Council structure
The council
The council employs around 10,500 staff in six directorates
around 4,800 of whom are based in schools.
The council is made up of 51
elected local councillors from 17 wards.
The council structure
The corporate structure is designed to support the council's
objective of ensuring the provision of services that are responsive
to the needs of individuals and communities and integrated at the
point of delivery.
Each of the corporate directors is responsible for co-ordinating
a range of services within their relevant portfolio and achieving
corporate objectives so that improvement is accelerated. To
facilitate cross-directorate working, the corporate management team
meets regularly with the council's service heads who take
responsibility for operational management within their areas.
The Resources Directorate
Comprising the financial, human and ICT resources
functions, this directorate reinforces the key and distinctive role
of resource management in a forward-looking council that is
determined to ensure that local people get excellent services that
are value for money.
Our joint appointment of a director of human resources with the
primary care trust demonstrates the cohesive approach to people
management across both organisations.
The Communities, Localities & Culture Directorate
The combined services of community safety, public realm, local
strategic partnership, cultural services and environmental control
work to protect residents from:
- health dangers
- ensure that they can access leisure facilities and open
spaces
- provide innovative access to lifelong learning
opportunities
- help improve the environment
- provide opportunities for entertainment
- support social cohesion and community life
The Children's Services Directorate
Children's services are committed to further improving outcomes
for children and young people. An external assessment has rated the
council as having one of the best children's services in the
country. The council was one of only seven authorities to receive
an comprehensive performance
assessment score of 4 for the second year running and in
March 2007 the council was also awarded a beacon award for school
improvement in recognition of the work to drive up school standards
and attainment levels.
The Adults, Health & Wellbeing Directorate
This directorate is responsible for the:
- adult social care functions of the council
- homeless and housing advice service
- supporting people function
- public health through the joint appointment with the primary
care trust of a Director of Public Health
It leads within the council on partnership working with the
NHS and on promoting the council's responsibility for vulnerable
people as citizens within our community.
In November 2007, for the fourth year in a row, Tower Hamlets
adult social care services were awarded three stars. The council is
assessed as 'excellent' on the outcomes and 'excellent' on its
capacity to improve. This is the highest possible rating and has
now been achieved for three years running.
The Development & Renewal Directorate
The six key service areas are:
- strategy
- regeneration and sustainability
- major project development
- development decisions
- strategic property
- Olympic and Paralympic Games liaison and resources
Together the directorate's services offer a seamless approach to
the co-ordination of the regeneration of the borough in line with
the needs and aspirations of local communities and the government's
agenda to build sustainable communities.
Housing
The council has developed a multi-layered approach to bringing
its housing stock to the Decent Homes Standard in the context of
creating sustainable neighbourhoods.
The Housing Choice programme was launched as a ground-breaking,
community-led approach that encouraged residents to consider
whether they would benefit from a change of landlord, at a point
when the council's option appraisal showed it to be the preferred
solution to bringing stock to the decent homes standard. Almost 40
per cent of the council's stock has transferred to new landlords
bringing in more than £400million of investment.
The council has now set up an arms length management
organisation called Tower Hamlets Homes, to
manage the retained housing stock and has bid to the Department for
Communities and Local Government for £192m of decent homes
funding.
In addition there are a number of targeted regeneration schemes
where it is apparent that more comprehensive renewal is required in
particular areas.
Alongside the physical development the council is working in
close partnership with the social housing landlords in the borough
to develop a co-ordinated approach to improving housing and
neighbourhood management across the borough.
The Chief Executive's Directorate
This directorate comprises:
- legal services
- policy and performance and delivery
- scrutiny and equalities
- communications
- democratic services
Find out more about how well the council is delivering services
with the Comprehensive Performance Assessment
(CPA).