Devon County Council Strategic Plan 2025–2029
Building a positive future for Devon where everyone thrives
We want every child, every person, every family, and every community in Devon to live well – with access to opportunity, services that work, and a future shaped by hope, fairness, and resilience.
Our vision has been developed following the views of residents gathered through our surveys and discussions with the Devon Youth Council. These insights have also helped us shape our values and operating principles.
Quote from Councillor Julian Brazil
These are uncertain times for local government. Devolution has been conflated with Local Government Reform (LGR). Inevitably much time and resource will be deflected from achieving our statutory duties. Despite this distraction, we must strive to deliver the services that our communities deserve.
Councillor Julian Brazil Leader of Devon County Council
Video
Listen to Julian Brazil talk about Devon County Council’s Strategic plan for the next five years.
Video
Listen to Donna Manson talk about Devon County Council’s Strategic plan for the next five years.
Quote from Councillor Julian Brazil
Relationships are at the heart of everything we do for Devon; taking a relational approach ensures we act with kindness through adversity, we genuinely care for the people of Devon, and that we nurture the partnerships critical to achieving this ambitious strategic plan. This does not mean we will not take difficult actions every day, but we are clear that how we do our work is equally important as the work we do.
Donna MansonChief Executive
Our mission
We believe every child in Devon deserves a safe, happy, healthy and fulfilled childhood, every individual and family should feel supported and secure, and every community should have the ability to shape its own future.
We aim to be a county where public services prioritise early intervention, are rooted in strong community connections, and are shaped by the voices of residents. Decisions are made openly, and our work is guided by a shared commitment to building resilient, inclusive communities.
Over the next four years we will improve our services, responding to resident’s feedback, ensuring people are heard. We will prioritise resources to do what matters most: children and young people, care, environment, transport, and community. We are committed to providing high-quality services that are inclusive and responsive to the diverse needs of Devon’s population.
We are working with partners to build a future where everyone thrives, and we will lead by setting a clear vision, championing innovative solutions, and standing by the principles our residents expect – openness, fairness, and collaboration. We will bring forward new ideas, challenge ourselves and our partners to do better, and act decisively and with pace when change is needed.
Our values
Our values are more than words, they define how we lead, how we serve, and how we work together.
They guide our decisions and shape our culture at every level within the organisation.
Our values
Sustainability
Acting for future generations, delivering best value and managing resources responsibly, embedding environmental stewardship and recovery, and long-term thinking in everything we do.
Fairness and equity
Reducing inequality, supporting those too often left behind, and ensuring every person and place in Devon has the same opportunity to thrive.
Honesty and accountability
Acting with integrity, owning our decisions, and welcoming scrutiny, publishing what we do and responding when things go wrong.
Collaboration
Working with people, valuing co-production, staff insight, and community knowledge.
Transparency and resilience
How we operate and deliver our Strategic Plan and annual Corporate Plan is as important as what we will do. The following four broad principles are being adopted by the council, and are based on resident and young people’s feedback on our services.
Our principles.
How we operate and deliver our Strategic Plan and annual Corporate Plan is as important as what we will do. The following four broad principles are being adopted by the council, and are based on resident and young people’s feedback on our services.
Our principles will run through all our services and operations and be embedded across the whole organisation. They will guide how we:
- design and deliver services
- engage with partners
- work with and support communities
- measure our performance
- make our decisions
- allocate resources
- develop our workforce
Each demonstrates our commitment to place young people at the heart of what we do and how we will turn vision into action and build a positive future for Devon where everyone thrives.
- Delivering public good
We will apply public money to serve the public good, we will continue to deliver value for money recognising Devon’s money should benefit Devon residents. We aim to put public interest ahead of private sector gain and will test alternative delivery approaches favouring local solutions, and commission ethically and locally wherever possible. All decisions will be based on evidence.
Our commitment to young people: We will prioritise retaining the benefits of our spend locally seeking opportunities for our care-experienced young people through our suppliers.
- Listening to citizens
We will open up decision-making by listening to lived experience and local knowledge and involve our diverse communities in shaping services that affect them. From citizen panels and surveys to improved scrutiny and staff feedback, we will encourage participation to be our default approach and will strengthen our engagement with community organisations, town and parish councils.
Our commitment to young people: We will listen and work alongside our young people, and put them at the heart of our services and decision making.
- Acting with agility and pace
We will act decisively to implement our decisions and adapt our approaches in response to feedback. We will regularly review our performance and take swift action to make improvements and respond openly, quickly and proactively to any significant local or national policy changes and events.
Our commitment to young people: We will provide regular and frequent updates and seek feedback on how well be are doing against their priorities and our Young Person Strategic Plan.
- Prevention and early intervention
We will act early to prevent harm. Across children’s and adult social care, education, health, and public safety, we will continue to prioritise early help, supporting young people, families and communities, joining up with partners to provide the right support at the right time and designing services around resilience, not reaction.
Our six strategic priorities
Positive futures for our young people
Children and young people are Devon’s future. We’re committed to creating an environment where they thrive, from childhood into adulthood by strengthening services, taking a family-led approach, and working with schools to ensure inclusive, high-quality education for all.
Supporting independence and dignity
Everyone in Devon deserves dignity, independence, and connection, whether ageing, living with a condition, or caring for others. Supporting independence is key to wellbeing, strong communities, and sustainable services.
Continuous improvement of services
Devon’s residents expect reliable, responsive, and fair services from well-maintained roads to prompt support. We’re committed to improving engagement, offering better help and clearer communication, and continuously raising service standards people can trust.
A green Devon for future generations
Devon residents expect fair, responsive services from well-kept roads to timely support. We’re improving engagement, offering clearer communication, and continuously raising standards people can rely on.
Economic inclusion and local prosperity
A strong economy must include everyone. In Devon, many face barriers to work, housing, and financial security especially in rural and coastal areas while businesses struggle to find skilled workers and grow without the right infrastructure.
Continuous improvement of services
Devon’s residents expect reliable, responsive, and fair services from well-maintained roads to prompt support. We’re committed to improving engagement, offering better help and clearer communication, and continuously raising service standards people can trust.
Devon and Devon County Council context
2,687
Devon covers 2,687 square miles with two coastlines
842,313
Devon is home to more than 842,313 people
27%
27% live in areas ranked amongst the most deprived
7.4%
7.4% of Devon residents identify as belonging to ethnically diverse communities
Monitoring, reporting and
use of data.
