Agenda item

This report sets out the current position on the Council’s draft Corporate Strategy to the Panel for consideration and feedback.

The Director for Partnership & Corporate Services introduced this item to the Panel. He explained that the draft strategy had been launched in December 2019 and had been discussed by the Council’s two other Policy Development & Scrutiny Panels earlier in the month. He stated that the document sets out the Council’s core purpose, policy focus and key commitments as well as describing the organisation’s approach to monitoring performance and managing its budget.

He added that Councillors have also been invited to attend the Corporate Policy Development & Scrutiny Panel on February 3^rd where the Draft Budget will be discussed in more detail.

He highlighted the following area within the draft strategy.

OUR FRAMEWORK

ONE:  We have one overriding purpose – to improve people’s lives.

This might sound simple but it brings together everything we do, from cleaning the streets to caring for our older people. It is the foundation for our strategy and we will ensure that it drives our commitments, spending and service delivery.

TWO: We have two core policies – tackling the climate and nature emergency and giving people a bigger say. These will shape everything we do.

THREE: To translate our purpose into commitments, we have identified three principles.  We want to prepare for the future, deliver for local residents and focus on prevention.

Councillor Liz Hardman said that she felt it was difficult to comment on the draft strategy without any budget figures attached to it and called for the budget to return to the agenda of all Panels to discuss their remits separately in future years. She queried how the Council will ‘Re-shape the way we work with children, young people and families in order to reduce demand for high cost, specialist children’s social care placements’.

Councillor Andrew Wait commented that he quite liked the draft of the strategy and its focussed approach. He said that he would welcome further information on the Community Engagement Charter and stated that he would like to see more reports referencing the Parish Charter in the future as this was an area the Council could improve upon.

Councillor Paul May suggested the Parishes be surveyed to gain their feedback on the Charter.

Kevin Burnett offered a note of caution by saying that not all people’s lives will necessarily be improved by increasing the use of new technology. He welcomed the draft strategies approach to improving the inequalities in life experience, including education, employment and health outcomes for local residents.

The Chairman said that he felt the draft strategy was very headline in its approach and offered nothing new in terms of ideas from the previous administration. He called for further explanation of the Council’s workings alongside WECA as he personally was yet to see any advantages.

He added that he would be interested to see how Citizens’ Juries will improve decision-making.

Councillor Jess David commented that she would have liked to have seen more detail relating to the section of the draft strategy in terms of prevention.

The Corporate Director for People replied that details of new initiatives will be brought to the Panel over time.

The Director for Partnership & Corporate Services informed the Panel that the delivery plan is set out within the draft budget papers.

The Panel RESOLVED to note the next steps for the Corporate Strategy.