About Richmond & Wandsworth Councils
Richmond & Wandsworth Councils have a shared workforce serving two London boroughs: the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and the London Borough of Wandsworth. Together they employ approximately 3,800 people in roles spanning adult social care and public health, children's services and education, housing and planning, and a wide range of other public services that Londoners rely on every day.
In 2023, the councils set out to transform the workplace into a genuine lever for improving the financial lives of their people. With cost-of-living pressures bearing down on public sector workers, they partnered with Stream to give their employees access to fair, well-designed financial tools, all in one place.
Why did Richmond & Wandsworth Councils need Stream?
Like most public sector employers, Richmond & Wandsworth Councils faced a difficult reality: their workforce is dedicated, diverse and indispensable - yet many of their people are under significant financial pressure. The cost-of-living crisis hit public sector workers particularly hard, with household budgets stretched to breaking point.
“Stream is a valuable employee benefit at Richmond and Wandsworth Councils that gives our people greater flexibility in accessing their earned pay.”
What challenges did Stream solve?
Employees needed more flexibility over their pay, a simple way to build savings, and financial support they could trust - without adding complexity to the councils' existing MHR iTrent system. Richmond & Wandsworth recognised they had an opportunity, and a responsibility, to do something about it.
They partnered with Stream, choosing a platform that could:
- Give employees flexible, on-demand access to their pay
- Help people build financial resilience through accessible savings
- Integrate seamlessly with existing payroll infrastructure
- Be transparent, responsible and genuinely employee-first in its approach
The result: Stream integrates directly with MHR iTrent, giving HR teams and employees a seamless, secure experience.
From the start, the councils took a deliberate, employee-first approach: before each product launched, they ran a dedicated education and communications phase, giving employees the time and information they needed to understand what they were signing up for.
What was the business impact?
A platform, not a single product
Pay, Workplace Savings and Rewards, plus much more, have been have rolled out, giving Richmond & Wandsworth a growing toolkit that supports financial security at every stage of an employee’s working life, with more of Stream’s products still to come.
No extra burden for HR and payroll
Stream operates its own direct relationship with employees for savings, and its smooth integration means payroll and HR haven’t taken on any additional administration.
Reinforcing the councils’ responsible, values-led reputation
Stream's Social Charter, dual-purpose company status and role in helping create the UK's Earned Wage Access Code of Practice align closely with the councils’ own ESG and social value commitments. Stream is a B Corp, bound by a Social Charter directly in its Articles of Association - for public sector employers with strong social value commitments, that alignment matters.
A smooth rollout for staff
A full communications hub of ready-made assets, email templates and posters meant every new product was clearly introduced to employees from day one.
Looking ahead
With Stream firmly established, Richmond & Wandsworth Councils are building a genuinely comprehensive financial support offer for their workforce.
Their story is an important one for local government and for any public sector employer looking to make financial wellbeing more than a tick-box benefit. When employers give their people simple, well-designed tools to manage their money, save from their pay, and access fair credit, the results are real: less stress, more security, and a workforce that feels genuinely supported.
“[Stream] supports financial wellbeing, and helps colleagues feel more in control of their finances.”
