Walsall Borough Housing Strategy 2026 - Governance structure

Our governance model has three core tiers:

CMT - Existing Corporate Management Team

Corporate Leadership including elected member involvement for political leadership and accountability.

Walsall Housing Taskforce

A temporary body providing strategic oversight to enable mobilisation.

Overseeing strategy, pipeline, delivery, performance monitoring, council alignment and partnership working. Shapes, monitors, and steers the Housing Action Plan. Resolves cross-directorate blockages, ensure all council services are aligned and held to account while meeting statutory requirements (e.g. Homelessness Prevention and Adult Social Care Act) Its functions will be reviewed and, where appropriate, transitioned to the Housing Strategic Partnership Board after initial mobilisation phase.

We are Walsall 2040 Board

Walsall Housing Strategic Partnership Board (multi-agency, cross sector)

Strategic Partner Delivery

Strategic Partnership drives delivery, addresses urgent issues, and reports to the Strategic Taskforce. Provides a forum for all partners (RP, VCS, health, developers, etc.) to collectively own and strategically partner to drive delivery.

Thematic Task and Finish Groups

To address specific strategic or operational delivery challenges, aligned with Housing Strategy big moves, objectives and actions. Can be locally based. Draws on council and external partners resources.

• Thematic Task and Finish Groups
• Thematic Task and Finish Groups
• Thematic Task and Finish Groups

1. Walsall Housing Taskforce (Time-Limited, Internal)

• Purpose: Provides strategic oversight and drives the set-up and early delivery of the Housing Strategy and Action Plan.
• Functions: Oversees the strategy, pipeline, performance monitoring, council alignment and partnership working. Resolves cross-directorate blockages and ensures statutory requirements are met. 
• Membership: Senior officers (Director/Head of Service) from Housing, Regeneration, Planning, Adult Social Care, Public Health, Finance, Commissioning, Digital/IT, Legal, and others as needed. Chaired by an Executive Director 
• Operation: Meets monthly for initial six months, with review to determine transition to the Housing Strategic Partnership Board. Reports to the Corporate Management Team (CMT). 

2. Walsall Housing Strategic Partnership Board (Permanent, Multi-Agency) 

• Purpose: Drives delivery of the Housing Action Plan and addresses urgent issues, and providing a strategic forum for all partners. 
• Functions: Brings together council staff and external partners (Registered Providers, VCS, health, developers, etc.) for collective ownership and delivery. 
• Membership: Refreshed from existing Homelessness & Housing Steering Group, with partners and council officers, and including representatives from WMCA and Homes England. Chair/Deputy elected by the group. 
• Operation: Meets quarterly; oversees thematic task-and-finish groups; reports to the Walsall 2040 Strategic Partnership Board annually and engages with the Housing Taskforce. Secretariat provided by the council. 

3. Thematic Task-and-Finish Groups

•  Purpose: Deliver specific aspects of the Housing Delivery Plan, tackling priority challenges such as supported housing, homelessness, affordable delivery, community engagement, and health & housing integration. 
• Functions: Drawn from relevant council teams and external partners according to theme and actions. May be thematic or locality-based. 
• Operation: Mandated by the Partnership Board, with clear objectives, timescales, and reporting. Disbands when objectives are met. 

Rationale and Benefits 

• Rapid Mobilisation and Sustained Delivery: The temporary Taskforce ensures momentum at launch; responsibilities transition to permanent partnership boards for ongoing oversight and delivery. 
• Agility and Focus: Task-and-finish groups enable focused, time-limited responses to key challenges, minimising unnecessary standing committees. 
• Statutory and Strategic Alignment: Compliance with statutory duties is embedded; governance links closely to the Walsall 2040 vision and avoids unnecessary proliferation of new structures. 
• Whole Council and Partnership Working: Brings together council services and partners, breaking down silos and enabling cross-sector solutions. 
• Continuous Improvement: Governance structures are reviewed regularly, with opportunities for learning, adaptation, and the integration of stakeholder and community feedback. 

Embedding Accountability and Transparency 

Elected members are actively involved to provide political leadership, scrutiny, and accountability for the delivery of the Housing Strategy. Progress is reported through the council’s Corporate Management Team and Walsall 2040 Board, with public performance reporting and open channels for stakeholder feedback.