London Borough of Hounslow

What London Borough of Hounslow does

The London Borough of Hounslow is a statutory local government authority in West London, established in 1965, serving the resident population of the borough with a full suite of mandatory and discretionary public services. Its service remit spans adult and children's social care, housing, council tax and business rates administration, planning and building control, licensing, waste and recycling, libraries, education admissions, SEND provision (ages 0-25), community safety, hate-crime reporting, domestic-abuse support, environmental health, and public health programmes. Service delivery is anchored at the 7 Bath Road headquarters and a physical network of 11 Community Hubs and Libraries distributed across Beavers, Bedfont, Brentford, Chiswick, Feltham, Hanworth, Heston, Hounslow, Isleworth, Meadowbank, and Osterley, supplemented by The Gazebo pop-up advice shop, mobile Carers Advisers embedded in hospitals and community venues, and online self-service channels.

The council operates a multi-channel digital platform centred on hounslow.gov.uk (Jadu CMS) and the My Hounslow resident portal (Granicus), with library operations powered by LUCi by SOLUS. Notable technology deployments include the SpeakAI voice and chat assistant (developed by Beam) piloted within the Adult Social Care Front Door team to triage inbound calls and detect high-risk scenarios, and the Low-Income Family Tracker (LIFT) by Policy in Practice, which integrates with Thames Water to auto-enrol eligible residents into social tariff schemes. Revenue is funded by Council Tax on borough households, Business Rates on commercial properties, central government grants (including the Crisis and Resilience Fund and Adult Social Care grants), statutory fees (planning, licensing, parking), and transactional library charges. Key operating partners include Harlington Care (Short Breaks respite), Liberata (Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support administration under the Corporate Services Contract), Thames Water, the DWP for Universal Credit data, the Cabinet Office for the National Fraud Initiative, and a coalition of hate-crime reporting charities coordinated under the CATCH umbrella. The entity is publicly owned, has no parent company or shareholders, and is accountable to residents through elected councillors.

Name

London Borough of Hounslow

Legal name

London Borough of Hounslow

Website

https://hounslow.gov.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

London Borough of Hounslow is a statutory West London local government authority, established in 1965, delivering social care, housing, council tax, libraries, and community safety services to borough residents through 11 hubs, digital portals, and strategic outsourcing partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Council tax administration
• Adult social care
• Public library services
• Housing and benefits

Headquarters

HQ city

Hounslow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Primary local taxation collected from all households in the borough based on property values, used to fund core council services including social care, education, and infrastructure.
2. Business Rates: Levied on commercial properties within the borough, collected and partially retained locally with central government pooling.
3. Government Grants and Funding: Central government funding including Crisis and Resilience Fund (previously Household Support Grant), Adult Social Care grants, and other statutory grants.
4. Library Fees and Charges: Replacement card fees, overdue charges, and fees for room hire, copying, and special collections at community libraries.
5. Service Fees and Charges: Various statutory and non-statutory fees including planning application fees, parking permits, licensing fees, and social care contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The London Borough of Hounslow is a statutory local government authority delivering public services to borough residents and businesses, including council tax administration, housing and homelessness support, adult and children's social care, waste and recycling collection, planning and building control, business rates and licensing, public library services, benefits administration, and community safety initiatives. Services are delivered through a multi-channel model combining a self-service website portal, 11 community hubs and libraries, mobile pop-up advice shops, and home visits for residents with additional needs.

Product overview

The London Borough of Hounslow operates a multi-channel citizen services platform centered on its main website (hounslow.gov.uk) and a network of community hubs and libraries. The offering is best characterized as a platform-plus-modules architecture, with the core digital presence providing citizen-facing self-service across dozens of service areas — from council tax and housing to social care and waste collection — augmented by specialized service modules. Key named digital products include Hounslow Community Hubs & Libraries (powered by LUCi by SOLUS), My Hounslow (Granicus-powered self-service portal), the SpeakAI (Beam) AI voice assistant for Adult Social Care triage, the Hounslow Data Hub for local statistics, Let's Talk Hounslow for public consultations, and Hounslow Matters magazine. Dedicated service modules cover Hate Crime Reporting, Domestic Abuse Support, the Carers Support Service (including the Hounslow Carers Awards, Carer's Assessment, Short Breaks Service, and Carer's Emergency Card), The Gazebo pop-up Adult Social Care shop, Community Solutions for benefits advice, Data Protection Services, and the Statement of Accounts. These operate across physical locations (libraries, Hounslow House, partner venues) and online channels, unified by a common privacy and data protection framework covering UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, and the Data Use and Access Act 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hounslow Community Hubs & Libraries A network of 11 community hubs and libraries across the borough providing public library services, community information, and council access points. Offers online catalogue search, account management, item renewal, and membership registration, free of charge.
• Hate Crime Reporting Service A multi-channel reporting service for hate crime victims, providing contact points for police, Crimestoppers, Galop, TellMAMA, Real, CST, and The Monitoring Group, with referral support via the CATCH coalition of charities.
• Domestic Abuse Support Service A support service for victims of domestic abuse and violence against women and girls, offering safety planning, emergency guidance, support service contacts, and covering-tracks-online advice.
• Carers Support Service A dedicated service providing information, advice, and practical support to unpaid carers in Hounslow, including Carer Cafes, support groups, home visits, and connections to assessments, benefits, and respite services.
• Short Breaks Service A respite service allowing carers to take a break from their caring role while a paid support worker looks after the cared-for person. Delivered by Harlington Care on behalf of the council.
• Carer's Emergency Card A contingency planning service providing carers with an emergency card that ensures a cared-for person has cover for at least 48 hours if the carer is suddenly unable to provide care. Free to register, requires prior carer's assessment.
• Carer's Assessment An assessment service that helps carers identify and access services to support their caring role, as entitled under the Care Act 2014. Assessments can be requested via an online enquiry form.
• The Gazebo - Adult Social Care Pop-up Shop A pop-up advice and information shop for Adult Social Care, staffed by community information team members, social workers, and partner organisations, providing direct advice on care options, carer support, council website assistance, and community resources.
• My Hounslow Self-Service Portal A resident self-service portal powered by Granicus, enabling residents to access council services, submit right-to-information requests, and manage their council interactions online.
• Hounslow Data Hub A local data portal providing residents and researchers access to local statistics from recognised sources across the borough.
• Let's Talk Hounslow Consultations A public consultation platform enabling residents to share views and feedback to help the council develop and improve its services.
• Statement of Accounts The council's published financial statements and spending data, available for public viewing as part of the council's commitment to transparency.
• Data Protection Services A suite of data protection services including subject access requests (SAR), data protection rights enforcement, complaints handling, and ICO registration (Z5761176), covering UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, and Data Use and Access Act 2025 compliance.
• Council Tax Administration Statutory council tax collection and administration service, including banded property-based charges, means-tested Council Tax Support for low-income residents, online account management, and moving-home notifications.
• Business Rates and Licensing Business rates collection from commercial properties in the borough and statutory licensing services for businesses including food safety, premises, and other regulatory licences.
• Housing Services Statutory housing services including housing register and allocations, homelessness support, council leaseholder and tenant management, fire and building safety, and private tenant/homeowner services.
• Planning and Building Control Statutory planning permission, building regulations approval, planning policy, and pre-application advice services, including a searchable planning applications database.
• Waste and Recycling Collections Statutory waste collection service for borough households, including scheduled recycling and rubbish collection days, a Reuse and Recycling Centre, and fly-tipping reporting.
• Benefits and Financial Support Statutory benefits administration including Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Universal Credit support, and Crisis and Resilience Fund payments for vulnerable residents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hounslow Carers Awards 2026 - recognizing unpaid carers in the community

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Harlington CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarlington Care delivers the Short Breaks service on behalf of Hounslow Council, providing respite care for carers while the 'cared for' person is looked after. Also provides support groups for carers of people with long-term conditions including dementia, Parkinson's, and MS.
• Beam (SpeakAI)coreTechnology or IntegrationBeam supplies the SpeakAI voice assistant tool being piloted within Adult Social Care Front Door team. Handles inbound calls, provides automated responses to queries, and detects crisis situations.
• Policy in PracticemajorTechnology or IntegrationPolicy in Practice provides the LIFT (Low-Income Family Tracker) system used by the council to identify households eligible for Thames Water social tariffs and other financial support schemes.
• Thames WatermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to apply social tariffs (WaterHelp/WaterSure) to eligible Hounslow residents identified through the council's benefit data analysis.
• LiberatamajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLiberata administers Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support services on behalf of the council under the Corporate Services Contract.
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDWP supplies Universal Credit data to the council under legal information-sharing provisions for benefit administration and welfare support identification.
• CATCH (Community Alliance To Combat Hate Crime)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of charities providing specialist advice and support to people in London targeted with violence, abuse or harassment due to race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. Replaced Hounslow's Hate Crime Advocacy service.
• GalopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBT+ anti-abuse charity providing advice and support to people who have experienced hate crime because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• TellMAMAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService for victims of anti-Muslim hate crime, allowing people across England to report incidents through secure reporting channels.
• Real (Disability Hate Crime)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered third party reporting centre assisting people to report disability hate crime if they do not want to report directly to police.
• Community Security Trust (CST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Jewish charity providing support and advocacy for victims of antisemitism across the Jewish community.
• The Monitoring GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading anti-racist charity providing helpline and casework service to people experiencing racial violence and religious hatred.
• Hounslow PolicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for hate crime reporting and community safety. Residents can report hate crimes via police 101/999 or through third-party reporting centres.
• CrimestoppersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnonymous crime reporting service allowing residents to report hate crimes and other crimes without providing their name.
• Cabinet OfficemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cabinet Office runs the National Fraud Initiative (NFI), a data matching exercise that the council participates in for fraud prevention and detection.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham: Inner-west London borough operating a comparable full statutory service portfolio, including adult social care, housing and libraries, with a similar digital-by-default strategy on its website.
• London Borough of Brent: North-west London borough with comparable scale and a similar high-diversity demographic profile, delivering the same statutory mix of housing, social care, SEND and benefits services.
• Westminster City Council: Central London local authority delivering the same statutory services with a comparable self-service portal model and multi-channel resident engagement, including a high-profile hate-crime and community-safety function.
• London Borough of Ealing: Neighbouring West London borough delivering the same statutory mix of council tax, housing, adult social care, libraries and benefits administration to a comparable demographic. Operates a similar 24/7 website plus customer-service-centre model.
• Camden London Borough Council: Inner London borough with a comparable statutory service mix and active digital-innovation agenda, often used as a benchmark for resident self-service and data-driven service design.
• Barnet London Borough Council: Large outer London borough operating the same statutory mix of adult social care, housing, libraries, benefits and council tax, with a comparable digital and physical service-delivery footprint.
• London Borough of Hillingdon: Adjacent West London borough with overlapping services (housing, social care, libraries, waste, council tax) and similar population profile, providing a like-for-like comparator for service delivery and digital channel investment.
• London Borough of Richmond upon Thames: Neighbouring south-west London borough running a comparable statutory service portfolio, with a similarly mature website portal and community-hub infrastructure — useful benchmark for digital self-service adoption.
• Wandsworth London Borough Council: Inner London borough delivering the same statutory services, with a comparable council tax / business rates / grants funding model and a similarly broad community-hub presence.

Broad incumbents

• Greater London Authority: Regional strategic authority that funds and sets policy for London boroughs (including Hounslow), administers cross-borough programmes like the Household Support Fund, and operates the London Datastore — relevant as a funding and standards-setter, not a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LBofHounslow
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7NUsJRCkhTUwux3eZw2w-A
• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/hounslowcouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/london-borough-of-hounslow
• Instagraminstagram.com/hounslowcouncil

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about London Borough of Hounslow