Foreword

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.

This plan sets out our vision, with clear ambitions and commitments to residents, communities and partners. There are six priorities that have been informed by local people, our staff and especially the voice of young people. Every councillor has had the opportunity to be part of this process. We may not agree on every detail, but it is clear we share the same values and ambition across the council. This is a collaborative plan.

Young people are at the heart of our ambitions and everything we do. For too long the council has not achieved what it should for this community. We recognise and acknowledge we are on an improvement journey to change our performance and deliver better outcomes. We are making clear commitments backed by goals over the next four-years. Our young people need to flourish and reach their potential, through school and learning environments and into work. Every child deserves the best start in life.

Our plan sets out our values and operating principles that will govern how we work. This includes how we commission services, how we engage with our communities and how we deliver alongside our partners to achieve our vision. We are placing strong emphasis on listening to residents, bringing decision making closer to the areas we serve and being pro-active through prevention and early intervention. We will continue to listen to the communities and people we serve and will be open and transparent.