Members considered the presentation regarding Corporate Transformation Delivery Plan.

Members were informed that in September 2020, the Transformation Cabinet Sub Committee approved the Corporate Transformation Strategy. Projects had srated however the impact of the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic slowed the publication of the supporting delivery plan.  Significant transformational activities were tested and delivered during the first year of the Strategy.

The report being considered tonight set out the delivery plan for the next two years focussing on three key areas the Transformation Service would focus on whilst supporting and managing other smaller projects within the programme.

The Delivery Plan was shaped around three key areas, service redesign,

community working, and digital and automation.  There would be delivery of 

transformation, at three levels; individual, service and council-wide.

There were changes to the way we worked and enablers to help us do this.  Climate and environmental issues would be incorporated into everything we do and this would be made more explicate in future publications.  Transformation was about doing things differently and we had to accept that not ever new project would be successful but there would be learning from our experiences. 

The Chairman thanked officers for the excellent work already undertaken as discussed at the previous meeting and appendix 2 showed this.  He asked that with regards to Adult Social Care as there had been a lot of work undertaken what were key learning for other departments.  He was informed that it was important that you took the workforce with you and included them on the projects.  Some areas would work, other would not so it was important to accept, stop and learn when results were not as expected.  We needed to be flexible and agile.

The Chairman also highlighted the use of technology and was told that this was a key element and highlighted the discussion at the last meeting and the effective use of data, although GDPR compliance had to be at the heart of this.

Cllr Johnson commented that he was delighted to see the report and that it was ambitus and aligned to the Corporate Plan and draft budget that was due to go to consultation.  It was good to see granulation what transformation was, a better way of working, better use of technology and not just about costs.

Cllr Clark also said he was delighted to see the report and the great progress being made for residents, you could see improvements in everything we do and plan.  It was an evolving process and during the 2 year plan and he was pleased to see that people who could not use new technology were not being left behind and provision was being provided for them.  He encouraged both internal and external input into the process. 

Cllr Hilton reported that the strategy was discussed at Corporate O&S Panel and in his view the general opinion of the opposition was that transformation was about saving money and making cuts, however talking to directors he had the opinion that it was about better delivery of service to the benefit of residents, outcomes and quality of live.  Great things are being done and it was important that we got this message across to residents. 

The Chairman agreed and said it was important to show what transformation was, why we were doing it and the beneficial outcomes. 

Cllr Price said that the equality impact assessment link it the report did not work, she had been sent a copy but suggested that it be attached as an appendix to reports.  She felt this work was inspiring and with regards to communities employers had not been mentioned as they also wanted to do something and support our communities, for example Centrica offered their staff time off to do volunteer work.  The chairman and director agreed that our work with communities was important and would try and make this more explicit in reports.  

Cllr Price went on to talk about the role of residents, she was concerned about the number of economically inactive residents.  We needed to encourage them back into the workplace as well as supporting community organisations, or example when furlough stopped the number of people able to offer time was reduced. Residents cost of living was also going up that reduced capacity for volunteering. The Chairman replied that this was something they could keep an eye on as part of our role in supporting the third sector.  Tis was an extension of the ‘good neighbour’ that was seen during the pandemic.

Cllr Price asked that with regards to the delivery plan are the items lower down on the plan dependent of the schemes higher up.  She was informed that they were not dependent on one another.

Cllr Price also asked what would happen if certain service areas did not embrace change and was informed that cultural changed has started a few years ago but had slowed due to the pandemic, but the majority of the organisation were on board with introducing improvements where possible and seeing better outcomes.

Cllr Stimson asked when environmental issues and sustainability would be embedded into the transformation programme and was informed that this was already happening but was not explicit it would also be in service design toolkits. 

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and the update was noted.