Like all public bodies, local authorities are facing a tough financial challenge. Everyone is struggling. But the cuts have hit places like Newham the hardest. Last year we had a cut to our budget of £160 per resident compared to areas like Richmond with only a £6 per person cut.

When faced with a restricted financial situation as we are, it would be easy to make a simple decision and salami slice off all services, or just stop doing things we don’t have to do as part of our statutory duty. You can see that that’s what some Councils have done.

But that’s not the route we’ve chosen to take in Newham. Being faced with cuts doesn’t mean you should lose sight of your priorities – in fact it means those priorities become more important than ever.

In Newham we have a strong vision for delivering sustained improvement to the borough. Our analysis shows that to improve the lives of our residents we have to look at three elements. We need to build the personal capacity of our residents so they have the skills to succeed and overcome challenges. But at the same time we must recognise the importance of having a strong community where residents support each other and have the networks and relationships necessary to prosper. And equally we recognise the impact of the economic environment on residents’ lives. The local area needs a strong economy and residents need strong financial capabilities.

Resilience is not about saving money. It’s a recognition that welfare and the work of the state has to help people improve their lives, not trap them in their poverty.  To build resilience you have to invest in the right things. Each local area will have its own priorities but in Newham, one of the most deprived boroughs in the country, it’s clear that giving young people the best start in life and helping residents into jobs are absolutely key.

That’s why in Newham we’re investing £15 million in programmes that will give our young people the skills and capacity to realise their full potential. We offer free school meals for every primary school child in the borough, giving them a much needed nutritious meal and saving families £750 a year before tax for each of their children. Our research has shown that this measure in particular helps low income working families who otherwise would not receive support.

Our Every Child a Musician (ECAM) scheme gives all our young people the opportunity to excel and gain the excellent skills to be had from learning an instrument and reading that children in richer areas of the country have. 

Equally, our Every Child a Reader (ECAR) scheme aims to ensure that all our young people have that fundamental skill to help them excel in education and employment later in life.

We know that raising employment rates is a real game changer but our residents are not always helped by national work programmes. So we invest £5 million a year in our jobs brokerage “Workplace”. It’s the most successful programme of its kind in the country. Last year alone we helped 5,000 residents into work, half of them long-term unemployed. Independent research has shown that 75% of residents who find work through Workplace are in work a year later.

It’s also important to be honest about what you will stop doing. It’s no good falling into the trap of providing a service simply because it’s always been there. In Newham this means serious consideration of whether a programme is creating a sustainable improvement for our residents and our community.

There are some difficult times ahead. The Government’s welfare reforms will put pressure on families, particularly those living in London and other expensive areas.

Our role in local government is to step up the support we give residents to help themselves. Residents need to make good choices here – moving into work is the best way of ensuring families thrive even during tough times. That’s why it matters more than ever to invest in building resilience. Our investment now will make the difference in years to come.

This article has been published in the ResPublica Fringe magazine, a collection of articles and essays from our party conference partners.

Sir Robin Wales will be speaking at ‘Responsible recovery: Balancing economic and social priorities’, a ResPublica public fringe event at Labour Party conference: Wednesday 3rd October, 4.00pm – 5.15pm, Manchester Town Hall.