Agenda item

To receive a report by the Corporate Team Manager on the Corporate Plan for 2016/18.

RECOMMENDS

that the Council adopt the Corporate Plan 2016/18, subject to inclusion of the comments made by the Cabinet, as detailed in the Minutes.

By way of a report from the Corporate Team Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet considered the Corporate Plan 2016/18.

The Council’s Corporate Plan was reviewed in 2015 when it was agreed that a full refresh would take place in early 2016.  The Plan was a two year document that outlined the Vision, Strategic Priorities and Objectives for Huntingdonshire. The Plan also established what the Council aimed to achieve in addition to the core statutory services.

It was explained to the Cabinet that the review had been timed to coincide with the development of Service Plans and where appropriate, actions or performance indicators in Service Plans for 2016/17 had been included in the Corporate Plan.

The Cabinet was informed that feedback received via the quarterly update reports had been incorporated in the revised Plan and that the objectives, key actions and performance measures were still being finalised.

The condensed version of the Plan was welcomed by the Cabinet as were the reduction in the number of Strategic Priorities from four to three.  However, the Cabinet agreed that the wording within the Plan should be bolder with active titles that provided more clarity about what the Council was trying to deliver and its role for example ‘Ensuring sustainable growth’ rather than ‘Sustainable growth...’ 

The Cabinet agreed that the document should relate to both officers and Members.  The Cabinet also thought the Plan should be more explicit in terms of how it translated to officers and the delivery of services.

In considering the comments from the Overview and Scrutiny Panels, the Chairmen of the Overview and Scrutiny Panels (Finance and Performance) and (Economy and Growth), having been invited to address the Cabinet, the proposed performance measures relating to sickness absence and the impact of long term sickness on the overall average were discussed. The Cabinet agreed that there was value in understanding this and it was noted that this was reported separately to the Employment Panel.  However, for the purposes of the Corporate Plan the Cabinet agreed to retain the current measure, of reducing the days lost per full time employee to 9 days per person, as this was a standard measure used across the public and private sector and it allowed for performance to be compared.  The Cabinet emphasised the importance of addressing and changing the current culture in relation to sickness absence and that Heads of Service must take action to address current sickness levels.

The Cabinet agreed with the Panel that Executive Councillors should take ownership of Corporate Plan and be instrumental in the development of the objectives.  However, the Cabinet stated the importance of the role of the Overview and Scrutiny Panels in also taking ownership of the Corporate Plan and challenging on delivery of corporate objectives. 

The Cabinet commended the Overview and Scrutiny Panels for their in-depth comments and contribution. 

In recommending the Corporate Plan to Council for adoption the Cabinet requested that their comments made should be included.  Subsequently the Cabinet,

RECOMMENDED

that the Council adopt the Corporate Plan 2016/18, subject to inclusion of the comments made by the Cabinet, as detailed in the Minute.