Agenda item

Consideration was given to a report that built on existing programmes of activity, including Fairer Stockton-on-Tees and the Transformation Programme (set out in the Medium Term Financial Plan, agreed at Cabinet in February 2023). It provided further detail about how these initiatives would be achieved, as part of a comprehensive approach to strategic planning, transformation and delivery for the Council.

Following the Council elections in May and confirmation of the new administration, it was timely to set out a refreshed strategic planning process to deliver Members’ ambitions for the future of the Borough.

The report set out how this brought together existing and planned areas of activity to ‘Power our Future’, improving outcomes for Our People, Our Place and Our Economy. It was proposed that delivery was based around a long-term Vision for the Borough that be developed collaboratively with communities and puts them at the heart of everything the Council worked towards.

The recommendations in the report recognised that Stockton-on-Tees was a high performing council. However, in order to maintain excellence and respond to growing community and service pressures, the Council would need to adapt and accelerate delivery. The report identified headline Objectives to ‘Power our Future’, and provided detail on relevant areas of activity including:

Developing a new and ambitious long-term Vision for the future of the Borough. Led by communities and empowering them to identify the place they want to live and spend time. This would begin a new, on-going ‘conversation’ with residents to set shared ambitions and inform approaches to delivery.

Council Plan – developing a new Council Plan focused on People, Place and Economy. This would provide a framework to deliver the Vision developed with communities, including key deliverables and measurable outcomes. It will drive prioritisation and future service planning.

Working with partners – confirming a shared Vision and developing collaborative approaches to delivery that remove organisational boundaries to meet the needs of individuals. An inclusive and streamlined approach can ensure that the Council maximise the impact of shared resources.

Fit for Future – focusing on the areas where the Council need to do things differently over the short, medium and longer term, including:

- Service Transformations - ensuring that the council delivers excellent and efficient services that are financially sustainable and reduce inequality

- Powered by Communities – an asset based community development approach that works with communities to shape and drive our priorities, actions and monitoring through understanding and acting upon: What communities can do best; What communities require help with; What communities need outside agencies to do for them

- Fairer Stockton-on-Tees – the Council’s strategic framework to reduce inequalities, address the underlying causes of poverty whilst focusing activity on our most deprived neighbourhoods

- Powering our People through Workforce Development – ensuring we have a workforce that is fit for the future by investing in, supporting and developing our staff, attracting and retaining a talented and committed workforce empowered to deliver services and work with communities.

RESOLVED that:-

1. The overall approach to strategic planning and delivery set out in this report be agreed.

2. The Powering our Future Objectives set out within the report be agreed.

3. The Powering our Future Principles set out within the report be agreed.

4. A Big Conversation take place with communities to develop a Vision for the future, from September 2023.

5. A new approach be agreed to strategic planning being introduced during 2023 leading to a new Corporate Plan being approved in June 2024.

6. The Council establish a Place Leadership Board to develop our approach to joint working with partners.

7. Progress be noted and future plans be agreed for the Transformation Programme, focused on Outcome-based Reviews, Service Reviews and delivering improvements in Children’s Services.

8. The alignment of Fairer Stockton-on-Tees with the Powering Our Future programme and the medium-term priority actions that will be progressed to address inequality in the Borough be noted.

9. Asset Based Community Development - an approach be agreed and programme of work is developed to embed working with our communities and partners in all that we do, based on their strengths and resources - to shape and drive our priorities, actions and monitoring of impact.

10. The development of a Workforce Strategy and Action Plan be agreed to ensure we have a workforce that can support and deliver services which are fit for the future and that a further report be presented to Cabinet.