Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

That the refreshed version of the Corporate Strategy 2017-2022 was endorsed and recommended for presentation to the County Council meeting on 23 May 2017 for approval.

Reasons for Decision

By reconfirming a long term vision for the county and setting goals and key actions for the next financial year the refreshed Corporate Strategy provides a clear sense of direction for Council staff, residents, businesses and partner organisations. As part of the Council’s Policy Framework (as set out in the Constitution) the Corporate Strategy must be approved by the County Council.

Attention was drawn to the data contained within the Corporate Strategy regarding demand for adult social care services which had increased considerably over the past few years and was expected to rise further. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Wellbeing and Independence advised that the Government had convened a Social Care Task Group to review figures on the delivery of social care services. The Leader of the Council emphasised the importance of SCC clearly articulating its experience  in relation to rising demand on social care and the pressure that this had placed on its services across the board.

Mrs Kay Hammond stressed the difficulty of condensing SCC’s Corporate Strategy onto one-page. She highlighted that local authorities had been required to take on a range of additional responsibilities without being properly funded by Central Government to deliver these and advised that the challenges this had created for councils should not be underestimated. The Leader of the Council added that Members have a duty to support residents and the Corporate Strategy provided an outline of how SCC aimed to do this.

The Deputy Leader of the Council drew attention to the inclusion of economic prosperity on the Corporate Strategy and stated that this was perhaps the Council’s most important function. He emphasised that Surrey contributes a great deal of revenue to the Exchequer and indicated that it should get some of this back.

RESOLVED:

That the refreshed version of the Corporate Strategy 2017-2022 was endorsed and recommended for presentation to the County Council meeting on 23 May 2017 for approval.

Reasons for Decision

By reconfirming a long term vision for the county and setting goals and key actions for the next financial year the refreshed Corporate Strategy provides a clear sense of direction for Council staff, residents, businesses and partner organisations. As part of the Council’s Policy Framework (as set out in the Constitution) the Corporate Strategy must be approved by the County Council.