Growth & Opportunity

To consider:

·       a Progress Report providing an overview of key achievements and activities in Year one of the Corporate Plan (November 2021 – November 2022)

·       a set of proposed amendments to the Corporate Plan to ensure that it remains appropriate and responsive to our changing operating context.

·       a revised set of equality objectives for the council, designed to mutually reinforce the Corporate Plan

Cabinet considered the report providing an overview of key achievements and activities in the first year of the Corporate Plan, the set of proposed amendments to ensure that it remained appropriate and responded to the Council’s changing operating context and a revised set of equality objectives for the council.

Councillor Johnson, Leader of the Council moved the recommendations stating that this was an opportunity to review the Plan following the previous year’s challenges including he economic climate, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation and interest rates and significant changes in national government policy. He reflected that the Council had benefited from new evidence and insights that became available including the residents survey, 2021 census data and updated inequalities 2020 evidence base. 

He highlighted that the main changes and focus was:

·       reflecting the impact of the cost-of-living crisis

·       greater focus on prevention in both Adults and Children’s Social care to reduce demand and improve outcomes

·       increased focus on economic growth for the benefit of our residents, partners and businesses

·       increasing the Council’s Place leadership

·       reducing equalities

Councillor Raynor, Cabinet Member for Business, Corporate & Residents Services, Culture & Heritage, & Windsor seconded the report stating that the plan had given the Council a defined shape but to keep it updated was equally important. She added that the Plan had begun to change the organisation, she was pleased to see the objectives of a Vision for Windsor and the planning masterplans coming forward to help give confidence in development.

Councillor McWilliams was pleased to report that as part of the progress document, the rough sleeper pathway, first developed in 2019, had helped 30 individuals during the previous year into permanent long-term accommodation and whom otherwise would have been vulnerable. He added that given the recent cold weather it was reassuring that the Council had processes in place to help people and make a difference.

Councillor Stimson thanked everyone involved for the work that had been captured in the report and was pleased to see the addition of new goals to support those affected by the cost of living, children needing positive outcomes, strengthening community support and promoting economic support.

Councillor Johnson concluded the discussion by stating that he expected the document to be discussed at a future Overview and Scrutiny Panel and therefore he would not be taking questions or comments from non-Cabinet members.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY that:

i)               the report be noted;

ii)             the Year 1 Progress Report be approved for publication, as set out at Appendix A;

iii)            the changes in context set out in the report (section 2.4 – 2.9) and new evidence and insights generated in 2022 (Appendix B Inequalities Project Phase 1 findings and Appendix C Census 2021 Insights) be noted;

iv)            the proposed revisions to the Corporate Plan, summarised in table 1 of the agenda report, and noting the further detail included at Appendix D be agreed;

v)             the proposed Equality Objectives be agreed and the update on work undertaken to strengthen equalities across the council (Appendix E) be noted; and

vi)            inclusion of care experience as a protected characteristic within Equality Impact Assessments, in recognition of our particular responsibility to consider the needs of children in care and care leavers, as their corporate parents be agreed.