We Asked, You Said, We Did

Havering Council carried out a survey between 14 February and 14 March 2025 to seek views that will help guide and improve our future prevention services for the community. 

The Council commissions prevention services to support our residents in maintaining their independence and engage with activities and services that enhance their quality of life.  We are embarking on a new approach to commissioning prevention services which builds upon this work by reducing the need for more intensive support, such as hospital visits or formal social care, and promotes stronger personal resilience among the people of Havering.

261 responses were received to the consultation.

237 people told us the types of support they received that helped them avoid the need for more intensive services such a GP, Hospital, Social Care and Police.  They could choose as many options as they wished, the top three were: 

• Information and advice (169)
• Peer Support/Activity Groups/Respite (148)
• Emotional support (93).

190 people said that when they used more than one service at a time, they: 

• Received all the support they required in a timely manner (182)
• Found it difficult to navigate multiple services (7)
• Experienced lengthy waiting times due to being signposted to another organisation (5)
• Received conflicting advice (1)
• Other (4)

249 people told us whether they felt prevention services have helped them maintain their independence:

• 231 people said it had helped them
• 15 people were not sure
• 3 people said that it hadn’t helped them

Respondents told us the type of prevention services they would like to see in Havering:

• Autism Support:  Services for adults with autism, centrally located, with trained staff.
• Housing and Accommodation:  Assistance in accessing appropriate housing or sheltered accommodation.
• Shopping Assistance:  Help with shopping needs.
• Local Drop-In Centres:  More local drop-in centres for easy access to services.
• Mental Health Support:  At-home or chosen location mental health support. Bereavement groups, trauma therapy, and buddy schemes for anxious individuals.
• Information Accessibility:  Easier access to information, less confusing online resources. More one-to-one services and better advertisement across the borough.
• Exercise Classes:  More exercise classes, including chair yoga, seated yoga, tai chi, boccia, and dancing. Classes for balance, coordination, and general well-being.
• Counselling and Social Groups:  Counselling support and social groups.  More social activities, especially at weekends.
• Pavement and Walkway Improvements:  Better condition of pavements and walkways for mobility issues.
• Clinical Pharmacist:  Availability of a clinical pharmacist in medical centres for medication reviews.
• Complementary Therapies:  Reflexology and massage embraced in the NHS.
• Healthy Eating:  Activities to promote healthy eating and combat loneliness.
• Service Awareness:  Better advertisement of services in libraries, supermarkets, and various media.
• Medical Hubs:  Offering face-to-face contact in medical hubs.
• Independence Support:  Services to help older people remain independent and out of hospitals.
• Falls Prevention:  More falls prevention services and classes.
• Fraud Prevention:  Scam advice lines and courses on computer and phone scams.
• Gardening and Housework Support:  Practical support for gardening, housework, and shopping.
• Men's Groups:  Support groups for men.
• IT Support:  More accessible IT support and basic tuition in IT skills.
• Bereavement Support:  Easier access to bereavement support and counselling.
• Social and Craft Groups:  More social and craft groups, especially at weekends.
• Social Isolation:  Services to prevent isolation and loneliness, more social gatherings.
• Physical Wellbeing:  Classes for breathing, balance, pain management, and general well-being.
• Community Wellbeing:  Holistic collaborative support to enhance community wellbeing.
• Continuation of Existing Services:  Continuation and better advertisement of existing services.

212 people told us that they would like services local to where they live, with 43 people saying they would like services in Central Romford.

Respondents also told us what type of activities they would like to see become part of prevention services:

• Exercise Classes: Including chair-based exercises, Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, dance, walking groups, and seated exercise talks.
• Social Activities: Coffee mornings, social clubs, peer support groups, organised trips, and community meeting places.
• Health and Wellbeing: Relaxation classes, self-help massage, knowledge sharing on health issues, and preventative help on common complaints.
• Creative Activities: Craft activities, painting, sketching, and singing for fun groups.
• Educational Support: IT advice, fraud prevention, and educational courses for the 50 plus age group.
• Counselling and Support: Counselling for anxiety and depression, social groups, and alternatives to A&E.
• Specialised Programs: Di's Diamonds, Everyone Active, Age UK, and dementia carer support.

Your feedback has provided valuable insights into the current state of prevention services and the needs of the community. The results highlight the importance of exercise classes, social interaction, mental health support, and practical assistance in helping individuals maintain their independence and avoid more intensive services. Additionally, your feedback emphasises the need for better accessibility, awareness, and continuity of services.

This survey feedback has formed part of a wider engagement piece that was undertaken with service users and commissioned providers and has identified key areas for improvement, such as increasing the availability of exercise classes, enhancing social interaction and mental health support, and improving communication about available services.

The overall feedback will be used to inform the development of Havering’s new prevention services which aim to address these needs, and better support the community in maintaining their independence and overall well-being.

We carried out a consultation between 25 November 2024 and 17 January 2025 to seek views on Havering’s draft Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2025-29.

VAWG is deeply linked to gender inequality and can have a huge impact on individuals and society. While most victims and survivors are women and girls, people of any gender can experience these types of abuse.

We asked respondents to share their knowledge, understanding and perceptions of VAWG to help shape our services going forward and ensure our draft strategy supports our residents and their needs and makes Havering a safer place to live.

157 responses were received to the online consultation:

• Connection to Havering: 63.06% of respondents live in Havering, 32.48% are educated there, and 24.84% work in the area
• Gender Identity: 89.17% of respondents identify as female, 7.64% as male, and smaller proportions identify as non-binary or prefer not to disclose their gender.
• Sexual Orientation: 78.98% identify as straight or heterosexual, 9.55% as bisexual, and smaller proportions identify as gay or lesbian or prefer not to disclose.
• Faith: 48.41% identify as Christian, 33.12% as having no religion, and smaller proportions identify as Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, or prefer not to disclose.
• Disability or Health Condition: 24.84% reported having a disability, impairment, or health condition.
• Age: Most respondents fell into the age brackets of 16-17 (36.31%), 55-64 (17.83%), and 45-54 (11.46%).
• Locations of VAWG: Home was the most common setting (37.58%), followed by public transport (26.11%), town centres (7.64%), open spaces (7.01%), pubs, bars or restaurants (5.73%), and work (2.55%).
• Engagement with VAWG Services: 12.10% of respondents had used VAWG services in the last 12 months, with Havering Women’s Aid being the most accessed.
• Critical Issues: The top three issues identified were sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and stalking and harassment.
• Key Needs: The top three areas of focus included the provision of counselling and mental health services (68.15%), education and prevention programs (64.33%), and emergency shelters or refuges (62.42%).

Havering's Cabinet met on 9 April 2025 and agreed the Havering Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2025-29 and Action Plan.

As a direct result of your feedback, our actions include:

• Enhance community outreach and awareness.
• Improve access to counselling and mental health services.
• Strengthen emergency shelters and refuges.
• Implement education and prevention programs.
• Enhance legal assistance and understanding of rights.
• Support perpetrator change programs.
• Address critical issues identified in the survey.
• Improve engagement with VAWG services.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of VAWG services.
• Collaborate with various stakeholders.

An action plan has been developed which includes the findings, key areas of enquiry, and recommendations highlighted from the consultation survey which aim to improve the overall response to VAWG in Havering. The VAWG strategic partnership will take ownership of the action plan and support its delivery.

Please see the full Public Document Pack Here which includes the consultation report, action plan and equalities and health impact assessment.

Havering Council launched a consultation on our Budget 25-26 draft proposals, from 22 November 2024 to 3 January 2025, which set out how the Council propose to save money whilst still providing vital public services.  We asked for feedback on how these proposals would affect Havering’s residents.  We also held a public event on Wednesday 18 December 2024 which was attended by 14 people.

At the time the consultation was published, we were predicting a budget gap of around £74 million and we explained that Havering is in this position as the funding we receive from government no longer meets rising costs and the borough’s changing population and that, as in recent years, we knew we would have to make some difficult decisions during the setting of the 25-26 budget to ensure money is directed to where it is needed most.

We also explained how we continue to lobby the government for a fairer funding deal which accurately reflects the changing population and needs in Havering and asked residents to help us by signing our petition and writing to their local MP. 

608 responses were received to the consultation, which included 25 paper copies.

• The three most important issues that respondents felt Havering is likely to face in the next year by weighted rank are: Crime and Community Safety (14.9%), The Economy and Cost of Living (14.4%) and Increasing Population Levels (14.1%).

• The three most important issues that respondents are personally most concerned about are: Cleanliness of Street and Local Area (17%), Anti-Social Behaviour in My Community (14%) and Paying Bills/Rent/Mortgage (10%).

Residents were asked if they would support an increase in Council Tax.  We did not include any particular assumptions on a Council Tax increase but provided an illustration of how a 5% increase in Council Tax would mean an increase of £1.66 per week on an average Band D property in the borough:

• • 40% supported an increase of up to 5%
  • 15.5% supported an increase of 5% or above
  • 41% did not support an increase

Respondents were asked if they would support a Council Tax premium for second homes which have been empty and furnished for more than twelve months in the same way as empty and unfurnished properties:

• 80% supported charging a premium
• 13% did not support charging a premium

We asked for feedback on our proposals which we grouped into themes:

Council Tax Increases:  Many comments expressed concerns about the affordability of council tax increases, especially for pensioners and low-income households. There was general sentiment that any increase above 5% would be unaffordable to many residents.

Empty and Second homes:  There were mixed opinions on charging a premium for empty and second homes. Some believed that second homes are a luxury and should be taxed if left empty, while others want exceptions in cases like long-term hospital stays, care homes or probate delays.

Council Efficiency and Spending:  Some comments highlighted the need for the council to improve efficiency and reduce wasteful spending. Suggestions included better management of council resources, reducing high salaries, and cutting down on unnecessary projects.

Social Care and Essential Services:  There was an emphasis on the importance of funding essential services such as social care, policing and education. Some residents were willing to support a council tax increase if it ensured the maintenance or improvement of these services.

Fairness and Equity: The theme of fairness was prevalent, with many comments suggesting that council tax should be based on the ability to pay.

Government Funding: A recurring theme was the need for increased government funding to support local councils to alleviate the burden on local taxpayers

Havering's Cabinet met on 26 February 2025 and agreed proposals for the Council's 2025-26 budget.

As a direct result of feedback:

• Council tax will be increased by 4.99% from 1 April 2025
• The Council will continue to invest in safety with a new CCTV system coming online and another year of funding for the section 92 police officers.
• Parks will continue to be maintained and the Council will carry on building homes for Havering residents through a number of different regeneration schemes.
• The Council will continue to invest in our roads, support local businesses through a new campaign, and ensure help remains for our most vulnerable through the cost of living challenge. 

Please see the full Public Document Pack Here which includes the 2025-26 Council Budget Setting Report.

Between November 2023 and January 2024, we carried out another round of surveys that built on and added further detail to the information shared by parents and carers in response to the ‘Havering: SEND Survey for Parents and Carers’ in March 2023. 

Using three separate surveys, one for children and young people, one for parents and carers, and one for professionals working within Havering’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) partnership, we sought views on how well the SEND partnership is promoting positive outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND and their families.

Where the earlier survey informed priorities linked to the Council’s involvement in the Department for Education’s (DfE) Delivering Better Value scheme, these additional surveys were used to inform the partnership’s evaluation of how well it is supporting children and young people with SEND and their families, and in turn, determine the priorities for its new SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy (2024-2028).

A combined total of 292 responses were received to the surveys.

Parents and Carers

We received 190 responses from parents/carers of children and young people living in Havering.

Summaries of what they told us can be found here: SEND Survey – Parents and Carers

Children and Young people

We received 29 responses from children and young people living in Havering.

Summaries of what they told us can be found here: SEND Survey – Children and Young People

Professionals

We received 73 responses from professionals working with children and young people living in Havering.

Summaries of what they told us can be found here: SEND Survey – Professionals

These responses and information from other engagement activities with children and young people, families and those working in the local area have been used to create the local area’s SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy (2024-2028), which sets out how the local area partnership will work together with the community to improve experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families over the coming years.

The Strategy, and the partnership’s Self-Evaluation, was agreed by the Council’s Cabinet in September 2024 and is now available to view on the Havering SEND Local Offer, here. 

We carried out a consultation between 9 October and 30 November 2024 to seek views on Havering’s upcoming new food waste collection service.

The government, by law, requires all local authorities to provide a separate household food waste collection by March 2026.  In response to these future compulsory changes, we asked residents to share their thoughts on collecting, separating, storing and presenting cooked and uncooked food waste to help us shape how a separate home food waste collection service would work.

1868 responses were received to the consultation which includes 47 paper copies.

Orange sacks

• 1849 respondents said that they currently use the orange sack recycling service (99%)
• 1567 respondents told us that they recycle glass in their orange sack (84%).

Black sacks

• The most common type of food waste thrown away in black sacks is: plate scrapings and left-overs (86%), followed by tea and coffee grounds (73%), meat, bones and carcasses (73%), fruit and vegetables (70%), bread and cakes (57%), dairy products (40%) and pet food (19%).

Food Waste

• Just over a quarter of respondents currently compost their food waste (26%).
• 1405 respondents said that they would use a dedicated weekly food waste collection service (75%).
• Of the 463 respondents who said that they wouldn’t use a dedicated weekly food waste collection service, the top three reasons were:  lack of space indoors (46%) and outdoors (31%), and a dislike of keeping food waste separate (37%).
• A quarter of residents who would not use the food waste service stated they do not produce any food waste.
• 174 who said they wouldn’t use the food waste service provided a comment, the top three barriers were:  hygiene and smell (45), already using their own composting methods (30), and jointly, vermin and pests (28) and not producing any food waste (28).
• 80% of respondents said that the provision of liners for their kitchen caddy would encourage or enable them to use the food waste service, followed by clear guidance on how to use the service (73%), information on how saving money may benefit the council (24%), information on the effects on the environment (21%), knowledge around benefits (17%), if they saw their friends or neighbours doing it (5%), other (4%) and if they had help from household/family (3%).

Havering's Cabinet met on 22 January 2025 and agreed the permission to delegate the purchase of food waste caddies and food waste vehicles to Havering Council’s Director of Environment, in order to introduce a borough-wide separate food waste collection service from October 2025 (please note that this date is subject to change due to vehicle manufacturing period).

As a direct result of feedback, we now have an action plan in place to ensure appropriate messaging is considered when rolling out the service, and will focus on particular concerns residents may have to ensure service guidance is fit for purpose. 

We will also continue to encourage home composting and overall waste reduction as a means of reducing food waste.  A decision on whether to use caddy liners or not will be made in due course, but will likely be influenced by financial considerations.

Please see the full Public Document Pack Here which includes the consultation report, Cabinet report and appendices such as costs.

Havering Council carried out an independent customer satisfaction survey between 1 November and 30 November 2024 in collaboration with the Institute of Customer Service (ICS), to help shape and improve our customer service.

968 customers responded to our survey.

The results have been received and have provided us with some insightful data.  We will publish your feedback once we have been able to fully analyse the findings.

Once we have analysed the feedback report, it will be used to shape and improve the customer experience.  More information will follow on any improvements we will be making.

We carried out a consultation between 16 October and 29 November 2024 to seek views on Havering’s draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFRMS) and to help us understand our resident’s personal encounters with flooding, and their awareness of the measures taken by the council and others that can help towards the prevention of flooding.

The strategy sets out the risk of flooding in the borough and the actions that the Council and other partner organisations such as the Environment Agency, Water Companies and Highways Authorities can take to manage the risk.  It focuses on the risk of flooding from small watercourses, surface water (the overland runoff after heavy rainfall) and groundwater.

48 responses were received to the online consultation.

• 44 responses were received from the public (92%),
• 4 were from other stakeholders (8%), which included the London Riverside Business Improvement District (BID) and the Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne (RBI) Catchment Partnership.
• The Environment Agency did not complete the online questionnaire but shared their response via email to the LLFA.  
• Thames Water did not submit a formal response but participated actively in the stakeholder workshops during the review of the LFRMS and Action Plan.

Awareness of flood risk

• 88% of participants responded that they were aware of flooding in the borough, and 12% of participants said that they were not aware. 
• 21% of participants had been directly affected by flooding in their property.
• The majority of the participants were very concerned about flooding in their community.  69% of the participants rated their concern as 5 (highest degree of concern) and 16% of participants rated it as 4, with 15% of participants rating it as 1-3 (lower concern).

Response to flooding

• If there was a risk of immediate flooding, 35% of respondents would contact three emergency responders: the Environment Agency, the Council and the emergency services. 
• Of the 40% of respondents who said they would use a single contact, 23% said emergency services, 11% said the Environment Agency and the council, with 17% of respondents not knowing who to contact.

Barriers to managing flooding

• The top three barriers were:  I don’t have the information I need (14 responses), I need more technical assistance (12 responses) and I don’t have enough time (5 responses).

Objectives

• The majority of respondents (81%) felt that there was a need for more public education on flood risks and preparedness.
• Respondents suggested a range of flood-related information and resources which included printed leaflets, social media posts, emails and text messages.
• Just over half of respondents (52%) understood the roles of different organisations, 20% did not understand them and 24% were not sure.
• 44% of respondents knew about the role the Council have in managing flooding, which was joint with those who did not know (44%), and 12% said they were unsure.
• 83% of respondents felt that the current drainage infrastructure in the borough is inadequate.  6% felt that is adequate.
• The use of sustainable drainage solutions (eg permeable paving, green infrastructure) in the borough was widely supported by respondents (83%), 2% did not support its use and 9% were not sure.
• Just over half of respondents (52%) said they would be willing to adopt sustainable drainage on their property, with 10% who would not be willing, 19% were unsure and 15% chose ‘other’.

Strategy

• Just over half of respondents (53%) understood what the draft strategy is about and why it has been done, 15% did not understand and 21% were unsure.

Action Plan

• The majority of participants (45%) felt that the actions were not ambitious enough, 23% were not sure, 21% were happy with the ambition and 11% felt that they were too ambitious.
• The actions which participants felt were missing from the action plan included:
  • Nature-based solutions
  • Collaborative working
  • Scheme to help homeowners implement measures on their properties
  • Community involvement

Practical Information and how to improve the strategy

Suggestions for additional evidence in the strategy included:

• • Statistics on flooding
  • Information on gully maintenance
  • How the Strategy aligns with wider London
  • Areas of flood risk
  • What actions will be implemented and who is responsible
  • What is already being done within Havering
  • Nature-based solutions
  • Yearly updates published about progress

Respondents also recommended how to improve the strategy, which included:

• • To be made more user friendly and simplified
  • To be organised into local areas
  • To include collaborative working

The consultation results are being reviewed and will be included in a draft report to inform our new Local Flood Risk Management Strategy.

Havering Council carried out a consultation between 3 October and 8 November 2024 to seek views on which social value projects residents felt are a priority.  We partner and collaborate with Havering's contractors who generously fund or volunteer their time to support initiatives that will make a positive impact on our community.

113 residents responded to our survey.

• The top three priorities that residents said mattered most to them by weighted rank were:  Employment Opportunities (63%), Supporting Green Spaces, eg Litter Picks (56%) and Energy Efficiency in Your Home Sessions (52%).
• Other priorities by weighted rank were Local Apprenticeships (37%), Sponsorship of Community Events/Groups (31%), Work Experience Opportunities (20%), School and College Engagement (16%), CV Writing and Interview Skills (11%), Supporting Start-Up Business Training Sessions (9%) and Other (5%)

We have reviewed your feedback with our contractors and developed an action plan. Our initial focus is on addressing your top three priorities, and as a direct result of your feedback, we are either working on, or having started some of the following initiatives:

Employment opportunities:

• Promoting Havering Works to both residents and contractors, with a focus on advertising roles for Havering residents.
• Working on integrating contractor job listings into the Havering recruitment website.
• Contractors have committed to hiring Havering apprentices for training.
• Contractors are actively attending school fairs, and offering work experience placements for students.

Supporting Green Spaces:

• Collaborating with the Where We Live campaign to identify areas in need of volunteer litter-picking and clean-up initiatives.
• A dedicated programme of clean-up days is being developed to enhance and maintain our green spaces.

Energy Efficiency in Your Homes:

• Organised a DIY skills session that featured energy efficiency training.
• Actively promoting the Energy Doctors initiative to our residents.

Once these are underway, we will assess how to implement the remaining priorities and keep you updated on our progress.

Havering Council carried out a survey between 3 October and 31 October 2024 to seek your views on our Integrated Starting Well Plan called Happy, Healthy Lives and how we will achieve our vision.

Underpinning our work in Starting Well (Children’s Services) is a comprehensive improvement plan that was developed following our inspection by Ofsted in December 2023 under the Inspection of Local Authority Children’s Services (ILACS) framework.

Our Happy, Healthy Lives plan does not attempt to replicate the actions that have already been identified through this improvement plan, but instead brings together a number of key strategies which collectively respond to evidence, recommendations and importantly, feedback from children and young people, in order to deliver our vision of enabling our children and families to lead happy, healthy lives.

To achieve our vision, we have organised our work under five priorities, which together describe our WISH for children and young people in Havering. We want children and young people to be:

• Well
• Inspired
• Safe
• Heard

Alongside our four wishes is a commitment (our fifth priority): for children and young people to be treated fairly.

29 responses were received to the consultation.

• All respondents (100%) agreed that it should be a priority for children and young people to be well, and over half of respondents (55%) felt it was clear how we would work with partners to achieve this.
• Most respondents (97%) agreed that it should be a priority for children and young people to be inspired and two-thirds of respondents (66%) felt it was clear how we would work with partners to achieve this.
• All respondents (100%) agreed that it should be a priority for children and young people to be safe, with almost two thirds of respondents (62%) feeling it was clear how we would work with partners to achieve this.
• Most respondents (93%) agreed that it should be a priority for children and young people to be heard, and over half of respondents (55%) felt it was clear how we would work with partners to achieve this.
• Most respondents (93%) agreed that it should be a priority for children and young people to be treated fairly, with a large majority of respondents (72%) feeling it was clear how we would work with partners to achieve this.

As a direct result of feedback, several changes were made to the final draft of the plan and Havering's Cabinet met on 20 November 2024 and agreed the Happy, Healthy Lives plan. The changes that were made included:

• Strengthening the links between action being taken related to climate change, active travel and road safety
• Expanding on action being taken to support school attendance
• Adding a section on hearing the voice of very young children
• Outlining actions being taken to address disproportionality
• Expanding the section on Early Help for families

An action plan has been produced to support the delivery of our vision and priorities. As part of this, key performance indicators are being identified so that our progress over the next three years can be measured.  This will be overseen by the Babies, Children and Young People (BCYP) Board, under the Place Based Partnership.

We are now working with Havering’s Youth Council and a local inclusive theatre company, The Habbit Factory, to coproduce a children's version of Happy, Healthy Lives, for sharing in the summer.

Please see the full Happy, Healthy Lives plan here and the high level action plan here.

Havering’s Safeguarding Partnership carried out a consultation from 5 July – 30 October 2024 seeking views to help shape our forthcoming priorities for safeguarding children and adults.

57 responses were received to the consultation.

• The three highest priorities that respondents said mattered most to them by weighted rank are:  Child Sexual Abuse (33%), Exploitation of Children and Adults (16%) and Mental Health (11%).

Our safeguarding priorities going forward are:

• Child Sexual Abuse
• Child Sexual Exploitation
• Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
• Neglect and Self-Neglect
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Transitional safeguarding including for those with disabilities and special educational needs

We have already started working on our action plan which includes:

• A Deeper focus on Early Years, Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Early Help including an upcoming pilot for Operation Encompass alerts that will be sent to Early Years settings.   
• We will host an Early Years Conference in autumn 2025.
• Starting Well updates: Early Help Strategy and early help support provided in Havering.
• A Review of our Transitional Safeguarding arrangements with a new transitional team being set up in both Adult and Children’s Social Care.
• A Refresh of the Havering Safeguarding Children Partnership Exploitation and Neglect Strategies with the Havering Neglect Strategy refreshed and published in February 2025.
• Development of Local Guidance on working with those affected by Substance Use.
• Promotion of Advocacy, Best Interests, and Support for Carers, including Young Carers.
• Identification of Private Fostering arrangements – termly results from local schools have been collected for the past year.
• Havering Housing organised a Housing Providers Street Sleeping conference in November 2024, which was attended by 60 people.
• Development of Mental Capacity Act Champions and Suicide Prevention pathways.
• A Task and Finish Group was set up to work with those people who are exploring their gender identity.   

We carried out a consultation between 10 September and 18 October 2024 to seek views on Havering’s draft Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2030.

The draft strategy aims to improve the success of suicide prevention activities within Havering that lead to a reduction in the number of deaths by suicide, and focuses on:

• Identifying those at increased risk and applying the most effective, evidence-based interventions.
• Promoting prevention activities across the system, including increasing knowledge and reducing stigma.
• Providing support at both individual and population levels, addressing the needs of those at risk of suicide and the bereaved.

66 responses were received to the online consultation.  To ensure the strategy addresses both its role in primary care and the needs of all age groups, focus groups were conducted with Primary Care Networks, the Havering Youth Council and schools. Our engagement sought specific feedback from these key stakeholders to bridge gaps in support.

• 56% of responses were from Havering residents with 14% having lived experience of suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempts.
• An overwhelming 97% of respondents expressed support for the Havering Suicide Prevention Strategy, its priorities and its objectives.
• Key concerns raised included the need for greater inclusion of specific populations, such as autistic and neurodivergent individuals.
• Respondents also called for improved crisis and bereavement support services and pathways, alongside improvements in mental health services.
• Additionally, many suggested strengthening the strategy’s focus on children and young people, particularly around the life-course and self-harm to create a more comprehensive “all-age” approach.
• Accessibility and inclusivity were also areas requiring further attention.

Havering's Cabinet met on 12 March 2025 and agreed the Havering Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2030. As a direct result of feedback, we now have a strengthened action plan that:

• Assigns clear responsibilities to the Steering Group, membership of which includes stakeholders identified through consultation feedback; e.g. professionals working with autistic and neurodivergent individuals, mental health services, bereavement services, housing services, education representatives and more.
• Improves the all-age, life-course approach, with targeted improvements to the children and young people’s section through curriculum reviews, resilience resources, training for staff and parents and inclusion of youth voices in materials distributed and Strategy.
• Commits to reviewing bereavement support in Havering to identify gaps and make recommendations to improve access to suicide-specific services.
• Strengthens public awareness and communication, including the launch of bi-annual webpage updates and improved and accessible signage in community spaces (GP practices, libraries, etc.).
• Expands suicide prevention training across key sections, including primary care, schools, mental health services (NELFT) and frontline professionals.
• Establishes a Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) to ensure those with lived experience play a central role in shaping and reviewing suicide prevention work in Havering.

We also made changes to the Strategy content itself, strengthening:

• The scope of the Strategy, including clarity of the role of public health.
• Attention areas (e.g., self-harm, digital exclusion, etc.).
• Certain groups (e.g., autistic and/or neurodivergent individuals, etc.).
• Certain risk factors (e.g., comorbidities, wider determinants of health, etc.).
• Life-course approach and the children and young people section.
• Crisis support.
• Prevention .

Please see the full Public Document Pack Here which includes the consultation report, a suicide prevention needs assessment and an equalities and health impact assessment.

Havering’s Local Heritage List helps our communities and the local planning authority to identify heritage assets (for example, buildings, monuments, sites and landscapes) that are much loved and a distinctive part of our local historic environment. It provides a comprehensive list of the location of assets and what is significant about them.  

During June - August 2023, we asked for your comments on the criteria.  Robust criteria ensure the local list is properly evidenced, which in turn allows each nomination to be given full consideration during planning decisions.  

We received 21 responses.

• You mentioned group value to be considered
• You suggested views and townscapes to be included in the criteria
• You suggested to put greater emphasis on pre-war buildings
• You mentioned a number of buildings for consideration

The Local Heritage List criteria have now been updated, taking on board comments we received during the consultation.  Changes include: 

• Updating the text in the ‘Age’ criterion to reflect Havering’s development over time
• We have assessed the proposition to include views in the local heritage list. Views can be identified and protected through planning policies or any specific framework- i.e. Conservation Area, Local Plan, Within designated park and gardens. However, views cannot be designated as heritage assets in the local list.  
• We will consider Townscapes for future Conservation Area assessment in terms of how a character of a townscape contributes to the special interest the conservation area.
• All buildings mentioned for consideration will be assessed for inclusion in the updated local list.

As part of Havering’s refresh of our Local Plan 2021, Havering Council carried out a consultation between March and May 2023 to ask people around the borough about their views on the characters of the areas where they live, work or study.

Led by Havering Planning team, with input from departments across the Council and an urbanisation practice, we delivered four pop-up events, a community workshop and an online survey to ensure we heard from a wide group of people.

What we learned from 91 responses that were received to the online survey:

Positive feedback from the survey told us that:

• There were 98 (108%) positive responses about the green spaces and parks in Havering.
• 74 (81%) were based on transport which included trains, buses and the underground services.
• 22 (24%) of respondents said that the community is the strength of Havering.
• 14 (15%) said they valued the heritage and historic buildings of the borough
• 7 (8%) praised Havering’s amenities and facilities
• 5 (5%) commended Havering’s sense of safety
• 3 (3%) said they valued the peace and tranquillity the borough gives

Negative feedback from the survey told us:

• There were 22 (24%) negative responses about anti-social and safety issues in Havering.
• 17 (19%) of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the over-development of the borough, including building heights.
• There were 17 (19%) negative responses about the litter in Havering and a lack of care and maintenance in the borough.
• 14 (15%) of negative responses were based on issues with transport.
• 10 (11%) said that the sense of community spirit that was once there is now lost.
• 7 (8%) addressed issues with inadequate road surfaces in the borough.

What we learned from face-to-face engagement we did with local people:

The survey results are being reviewed and will help us to:

• Understand the key issues and concerns about each place to help us shape the ideas and opportunities in the Character Study.
• Understand how local people define the edges and reach of their local area to help us shape the neighbourhood character area plan in the Character Study.
• Understand what local people value about the identity of their local area to help us shape the characteristics and qualities for future development defined in the Character Study.

Havering Council carried out a consultation activity from March to May 2023 seeking views on our proposed Draft Children and Young People Education Place Planning Plan.

We asked parents, carers, local residents, education providers and other people interested in education provision in Havering for their contribution towards the proposals that have been set out in order to meet demand and ensure that there is sufficient capacity for the future need for education provision in Havering.

424 responses were received to the consultation.

Early Years

• Just under a third (30%) of parents and stakeholders agreed that there are sufficient childcare places.  Over a third (38%) disagreed.
• The majority of stakeholders (71%) agreed that an onsite nursery provision should be included when opening a new school
• Half of parents (50%) and more than three-quarters of stakeholders (77%) stated that there are not enough places for SEND pupils.

Primary and Secondary

• The majority of parents and stakeholders (71%) agree that that a new secondary school is needed in Havering from 2027/28
• More than half of stakeholders (56%) agree that the Local Authority should formulate an action plan and accommodation strategy for those schools where we have permanently reduced the published admission number (PAN), in order to address surplus places.

Post 16

• The majority of parents and stakeholders responded either no (45%) or don’t know (43%) when asked whether there are sufficient sixth form places available at Havering school sixth forms to meet the projected demand.  Only 10% of respondents replied yes to this question.
• Nearly half of stakeholders (48%) said they didn’t know if there is sufficient capacity available at the Havering Colleges - just under a third (29%) said that there isn’t.

Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND)

• The majority of parents and stakeholders (64%) agree that we need a new special school in Havering.
• The majority of stakeholders (93%) agree that a lot of children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in mainstream school settings need to be placed in a SEND unit instead.  This was also frequently commented on by parents in the SEND comment section.
• The majority of stakeholders (81%) agree that we need to revisit the capacity in our current local special schools to increase place numbers where possible.
• The majority of stakeholders (86%) agree that we need to develop a community base in conjunction with a specialist provider and establish a coordinated ‘Education Other Than At School’ (EOTAS) provision for children with EHCPs to support children and families who are either out of school or who are struggling to attend mainstream school until more special school places are available.

Alternative Provision (AP)

• More than half of parents and stakeholders (51%) agree that Havering would benefit from a new AP school.
• Two-thirds of stakeholders (65%) think we should develop the ‘AP Out Reach Offer’ - to be utilised as an early intervention to address needs and avoid fixed term and permanent exclusions.
• Just under half of stakeholders (47%) said no when asked if our mainstream schools are inclusive enough in supporting vulnerable children and young people.

The survey results are being reviewed and will be included in a report to inform our new Children and Young People Education Place Planning Plan.

Havering Council planned to submit an application for a grant in late June to improve our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) service and wanted to make sure we put children and young people at the heart of our plans. 

To help us with this, we carried out two consultation activities from March to April 2023 seeking the views of parents and carers of children and young people under the age of 25 with SEN, and in a separate survey we sought the views of SEN educational providers.

We asked parents and carers for their views and experiences to ensure we focused on the right areas and we asked SEN educational providers for their views to help identify and shape opportunities for us to do better.

Parents and Carers Said:

389 responses were received to the consultation.

• Over half (56%) had children in primary school, 25% were in secondary school, 12% early years, 6% post-16 and 1% post-25.

• Of these children and young people, 211 (54%) are in a mainstream school, 187 (48%) have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and 50% receive SEN support.

• The top three services or support that respondents said their child can access to meet their needs, goals and aspirations with their EHCP were:  additional support in the classroom (56%), better skilled and trained staff in the classroom (38%) and learning materials that have been adapted for my child (35%).

• The support and advice that young people accessed to help them plan for leaving school were CAD preparation for adulthood (4%), Prospects Careers Advice Plus (3%), existing school or college (14%), housing (2%) and other (1%).

• 15 children or young people (4%) moved from their mainstream school to a special school or to an Additionally Resourced Provision (ARP) and when asked what needed to change in the mainstream school, respondents top three answers were:  Teachers and staff better understanding my child’s needs, Additional specialist support for my child and Additional Teacher support time.

• 52% of parents and carers in mainstream schools disagreed with the statement “I believe that the SEND provision and services are high quality in my child’s school”, with parents and carers of children in special schools being happier about provision than those in mainstream schools.

Educational Providers Said:

101 responses were received to the consultation.

• Responses were received from a variety of staff in educational settings including Head Teachers (10%), SENco (17%), SEND/specialist teachers (4%), Classroom Teachers (24%), Teaching Assistants (19%) and Senior Leaders (10%).

• The majority of feedback came from staff in Mainstream Schools (80%).

• Parents and staff have different levels of confidence in how well trained staff are to support children and young people with SEND, with just over half of parents strongly agreeing or agreeing that this is the case, compared to just over three quarters of Education providers who either strongly agreed or agreed.

• The top three things that staff felt needed to change within their educational setting to increase their ability to support children or young people with SEN was Availability of extra support from Local Authority/SEN services (65%), Additional training for teaching staff (63%) and Ability to recruit additional/specialist support staff (e.g. teaching assistants) (59%).

The survey results have been reviewed and recorded and have been included in an application for a grant to improve Havering’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) service.

Havering Council carried out a consultation activity from February to March 2023 seeking residents’ views on proposed changes to  Havering's Complaints Policy.

We asked residents and service users for their views on how we can improve the way we deal with complaints by proposing an update to our customer contact definitions. 

Alongside this we are proposing to merge all of our policies into one easy to understand process that reduces the number of stages, allowing us to focus on what matters most – getting it right first time.

Our proposed Six Aims to achieve this are:

1. Start off right
2. Fix it early
3. Focus on what matters
4. Be fair
5. Be honest
6. Learn from complaints and improve service delivery across the organisation

31 responses were received to the consultation, of which 17 (55%) stated they had made a complaint to the Council.

• The overwhelming majority (100%) of respondents agreed with our ‘Getting It Right First Time’ approach, and 90% felt our proposed Six Aims show a commitment to this approach.

• 90% said they felt our proposed changes were fair and reasonable.

• 71% said they felt our proposed customer contact definitions are easy to understand.

• The majority of respondents (49%) would prefer an officer reviews and signs off their complaint, 16% would prefer the Lead Member for the topic of their complaint and 35% said they do not place any importance on this, as long as they receive a full response to their complaint.

• Almost half of respondents (45%) expect to receive a response within 15 days, 16% within 20 days and 39% of respondents expect a response within 25 days.  Of the respondents who had previously made a complaint to the Council, 59% expect a response within 15 days, 6% within 20 days and 35% within 25 days.

The survey results, along with feedback from authorising bodies and other local authorities, are being reviewed and will be included in a report to inform our new Complaints Policy.

As part of Havering’s upcoming All-Age Carers Strategy in partnership with North East London Integrated Care System, Havering Council carried out a consultation to ask Carers around the borough about their experience.

We also asked Carers whether they agreed on our proposed priorities that have emerged from other engagement activities.  These were:

1.  Information and Advice
2.  Identification and Assessments of Carers
3.  Respite and a break from the caring role
4.  Access to GP appointments
5.  Hospital discharge pathways
6.  Awareness of Carers (e.g. in the community, workplace and schools)

125 Responses were received to the consultation.

• Over 38% of respondents care for their partner, with a further 35% caring for their parent and most respondents live with the person they care for.

• The three most popular proposed strategy priorities were:  Access to information and advice, Access to GP appointments and Respite/breaks from the caring role.  

• The overall majority of respondents (100%) agreed with our proposed priorities.

• 60% of respondents didn’t propose any additional priorities and some respondents suggested additional priorities such as Carers Allowance benefit increase and help applying for grants and benefits. 

• 44% of respondents are registered on the Council’s Carers Register, with many others unaware this channel of support existed.

• The majority of respondents (64%) are certain that their GP knew about their caring role.

These results will now be included in a report to inform our new Carers Strategy.

The release of sky lanterns is causing a major impact on the environment and a danger to human and animal life due to wild fires.  Over 188 Councils have already banned the release of sky lanterns from their land, including neighbouring authorities such as Essex County Council and the London Borough of Redbridge.

There are similar risks associated with the outdoor release of helium balloons, and unauthorised fireworks displays.

Havering Council carried out a consultation activity from January 2023 to February 2023 to ask the public for their thoughts and comments on banning the following activities from Council owned and managed land:

• the release and sale of sky lanterns
• the release of helium balloons
• unauthorised firework displays

512 responses were received to the consultation.  The majority of responses were fully supportive of the Council’s proposals.

Sky Lanterns

• 95% of respondents said they were aware that sky lanterns are harmful to the environment and wildlife.
• 94% would like the Council to consider banning the release of sky lanterns from Council owned and managed land.
• 94% would like the Council to consider refusing the sale of sky lanterns at any Council events.

Helium Balloons

• 90% of respondents said they were aware that the release of helium balloons are a source of littering and can be harmful to wildlife.
• 91% would like the Council to consider banning the release of helium balloons from Council owned and managed land.

Fireworks

• 89% of respondents agree that Havering Council should prohibit unauthorised firework displays on council owned or managed land.

Havering's Cabinet met on 8 March 2023 and agreed to adopt a policy on the Release of Sky Lanterns, the Release of Helium Balloons and the Unauthorised Use of Fireworks on Council Owned or Managed Land.  Please see more information Here which includes the policy.

Havering Council launched a consultation on our Budget 23-24 draft proposals, which set out how the Council propose to save money whilst still providing vital public services.  We asked for feedback on how these proposals would affect Havering’s residents.

3188 responses were received to the consultation, plus an additional 11 paper copies that were not available to be included in the full Public Document Pack at the time of publishing.

• The three most important issues that respondents feel that Havering is likely to face in the next year by weighted rank are: Cost of Living Crisis (49%), Crime/Community Safety (27%), National Health Service/ Healthcare (26%).

• The three most important issues that respondents are personally most concerned about are: Paying Bills (29%), Cleanliness of Street and Local Area (23%), and Anti-Social Behaviour in My Community (22.44%) however, My Physical Health and Fitness was marginally less (22.35%).

• Respondents were asked if they would support an increase in Council Tax and did not include any particular assumptions on a Council Tax increase but provided an illustration on how a 1.99% increase in Council Tax would mean an increase of 60p per week on an average Band D property in the borough:

• • 42% supported an increase of up to 2%,
  • 17% supported an increase of 2% or above
  • 38% did not support an increase.

We asked for feedback on our proposals which we grouped into themes:

• Reducing or stopping some services: The top three proposals that respondents feel will have the most negative affect on them are Reduction of CCTV Monitoring Hours (34%), Reduced Grounds Maintenance (19%) and End of Grant Funding to Havering’s Citizens’ Advice (19%).

• Changing how we fund and provide services: The top three proposals that respondents feel will have the most negative affect on them are: Alternative Weekly Collection/Containerisation of Waste/Recycling (59%), Review of Parking Services Delivery Model (27%) and Highway Procurement Savings (24%).

• Increasing income: The top three proposals that respondents feel will have the most negative affect on them are: Increasing Garden Waste Charges (39%), Increase of Cremation Fee and Introduction of New Burial Products (21%) and Increase Bulky Waste Collection Charges (21%).

• Improving our business efficiency: The top three proposals that respondents feel will have the most negative affect on them are: Reduction in Running Costs (7%), Restructure of Services to Drive out Inefficiencies (7%) and Review and Deletion of Vacant Posts (6%).

Havering's Cabinet met on 8 February 2023 and agreed proposals for the Council's 2023/24 budget.  As a direct result of feedback:

The Council will continue to fund the Havering Citizens Advice Bureau for another year, as it is clear that they provide a vital role for residents.

The proposed closing of the Elm Park Children's Centre which is home to a children's nursery, will continue to stay open as it was clear that closing the site at this time would have put parents and their children at a disadvantage.

Public safety remains a large concern for residents and as part of the proposals, we have committed £3.5 million to push through the new CCTV upgrades, as well as pledged a further £260,000 to continue the Council-funded Section 92 police officers to help keep our streets safe. These officers are extremely successful in what they do and it is important they continue to help reduce crime in the borough.

Please see the full Public Document Pack Here which includes the 2023/24 Council Budget Setting Report.

We asked Havering pupils in academic year 6 upwards a series of questions based around the themes of our Starting Well Plan. The survey was delivered online, with our established engagement partner ‘Mind of My Own’, and the questions were co-produced with children and young people.

The themes covered were: Aspiration, Discrimination and Hate, the Cost of Living and how children and young people feel about the local area.

More than 1,000 children responded to the consultation.

• The top three types of support children felt they needed to reach their future goals were: supportive teachers (66.8%); volunteering opportunities (38.1%) and careers advice (32.8%).
• 63.4% of children who reported they’d had hate directed at them said it was because of the way they look, followed by 25.8% for race and 18% for age.
• 11.5% of children said that worrying about money affected their physical health or emotional wellbeing and a further 46.4% were not sure.
• 56.7% of children who responded felt unsafe on the streets and 34.1% felt unsafe at bus stops and train stations. 25.3% reported feeling unsafe at local parks.

The results from ‘SHOUT – we are listening’ have been shared with a wide range of colleagues internal to the Council, and external partners, including school governors, Transport for London (TFL), Community Safety and the Metropolitan Police. TfL and the Police have each provided a written response, addressing some of the concerns raised by children and young people relating to safety, crime and getting around the borough. We have published these on the main SHOUT survey page, as well as a child friendly version of this summary.

Children’s Services are using the results to inform the Starting Well Plan, ensuring that the needs and concerns of children and young people are addressed comprehensively. The results were also used to inform the topics covered by the recent Havering Youth Wellbeing Census which has helped us to better understand wellbeing in young people.

We continue to work closely with schools to support the Period Product Scheme, which aims to provide free period products to students who may otherwise not have access to them. This initiative ensures that young people are able to attend school without facing the challenges associated with period poverty. Many schools and colleges in Havering have signed up to the scheme and have been provided with funding each academic year.

In late 2022 Havering also launched a cost of living campaign to support residents with navigating the increasing expenses associated with daily life. This campaign provides resources and support to help individuals and families make informed decisions about their finances and access any available assistance. More recently we have launched the next phase of our partner-led campaign, By Your Side.

We remain committed to responding to the issues raised in ‘SHOUT – we are listening’ and to hearing from children and young people more generally. For this reason, in November 2023, we launched ‘SHOUT about the money’, our first ever children and young person’s budget consultation.