Decision details

To approve the strategy, transformation programme and preliminary financial statement that will ensure progress in achieving the vision for Surrey in 2030.

RESOLVED:

Cabinet RECOMMEND that Council:

1.    Approve the Surrey County Council Organisation Strategy 2019 – 2023 which sets out how the Council would work with residents and partners to contribute to the achievement of the Community Vision for Surrey in 2030. It sets out priority areas the Council would focus on over the next four years.

2.    Approve the Preliminary Financial Strategy (PFS) 2019 – 2024 that sets out a draft balanced budget for 2019/20, without the use of reserves, subject to the outcome of consultation, engagement and equality impact assessments.

3.    Approve the Transformation Programme subject to the outcome of consultation, engagement and equality impact assessments. The programme would be delivered through six delivery themes: Service Transformation, Partnership & Integration, New Ways of Working, Commissioning, Investment & Income and Technology & Digital Innovation.

4.     Approve the ‘Our People 2021’ strategy, which was the Council’s plan for the current and future workforce and sets out how the Council would develop its capacity and capability to contribute to the Community Vision for Surrey in 2030, achieve its priority strategic outcomes for residents, ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the Council, drive wholesale transformational change over the next few years and create a high performance culture.

5.    To note the planned engagement and consultation activity related to the savings proposals contained within the PFS and Transformation Programme. These had been initiated under the formerly agreed delegated authority of senior officers.

Cabinet noted:

6.    That the outcomes of this activity will be brought back to Cabinet on 29 January 2019, where Cabinet would be asked to make recommendations to the Council meeting in February 2019 on the revenue & capital Budget and the council tax precept for 2019/20.

Reasons for Decisions:

By approving the suite of documents in the annexes to the submitted report the Cabinet was supporting a new financial and strategic direction for the Council, endorsing the priorities, key objectives and draft directorate budget envelopes for the medium term.

The Organisation Strategy, Preliminary Financial Strategy, Transformation Programme and ‘Our People 2021’ strategy provided a clear sense of the Council’s direction for staff, members, residents, partner organisations and businesses. As part of the Council’s Policy Framework (as set out in the Constitution) the Corporate Strategy (called the Organisation Strategy in this report) must be approved by Council.