Decision details

            The Leader of the Council and the Board Director, Commissioning submitted a joint report concerning the preparation of the Council’s Corporate Strategy, and in particular proposed amendments to the wording of the proposed five Priorities forming Part One of the Council’s Corporate Strategy, and proposals for seventeen measures of success that would form Part Two of the Strategy.

            The Leader of the Council commented on the work that had been undertaken to progress the Strategy and its importance to the future of the Council. The final document would be submitted to the Council for adoption.

            Councillor Jim Grant, Leader of the Opposition, advised that the Labour Group was broadly supportive of the emerging Strategy. However, he would wish to see the words “health inequalities” included in the revised wording proposed for the priority relating to Health.

            Councillor Stan Pajak, Leader of the Minority Group, expressed his Group’s support for the emerging Strategy. He suggested that the proposed revised wording of the priority relating to the economy should begin with the words “Create the environment for good economic growth”. He also referred to the reference in the success measures to “370 troubled families” and to what this term meant and the limitation that could be imposed by including a number in a strategy that would be in use for a number of years. He noted the use of the words “to no more than the average” in the section on obesity and wondered whether “less than the average” would be a more appropriate phrase to use.

            The Chair commented on the work that had been undertaken to ensure that the words used in the priorities and measures of success were as understandable as possible to the widest number of people. The term “troubled families” was used as there was a Government definition for this and there were 370 families in Swindon that currently met the Government’s criteria. However, he noted the points raised by Members and together with the Head of Strategy and Innovation he would review the wording to be included in the Strategy, and also arrange for the Group Leaders to comment on the wording prior to the strategy document being presented to the Council for adoption.

            Resolved – That, subject to the inclusion of any further amendments arising from Group Leaders’ comments on the final wording of the strategy document prior to it being presented to the Council -

            (i) The revised wording of the Council’s proposed five Priorities, as set out in paragraph 3.3 of the joint report, be approved for inclusion in the Council’s ‘Corporate Strategy’ to be submitted to Council on the 8^th November 2012.

            (ii) The suite of seventeen measures of success listed in paragraph 3.5 of the joint report be approved to be submitted to Council as Part Two of the Council’s ‘Corporate Strategy’.

            (iii) The Board Director, Commissioning, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, be authorised to finalise the ‘Corporate Strategy’ for submission to the Council on 8^th November 2012.

            (iv) The Board Director, Commissioning, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, be authorised to develop and implement a system for embedding the approved ‘Corporate Strategy’ into commissioning, financial and business plans, other key strategies, and the Council’s corporate performance management framework.

            The reasons for the decision and alternative options are as set out in the report to the meeting.