Barking and Dagenham Council has agreed an ambitious new transformation programme designed to improve services for residents, make it easier to access support, and ensure the council remains financially sustainable for the future. 

At its meeting on 14 July, Cabinet approved ‘A Better B&D’, the Council's Change Strategy and Plan for 2026-2030, setting out a clear roadmap for modernising services, improving outcomes and investing in prevention and early intervention. 

The strategy brings together change programmes across the council into a single coordinated approach, ensuring services are designed around residents' needs while helping the council respond to increasing demand and financial pressures. 

At the heart of A Better B&D are three major shifts that will guide all change and improvement activity across the organisation: 

• From reaction to prevention – helping residents earlier and reducing avoidable demand for services.
• From complexity to simplicity – making services easier to access and improving how the council works.
• From surviving to thriving – building financial resilience and creating capacity to invest in the future.  

The strategy supports the ambitions set out in It Starts Here – Partnerships for Change and reinforces the council's commitment to neighbourhood working, with services becoming more joined up and focused on delivering better outcomes for residents. 

Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Cllr Dominic Twomey, said: 

‘Our borough has always been defined by its ambition, resilience and sense of community. The challenges we face are significant, but so too is our determination to meet them head on. 

‘This is about building a better Barking and Dagenham for our residents - one where support is easier to access, problems are tackled earlier and services are designed around the needs of our communities. 

‘We have a responsibility to our residents to go further and faster in the years ahead. By working together with our staff, our partners and our communities, we will deliver lasting change that strengthens our services and improves the lives of our residents."  

The strategy will be delivered through a portfolio of programmes focused on customer experience, digital transformation, procurement, commercial assets, process improvement and support for vulnerable children, adults and families.  

Together, these programmes will help the council become more efficient, improve residents' experiences and create a more sustainable future for the borough.  

A Better B&D will be overseen by the council's Change Board, ensuring progress is tracked, benefits are measured and activity remains focused on delivering better outcomes for residents, staff and communities.  

The strategy will continue to evolve as new opportunities are identified, with a strong focus on innovation, neighbourhood working and evidence-led decision making.