progress will be regularly reported to Public Cabinet.
 

The Resources Board is part of the governance of the Transformation Programme that receives reports on progress and risks/issues by exception reporting. (The Resources Board is a joint officer/Member board which has oversight of matters relating to the MTFS, which includes the Transformation Programme and its delivery.)

Our Council Transformation programme has a focus on a ‘one’ Council approach which is being progressed including:

With reference within the peer review to expanding our engagement with both Community and Voluntary sector partners:

Our Connecting Communities work, co-ordinated with our Staying Together team is building momentum and has good engagement from a variety of community, faith and voluntary sector partners to address early help and support on a wide range of issues for example physical chastisement. The aim of this programme is to enhance and co-ordinate a broad offer of early intervention and prevention work.