strategic plan 2010 2015 v3.4a -...

Staffordshire County Council

Staffordshire Unites

Our Strategic Plan 2010 – 2015

Draft

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Version Control Author: Kieran Smith, Policy and Performance Version: Version 3.4 Status: Working Document Date: 22/12/2009 File Reference: S:\Chief Executives Office\Corporate Policy\Strategic Plan 2010-2015\Version 3\Strategic

Plan 2010_2015 V3.4.doc

S:\Chief Executives Office\Corporate Policy\Strategic Plan 2010-2015\Version 3\Strategic Plan 2010_2015 V3.4a.doc

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Contents

Section Page

Production Notes

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Key Contacts

Useful Links

Glossary of Terms

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1. Introduction – The Strategic Plan 2010:2015

2. Core Values/Beliefs of the Leadership

o The Vision

o The Way We Work – Our Cross Cutting Priorities

o Cross Cutting Priorities (Outcomes)

3. This is Staffordshire – The Context for the Strategic Plan

o The County

o Residents Views

o External Feedback

5. This is Staffordshire – The County Council

6. This is Staffordshire – Our Strategic Plan

7. Communities Directorate and Chief Executive’s Office

o Finance, Legal, Members and ICT Services?

8. Children and Lifelong Learning Directorate

9. Social care and Health Directorate

10. Development Services Directorate

11. Making It Happen

o Tipping Street – Working Better Together

12. Commitment to Reporting Our Performance

13. Commitment to Listening and Responding

14. Commitment to Accessibility to Information


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Production Notes

This is a draft of the new Strategic Plan and is very much a working document.

The finished product will be primarily an electronic document and hyperlinks have been included in this document as much as possible.

The document is hyperlinked to external websites and to places within the document itself.

The logos included in each section aim to show how each of the different services/sections link into the wide agenda. It is hoped that these will be ‘hyperlinked’ to the relevant sections on the website. They also help to reinforce the links between the Corporate Plan, the website and ‘YS’.

Key Contacts

Chief Executives Office

Helen Riley Darryl Eyers Becky Murphy Kieran Smith Louise Marsh Sue Bevan Wendy Bailey Children and Lifelong Learning Development Services Social Care and Health

Useful Links

Staffordshire County Council:

http:www.staffordshire.gov.uk

Staffordshire Strategic Partnership:

http://www.staffordshirepartnership.org.uk/

Oneplace: http://oneplace.direct.gov.uk/

Your Staffordshire: http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/yourcouncil/ys/


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Glossary of Terms

AC Audit Commission

Biodiversity Biological diversity’ means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, among other things, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. (Source: The Business and Biodiversity Resource Centre)

BME Black and Minority Ethnic communities

C&LL Children and Lifelong Learning Directorate

CAA Comprehensive Area Assessment

CLG Communities and Local Government

CO2 Carbon Dioxide – a major ‘green house’ gas that is responsible for climate change.

CQC Care Quality Commission

Cross Cutting

Cross-cutting issues are those which are likely to affect or impact on more than one area of the county council’s work.

CXO Chief Executives Office

DCSF Department for Children, Schools and Families

Defra Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Deprivation http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=71577

DfT Department for Transport

DSD Development Services Directorate

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters is a shared programme of change to improve outcomes for all children and young people.

ICT Information and Communications Technology

Looked after Children

A child or young person is ‘looked after’ if they are cared for by the county council.

LSP Local Strategic Partnership – The LSP for Staffordshire is the Staffordshire Strategic Partnership

Member Elected member of the county council i.e. a Councillor Details about Staffordshire County Council’s elected members can be found here.

MTFS Medium Term Financial Strategy

NEET Not in Education, Employment or Training

NHS National Health Service

NI National Indicator


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Glossary of Terms

Ofsted Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills

OHOCOS Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: a new direction for community services

Oneplace Oneplace: the CAA reporting website

ONS Office for National Statistics

Outcome An outcome is the effect or change brought about by the work that an organisation such as the county council does – either on is own or in partnership with other organisations. (See Section 2)

PCT Primary Care Trust. Staffordshire has two PCTs – one serving the south of the county and one for the north.

PI Performance Indicator

RAS Resource Allocation System

S&SC Safer and Stronger Communities

SC&H Social Care and Health Directorate

SCC Staffordshire County Council

SCIO Staffordshire Consortium of Infrastructure Organisations

UOR Use of Resources

Voluntary and Community Sector

Links to SCIO

Vulnerable Children

Children at risk of social exclusion.

YS Your Staffordshire – the county council newsletter for residents

Social Exclusion

Social exclusion is what can happen when people or areas have a combination of problems, such as unemployment, discrimination, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime and family breakdown. These problems are very closely linked and one can lead to another. Social exclusion is a consequence of what happens when people find themselves in difficult situations. This pattern of disadvantage can be transmitted from one generation to the next. (See: Cabinet Office)


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1. Introduction – The Strategic Plan 2010:2015

Introduction from the Leader

In June 2009 county-wide local elections were held which saw a new leadership take control of Staffordshire County Council. This change has allowed a new set of values and priorities to be set for the years ahead. These values and priorities are set out here in the county council’s new Strategic Plan. This outlines how we want to work, what we want to achieve and how we intend to do so over the next 5 years (2010 – 2015).

This Strategic Plan recognises the diversity of our county and the varying needs and circumstances of our communities. We understand that these are difficult times with the effects of the recession still being felt by many. The amount of funding that we will receive from central government is in future going to be less than that we previously received. We know that we have to address this and we have started the process of reviewing services and seeing where we can be more efficient, where can work differently or if another organisation can do the work on our behalf.

We will encourage partnership working in its widest sense and make the most of Staffordshire’s unique position at the heart of the country. Rather than just confining our partnerships to Staffordshire or the West Midlands, we will look to our neighbours to the north and to the east, to see if we can do more with the resources that we already have whilst at the same time building Staffordshire’s reputation for excellence in everything we do. When people see or hear ‘Staffordshire’ we want them to think of the county council and when people see or hear the county council we want them to think ‘Staffordshire’.

This is best summed up in our vision:

We want people to be proud of living and working in Staffordshire. We want to have a county council that will strive for excellence through a can do attitude, that delivers at pace, encourages innovation, accepts

the taking of calculated risk and is open and transparent. We will obtain a high reputation by delivering high quality services and being a leader

at a local, regional & national level.

Philip Atkins Leader of Staffordshire County Council


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2. Our Core Values - The Way We Work

In order to achieve this vision for Staffordshire, we need to redefine the way that the county council works. We want to see the following core values at the centre of everything that we do and say.

These Core Values are:

1. Customer and citizen focus.

2. Listening and responding to local needs.

3. Encouraging personal responsibility while protecting those who need us.

4. Prepared to be bold and to show leadership.

5. Provide efficiency and economy through innovation.

These core values will be at the very heart of all that we do and are the centre of what we aim to deliver over the next five years.

We will also be placing more focus upon ‘outcomes’ in the future. An outcome is the effect or change brought about by the work that an organisation such as the county council does – either on is own or in partnership with other organisations. By having more of a focus on outcomes, we are better placed to tackle the causes of the issues that we face as individuals, as communities and as the county council. Quite often these outcomes affect more than one aspect of people’s lives and ‘cut across’ the work of both the county council and its partners.

Cross Cutting Outcomes

These ‘cross cutting’ outcomes are wide ranging and varied in their nature, but by tackling one problem we can often prevent or solve another. Some of the cross cutting outcomes that we have identified include:

o ‘Closing The Gap’ between communities - This means identifying those communities that have greater problems than others and seeing how we can make the quality of life for the residents of these better and more in line with those with fewer problems. It also means dealing with ‘difficult families’ where targeted support is required.

o ‘Prevention’ – Prevention of those behaviours that lead to problems later on in life or in communities. Examples of this include education about the dangers of alcohol and drug misuse, work with young people to educate them on sexual health matters and how to prevent teenage pregnancies or adapting peoples’ homes to prevent accidents and allowing them to stay in their own homes rather than having to enter residential care.

Key to this is the effective delivery of cross cutting work by the county wide LSP to ensure a preventative approach when addressing local and countywide issues.


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o ‘Customer Access’ – co-ordinating the county council’s approach to customer services and access and working closely with directorate colleagues to improve customer access to services, customer care standards and feedback (compliments, comments and complaints). For example the establishment of ‘One Stop Shops’ enabling easier access to county council services by vulnerable people.

o ‘Personal Responsibility’ – This is linked to linked to personalisation agenda and supports the county council’s approach to service delivery i.e. we will encourage people to take personal responsibility where they can but providing a safety net where this is needed.

o ‘Innovation & Efficiency’ - Ensuring that the all the services we provide are delivered across the county council in the most effective and efficient way so that they are good value for money.

Each of the county council’s directorates will be expected to deliver against each of these ‘cross cutting’ outcomes (where applicable) so that the

residents of Staffordshire receive the best possible services.


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3. This is Staffordshire – The Context for the Strategic Plan

Staffordshire is a county with a long history and of many contrasts, all of which have had an impact. In order to put this plan into context, here are a number of facts about Staffordshire.

This is Staffordshire – The County, The Place

o Staffordshire covers an area of 2,623km2.

o 80% of the land in Staffordshire is rural yet three quarters of our population live in our large villages, towns and cities.

Our population

o Staffordshire is a changing county and our residents are from a diverse range of backgrounds and communities, for example people from rural communities, Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups, older people and people with disabilities to name just a few.

o With an estimated population of 828,900 people, Staffordshire has the eighth largest population of the English shire counties. It is estimated that our population will rise to approximately 909,000 people by 2026.

o In the next 25 years the population of Staffordshire is projected to age considerably with the number of people over the age of 65 increasing by 105,000.

o It is our ageing population that will affect the shape of the services that the county council provides most significantly.

o The 2001 census identified that 3.8% of our residents are from BME backgrounds. While the BME population in Staffordshire is low (lower than the regional and national figures which are both around 13%) we recognise that our BME communities make a valuable contribution to the economic and cultural prosperity in Staffordshire and add to the rich diversity found in our county.

Our Economy

o Staffordshire’s economy was traditionally based around manufacturing, mining, coalfields and the extraction of coal. The national decline of these traditional industries has impacted upon the skills base and competitiveness of Staffordshire’s workforce and economy.

o The UK is experiencing the worst economic recession since the 1930s and Staffordshire has not been immune to this. We have seen an increase in unemployment, the loss of jobs in the manufacturing sector and increased pressure being put on the public purse.

o Over the last ten years, more than 20,000 jobs have been attracted or safeguarded in the county involving around 550 businesses.

o Staffordshire County Council is committed to helping our families, our communities and our businesses through the tough times ahead by making loans available to small and medium sized businesses, through raising awareness of the services that the county council provides and by working with partners to improve the support that is available.


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Deprivation

o Staffordshire is on the whole a relatively affluent area but does have areas of deprivation. The areas of highest deprivation can be found in Newcastle-under-Lyme, East Staffordshire and Tamworth.

o It should be noted that even in our more affluent districts there are pockets of deprivation and these areas, though small can be very intense and highly localised. This can have serious implications for the county council and how we target resources and monitor the achievement of our high level outcomes especially the ‘closing of the gap’ between our communities.

o Rural deprivation? Transport etc?

Further information about Staffordshire can be found on the Staffordshire Observatory website.

The Observatory produces an annual ’State of Staffordshire’ report, the 2009 edition of which can be viewed by following the link below:

http://www.staffordshirepartnership.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D87D8411-D288-404C-9558-6204AA1E82CC/117217/StateofStaffordshire2009FinalReport27102009.pdf


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This is Staffordshire – Residents’ Views

Staffordshire County Council takes the views of Staffordshire residents very seriously and undertakes various consultation exercises each year. Some of these include regular surveys and discussions groups with members of the Staffordshire People’s Panel, online consultations, budget consultation sessions and consultations with children and young people.

The results of this work are used to establish what the residents of Staffordshire feel are the main issues that need to be addressed, to inform the setting of county council priorities and to gauge residents’ satisfaction with the services that we provide.

The results of the consultation undertaken showed that Staffordshire’s residents ‘Top Three’ priorities are:

1. Reducing the level and fear of crime.

2. Increasing the number and quality of jobs in Staffordshire resulting in improved prosperity.

3. Improving the health and well being of Staffordshire’s residents and in particular supporting our most vulnerable people i.e. older people.

We use the feedback that we receive from our residents and our customers to improve the services that we provide.

For further information about the consultations that we undertake or to have your say about the county council and the services that we provide please see the ‘Have Your Say’ pages on the county council website.

http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/doitonline/haveyoursay/

This is Staffordshire – External Feedback

Staffordshire County Council has regular inspections by independent external organisations such as the Audit Commission, Ofsted and the CQC. The county council has received good results following these inspections but we know that improvements can always be made. We use this feedback to ensure that our services continue to improve and that we strive for excellence.

In a major change to how we are inspected, 2009 saw the introduction of a new method of inspection - Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) now known as ‘Oneplace’. This is a wider look at how all the major public organisations in Staffordshire including the county council, the police, the fire and rescue service, the primary care trusts and the voluntary sector - are making the county a better place.

The focus of ‘Oneplace’ is more upon ‘outcomes’ i.e. how we are contributing to improving the lives, the communities, the environment and the available opportunities for those who live and work in Staffordshire. Oneplace looks at how we are doing these things in partnership. Through this partnership approach to delivering services there have been some notable successes. For example there has been:


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� A reduction in the number of first time entrants into the Youth Justice System;

� Improvements in antisocial behaviour;

� An increase in the amount of waste recycled across the county;

� A rise in the number of people who have been helped to live independently in their own homes.

There are issues that we need to improve however and Oneplace has highlighted these further. The county council is already working with its partners to make improvements in the following areas:

� We are working with the PCTs to improved equality in healthcare;

� We are developing a strategic approach to housing with the district and borough councils and other housing providers to ensure the provision of accommodation that fully meets the needs of local people;

� We are developing a new type of Extra Care scheme people who need extra support in order to live independently – Flexicare;

� We are monitoring the Teenage Pregnancy Action Plan to ensure that relationship and sexual health services objectives are implemented.

� We will focus on the prevention of pregnancy and support for young mothers to help them return to education, training or employment.

Further details about Staffordshire’s assessment can be found on the Oneplace website.

Alongside ‘Oneplace’ we also receive inspection reports from a range of other external inspectors. Over the course of 2009/2010 the following feedback was received by the county council:


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5. This is Staffordshire – The County Council

The county council provides Staffordshire's residents with vital services including schools, libraries, social services, trading standards, waste disposal, highways and planning. The county council works with others to help make Staffordshire a better place. To make sure we deliver the best possible services it is important that we understand the county and the needs of our residents.

Sixty two elected county councillors make decisions for the county and work closely with council officers to drive our overall strategy.

The council works with partner organisations such as the district/borough and parish/town councils, charities, the voluntary sector and the police, fire and health authorities to help improve the prosperity, health, safety and environment of the whole county.

We will continue to look for suitable partnership working opportunities both within Staffordshire and outside of the county where this can deliver better services and increased value for money.

6. This is Staffordshire – Our Strategic Plan

The county council’s Strategic Plan is part of a wider planning process based upon what we need to do and how we fund this over the next five years. By developing a five year strategic plan and linking this to the county council’s five year ‘Medium Term Financial Strategy’ we are better able to plan for the future and meet the challenges that lie ahead.

The Strategic Plan is also linked to each of the county council’s ‘Directorate Improvement Plans’. These outline what each of the directorates will do to deliver the Strategic Plan over the next five years. These in turn are linked in to team service plans and these inform each members of staff’s annual ‘Personal Performance Review’. This links everyone who works for the county council into the Strategic Plan and the aims objectives and outcomes that are outlined here.

This Strategic Plan is part of a wider, longer term county-wide vision for Staffordshire and links into the Staffordshire Strategic Partnership’s

Sustainable community Strategy.

Back To The Top


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7. Communities Directorate and Chief Executive’s Office

County Councillor Ben Adams - Lead Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture

County Councillor Mark Winnington - Lead Cabinet Member

for Assets, Performance and Organisation

The newly established Communities Directorate and Chief Executives Office is vital to the delivery of the new values and priorities of the county council. The directorate is already helping to make Staffordshire a better, safer and more prosperous place to live and work, but it is recognised that there is more to be done.

The directorate works closely with partners across the county to deliver a wide range of community and cultural services. These services include libraries, archives, arts and museums, community learning, integrated youth services, community safety and support for the voluntary and community sector. It delivers front-line services at the heart of our communities and provides co-ordination across the county council to ensure the council achieves its aims. We believe that the Communities Directorate and Chief Executives Office is vital to the delivery of the new values and priorities of the county council.

Resources

The Medium Term Financial Strategy is not yet available and details will be included once it is finalised in February 2010.

We know that we need to work differently and ensure that our services are delivered efficiently. To do so we are implementing a review of the supporting services across the county council including Policy and Performance, Portfolio Management, Human Resources and Communications. This will ensure that the right support resources are in place to support our ‘frontline’ services over the next 5 years. Other examples of efficiency and innovation to be found


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across the directorate include integrating our Youth Support Services into a single service and the introduction of self-service desks in our libraries.

To continue this work we have identified the following outcomes and priorities to deliver over the course of the next five years.

� Outcome 1 - Staffordshire communities are increasingly safe, free from crime and the fear of crime:

To deliver this outcome we have identified the following priorities -

o Reduce the rate of violent crime, acquisitive crime & domestic violence;

o Reduce the rate of anti social behaviour (with a particular emphasis on under age drinking and other risk taking behaviour);

o Reduce the number of first time entrants into the youth justice system;

o Increase the number of people who feel safe in their communities by targeting families with the most difficulties;

o The development of modern integrated youth support services.

� Outcome 2 - Staffordshire communities have a greater influence over local decision making & public sector delivery:


o Increase the number of people who feel that they can influence decision making in their community via more appropriate engagement and through greater involvement of local members;

o Develop locality working; o Create communities which have more capacity to support

themselves; o Increase participation in regular volunteering by growing the role of

the voluntary and community sector.

� Outcome 3 - Young people in Staffordshire positively contribute to their community:


o Increase number of young people who regularly volunteer; o Increase number of young people who participate in community

events.


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� Outcome 4 - Staffordshire communities can easily access informal learning opportunities and enjoy a wide spectrum of cultural activities:


o Increase number of people accessing libraries; o Increase support to a wide variety of arts and cultural opportunities; o Preserve the county’s historical treasures so that Staffordshire’s

residents gain maximum benefit from and easy access to significant finds such as the Staffordshire Hoard.

There are a number of ‘cross cutting priorities’ to which the Communities Directorate and Chief Executive’s Office contributes. These are:

� “Closing the gap” – co-ordinating the county wide response to improving the quality of life for Staffordshire’s most deprived communities and difficult families1;

� Customer access – co-ordinating the county council’s approach to customer services and access;

� Effective delivery by the county wide LSP to ensure a preventative approach when addressing local and countywide issues;

� Personal responsibility linked to personalisation agenda;

To support the work of the county council the final area of work that the directorate leads on is the delivery of value for money services through:

� Innovation & Efficiency - Ensuring that support functions are delivered across the county council in the most effective and efficient way.

Further details of the other services delivered by the directorate can be found in the section ‘Making It Happen’.

Measuring Success

We will measure how well we are delivering these outcomes and priorities in the following ways:

1 Could we refer to “families experiencing difficulties” instead?


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o We will measure what the residents of Staffordshire think about the county council, the area in which they live and how much they feel they can influence the decisions made by the county council;

o We will measure how much Staffordshire’s residents are volunteering and how well the voluntary and third sector is being supported;

o We will measure the rate of crime and antisocial behaviour across the county;

o We will measure the rate of domestic violence across the county;

o We will measure the rate of substance misuse by both adults and young people;

o We will measure the rate of teenage pregnancies across the county;

o We will measure the number of young people who enter the Youth Justice System, their access to suitable accommodation and how many go on to re-offend;

o We will measure the how well the residents of Staffordshire, and especially young people can access education, training and employment;

o We will measure the involvement of children and young people in sports, cultural and other activities;

o We will measure how well the county council responds to complaints, taking steps reduce the level of avoidable contact;

o We will measure how well the county council is delivering against this Strategic Plan, the LAA and the countywide Sustainable Community Strategy.

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8. Children and Lifelong Learning Directorate

County Councillor Ian Parry -Deputy Leader of the Council and

Lead Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

County Councillor Veronica Downes - Cabinet Member for

Schools

The county council’s Children and Lifelong Learning Directorate is responsible for the provision of education and other support services for children and young people (those aged 0-19) and their families. These services include schools, educational support services, child protection, looked after children and, together with the Cabinet Member for Economy, Skills and Enterprise the support of colleges of further education.

Transforming education across the county is something that remains a priority for the county council and includes our ‘Building Schools for the Future’ project. Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the single largest investment programme in education for over 50 years and will transform learning and secondary education. This is part of national plans to government aims to replace, rebuild or renovate every secondary school in England over the next 10-15 years

It is crucial that BSF projects are ambitious and visionary to ensure that major change can take place. BSF is not just about buildings, it must deliver significant increases in pupil achievement through innovation and reform. BSF funding cannot simply be used to replace what already exists. BSF offers a great opportunity to integrate schools into wider regeneration projects, positioning our schools at the heart of communities.


All of this requires learning environments in which ambitious education outcomes can be delivered, inspiring teachers to innovate and young people to engage. BSF schools must be able to meet the needs of teachers and learners, with facilities that are sustainable, flexible and adaptable.

Making improved use of ICT is fundamental to improving teaching and learning. BSF will include very significant investment in ICT. Young people today are much more familiar with computers and the internet than previous generations and we are increasingly looking to be using that technology in school.

The county council is the key partner in the delivery of ‘Every Child Matters’ in Staffordshire. Every Child Matters is the national approach to improving the well-being of children and young people from when they are born right up until the age of 19. It aims to ensure that every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, will have the support they need to achieve the outcomes of being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being. The county council does so by working with the other organisations providing services for children such as hospitals, schools, the police and voluntary groups across the region.

Every Child Matters also places great importance on the views and opinions of the children and young people in Staffordshire and they have a greater say about the issues that affect them both as individuals and collectively. This is achieved by working with partners through the Children’s Trusts. The Children’s Trusts establish how best to deliver services for children and young people in its area by involving children and young people in the process.

Resources


Staffordshire County Council is committed to delivering ‘Every Child Matters’ and improving the lives of the county’s children and young people. We aim to do so in the following ways:

� Outcome 1 - Be Healthy:


o Reduce obesity, through promoting healthy lifestyles for children and young people.

o Improve the health and well being of vulnerable children and young people across Staffordshire.

o Reduce teenage pregnancy and other adverse risk taking by adolescents; o Improve equality of access to adolescent mental health services. o Reduce substance misuse amongst children and young people.


� Outcome 2 - Stay Safe:


o Achieve better outcomes for children and young people at risk of/or suffering from neglect.

o Refocus services towards prevention and early intervention (reducing the number of children and young people who enter care as an emergency).

o Improve the suitability of our placement provision for children care2. o Improve transition arrangements3 for children with disabilities.

� Outcome 3 - Enjoy and Achieve:

To deliver this outcome we have identified the following priorities –

o Improve Early Years and Foundation Stage (i.e. 0-5 years of age) attainment, in particular that of vulnerable groups4.

o Improve Key Stage 2 attainment, in particular that of vulnerable groups. o Improve Key Stage 4 attainment, in particular transition arrangements for

this key stage, and attainment of looked after children. o Improve attendance at school, in particular that of looked after children.

� Outcome 4 Make a Positive Contribution:


o Increase the participation of children and young people in consultation; o Improve consultation and engagement with parents and carers. o Reduce the rate of offending/re-offending of children and young people, in

particular that of vulnerable groups. o Improve access to play areas and parks, sport and cultural facilities/

activities for children and young people. o Encourage parents and carers to engage in sport and cultural

facilities/activities including learning to improve skills and life chances.

2 What does this mean?

3 Clarify what is meant by transition arrangements.

4 Expand – what is meant by vulnerable groups?


� Outcome 5 - Achieve Economic Well Being:


o Improve the opportunities for education and training post-16 for looked after children;

o Improve the performance and transitional arrangements at post-16 for education and training, in particular education attainment at level 3;

o Reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training, in particular those who are from minority ethnic groups, and looked after children;

o Improve the number of young offenders who are engaged in education, employment and training.

There are a number of ‘cross cutting priorities’ to which the Children and Lifelong Learning Directorate contributes. These are:

o ‘Closing the Gap’ – Through improving the opportunities and health of looked after children and young people, by reducing obesity, by improving the educational attainment of children and young people and helping them into further education, employment and training.

o ‘Prevention’ – Through the prevention of reoffending, the prevention of bullying and the prevention of risk taking activities such as substance misuse, teenage pregnancies and anti-social behaviour. Families?

Measuring Success


o We will measure the number of children that are obese.

o We will measure the quality of services for disabled children.

o We will measure the quality of services for looked after children.

o We will measure the quality of mental health services for children and young people.

o We will measure the extent of substance misuse by young people.

o We will measure the quality and timeliness of our arrangements for child protection.

o We will measure the quality and timeliness of our arrangements for fostering, adoption and child protection.

o We will measure the educational attainment of children in the Early Years stage.


o We will measure the educational attainment of children at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

o We will measure the educational attainment of Young People.

o We will measure the educational attainment of Looked After Children and Young People.

o We will measure the number of children who experience bullying at school.

o We will measure the rate of persistent absence by pupils in our secondary schools.

o We will measure the participation of children, young people and families in consultation activities and their engagement with county council activities.

o We will measure the improvement of facilities, play areas, parks and activities for children, young people and their families.

o We will measure the number of young people who are not engaged in education, employment or training.

o We will measure the rate of offending and re-offending by children and young people.

o We will measure the number of young offenders who are engaged in suitable education, employment or training.


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9. Social Care and Health Directorate

County Councillor Matthew Ellis - Lead Cabinet Member for Adults

and Wellbeing

County Councillor Bob Fraser - Cabinet Member for Community

Health

The Social Care and Health Directorate of Staffordshire County Council is responsible for the provision of social care for vulnerable adults and older people, services for their carers, community services such as Consumer Advice and Protection and for the wider health and well being needs of all Staffordshire residents.

Staffordshire Cares is the new vision for adult care in Staffordshire through which we want to provide people with easier access to information, advice and support to enable them to live the life they choose. It provides a gateway and signposting service for the whole adult care sector.

Outcomes

The Directorate has identified the following outcomes it wants to achieve for the people of Staffordshire:

o Improving health and emotional well-being – People are able to lead as healthy and active lives as possible.

o Improved quality of life – People enjoy the best possible quality of life.

o Making a positive contribution – People are able to take part in community life.

o Increased choice and control – People are able to make decisions about their own care and are given choice.

o Freedom from discrimination or harassment – People in Staffordshire have fair access to services and are treated equally.

o Economic well-being – People have enough money to meet their living and support needs.

o Maintaining personal dignity and respect – People are treated as individuals and are kept safe from all forms of abuse.

See also Section 2 – Cross –Cutting Outcomes

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To deliver the Staffordshire Social Care and Health agenda the Directorate has identified 5 key priorities to be delivered through the ‘Staffordshire Cares’ Programme. These priorities reflect the national Putting People First Strategy; a strategy that aims to transform adult social care.

Priority 1: A Personalised Care Pathway

� The redesign of the customer journey to embrace personalisation, including:

o Staffordshire Cares Key Working – A named worker for people with significant care needs.

o Developing Advocacy services. o Resource Allocation System (RAS)/Personal Budgets to provide

people with the freedom to choose their own support. o Develop the range of community based opportunities on offer, and

support sustainable communities and community cohesion. o Delivering improvements in safeguarding and practice standards to

protect vulnerable individuals and minimise their risk of exploitation and abuse.

o Improved access to services to enable people to make informed choices, delivered through Staffordshire Cares Direct, Information Points and ‘One Stop Shops’.

o Paying for care: Developing a fairer and sustainable system to balance personal and council tax payer’s responsibility while ensuring that vulnerable adults can meet their living and support needs.

Priority 2: Modernised Services

� The transformation from traditional in-house, building-based services to the development of a broad range of opportunities for people to access without needing direct recourse to the Health and Social Care system. This will include a range of local activities and services in their local community which will help to sustain local facilities for everyone and will reduce health inequalities and promote healthier lifestyles.

� Support the development of sustainable communities and community cohesion by:

o Tackling antisocial behaviour. o Tackling the use and abuse of alcohol in communities. o Reducing the risk of vulnerable and older people being targeted by criminals. o Ensuring local business comply with their obligations.


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Priority 3: Integration

� Working with the NHS in Staffordshire to develop the integration agenda on commissioning and providing services together and looking at the most effective way of developing the marketplace together. The integration of services and the work of professionals to deliver better outcomes for the public and to improve service user satisfaction, access, quality and efficiency.

Key developments are:

o Staffordshire Cares Respond and Re-able – Timely and focused support to enable people to achieve greater independence. Achieved through integrating Social Care and NHS services.

o Prevention of unnecessary acute hospital admissions through the Staffordshire Cares Prevention Service which will work with partners to deliver a range of preventative services.

Priority 4: An Excellent Modern Directorate

� Simplifying access to information/advice about services through a new managed gateway to care comprising:

o Staffordshire Cares Direct – providing advice/information, signposting and simple assessment and direct delivery of specific services. o Staffordshire Cares Information Points – Network of local points in public places providing information, advice and signposting. o Staffordshire Cares One Stop Shops – A full range of services from advice to assessment to service delivery.

� Improving efficiency and cutting bureaucracy through the introduction of a new ICT system.

� Project 2012 – Allocating resources based upon relative need and supporting the shift in resources towards a model of care based on prevention and enablement.


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Priority 5: Commissioning

� Staffordshire Cares Marketplace – Web based information on providers, costs and quality reports to help people choose their own support.

� Staffordshire Cares Approved Providers – Approved providers which meet strict quality requirements.

� Staffordshire Cares Card – A purchase card to find care with money drawn from Direct Payments, Individual Budgets and Benefits.

� Monitoring processes to ensure standards in the independent sector continue to rise.

� Joint Commissioning Unit and district based staff working together to develop local community based opportunities and services.

� Support and promote the local business environment in a way which benefits the wellbeing of consumers while minimising the regulatory burden.

There are a number of ‘cross cutting priorities’ to which the Social Care and Health Directorate contributes. These are:

‘Closing the Gap’ between Communities – By promoting healthier lifestyles we are helping to improve the health and well being of our communities and by so doing we are closing the gap of health inequality.

‘Prevention’ – Through the prevention of unnecessary hospital admissions, the prevention of anti-social behaviour and the prevention of substance misuse. We will also prevent the exploitation of vulnerable people and ensure local that business comply with their obligations in a proportionate manner.

‘Customer Access’ – Through the delivery of the new ‘One- Stop-Shops’ and our new ways of delivering services.


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‘Personal Responsibility’ – This is a key part of Social Care and Health’s work and the new way of delivering services. The directorate provides both ‘signposting’ to services that users and carers can choose themselves and services that can be accessed directly providing a ‘safety net’ where required.

‘Innovation & Efficiency’ – This is delivered through the work that Social Care and Health does and the changes that it is making to the directorate as outlined in the outcomes above.

Measuring Success


o We will measure the number of drug users receiving effective treatment.

o We will measure the number of people that are supported to live independently in their own homes.

o We will measure how long it takes us to assess people’s needs and how long it takes us to implement social care packages.

o We will measure the amount of support that is given to carers.

o We will measure the number of people with a learning disability in paid employment.

o We will measure the number of number of Adult Protection referrals.

o We will measure the satisfaction of local businesses with the regulatory services that we provide.

o We will measure the impact of our Trading Standards Services on fair trading.

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10. Development Services Directorate

County Councillor Robert Marshall - Lead

Cabinet Member for Regeneration and

Infrastructure

County Councillor Mike Maryon - Cabinet Member for Highways

and Environment

County Councillor Mike Lawrence -

Cabinet Member for Economy, Skills and

Enterprise

Staffordshire County Council’s Development Services Directorate is responsible for a wide variety of services across the county. These include the county’s highways network, waste disposal and recycling, planning, monitoring of quarries, economic development and tourism.

The directorate also plays an important part in tackling what are perhaps the two biggest challenges that society faces today – the recession and climate change.

Alongside this, Development Services cares for some of Staffordshire’s gems such as the Shugborough Estate and the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It was closely involved in uncovering the Staffordshire Hoard and its preservation for future generations.

Resources



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In order to continue the improvement of the county’s infrastructure and the preservation of Staffordshire’s unique environment, the following outcomes have been identified:

� Outcome 1 - Tackle the challenge of climate change and ensure that Staffordshire’s communities can access our natural environment:


o Co-ordinate the activities of the county council to tackle the challenge of climate change and adapt to the inevitable consequences of it.

o Maintain, protect and improve Staffordshire’s natural environment, whilst developing and promoting environmental sustainability amongst Staffordshire’s communities and businesses.

o Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and increase the rate of recycling.

o Develop a ‘Residual Waste Treatment Facility’ plant and associated transfer stations to help achieve zero waste to landfill by 2020.

o Ensure that minerals and waste planning policy reflects the needs of local communities and conform with regional planning policy where appropriate.

� Outcome 2 - Staffordshire will be known for being a highly knowledgeable, skilled economy, leading to better quality of life outcomes for Staffordshire’s communities:


o Support Staffordshire’s economy through the recession by attracting and maintaining business growth and investment - especially in the higher value added sectors and other locally important sectors.

o Improve and diversify local skills, specifically developing high-level skills.

o Ensure that those residents in the most deprived communities and groups can access the economic opportunities created in Staffordshire.

o Develop vibrant and sustainable town centres, market towns and rural communities.

o Provide regulatory services that support the business community.


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� Outcome 3 - Ensure that Staffordshire’s communities are safe and

access everyday facilities via the transport and highway networks:


o Develop and manage a transport network which supports sustainable economic growth, promotes sustainable travel and improves accessibility.

o Improve and maintain the condition of Staffordshire’s roads, footways and rights of way.

o Create and maintain safer roads.

� Outcome 4 - Provide high quality, innovative and efficient services to Staffordshire communities:


o Manage and maintain property, assets and facilities. o Deliver the Tipping Street Project, supporting transformational change,

economic regeneration and environmental sustainability. o Provide efficient and high-quality trading services to facilitate high-

performing front-line services. o Ensure continuous improvement within the Directorate through

innovation, efficiency and high performance.

There are a number of ‘cross cutting priorities’ to which the Development Services Directorate contributes. These are:

‘Closing the Gap’ between communities – Through attracting investment into the county and improving the high-level skills of the workforce. We also support our rural communities by improving access to services and encouraging economic development. Of particular importance is attracting investment into the county and improving the high-level skills of the workforce.


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‘Innovation and Efficiency’ – The Tipping Street Project, being led by the Development Services will be a major way of delivering innovation and efficiency across the county council by changing the way we work. It will also help to stimulate the local economy at a time when it is most needed providing jobs, helping to regenerate the area and helping to make the community more sustainable. It will also improve access to services by locating them in a more central and accessible location.

Measuring Success


o We will measure how much CO2 emissions are being reduced across the county.

o We will measure improvements in the county’s biodiversity.

o We will measure the percentage of small businesses in Staffordshire showing growth.

o We will measure the levels of Staffordshire’s residents skills and qualifications.

o We will measure the number of working age people who are receiving out of work benefits.

o We will measure how many additional and how many affordable homes are being built.

o We will measure how well access to key services such as hospitals is being improved.

o We will measure the state of Staffordshire’s roads.

o We will measure how many people are being killed or seriously injured on Staffordshire’s roads.

o We will measure how much household waste cannot be reused or recycled.

o We will measure how long it takes the county council to process a major planning application.

o We will measure the impact of mineral and waste extraction across Staffordshire.

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11. Making It Happen

County Councillor Phillip Atkins – Leader of the Council

County Councillor Mark Winnington - Lead Cabinet Member

for Assets, Performance and Organisation

None of our aims can be achieved unless we have well trained, motivated and efficient staff that have the support to do their jobs properly. To make this happen a number of support services exist. These services are:

Chief Executive's Office

The Chief Executive’s Office is responsible for putting the policies agreed by the county council into practice. The team is at the forefront of creating strategies to improve the quality of life for the people of Staffordshire as well as ensuring the county council communicates clearly with local people so that they understand and value its work.

Finance

The Directorate co-ordinates the authority's annual budgets and produces annual accounts. They also manage the county council's pension fund and the pension schemes of district authorities in the county. They make sure that the county council receives value for money on what it spends each year on goods and services. Internal Audit and Insurance Services deal with various areas of risk management.

Law & Governance

The Directorate provides the county council's legal advice and support, together with administrative support for members and senior officers. Law and Governance are also responsible for clerking meetings that County Councillors hold. The Information Governance Unit manages records and information, offers advice and deals with freedom of information and data protection issues.


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Staffordshire ICT

The Directorate is keen to make sure that technology improves the way services are delivered and Staffordshire ICT is at the heart of this. The county council's data network covers around 27,000 broadband enabled PC in offices, schools and libraries. This technology means that effectively, staff can quickly access information they need to deliver services.

Resources


Cross Cutting

These support services help to deliver all of the county councils Cross-Cutting Outcomes.

In particular these include the effective delivery of the wider LSP outcomes and the achievement of ‘Innovation and Efficiencies’ across the county council.

Measuring Success


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Tipping Street - Working Better Together

“One team, one purpose”

We deliver essential services right across the county from schools, libraries to support for the transport network, working for older residents and protecting vulnerable people.

To get the best for Staffordshire people, we need to work more closely together. At present, around 135 separate teams are scattered across Stafford, housed in outdated and energy hungry buildings. This is increasingly costly both to the environment and the taxpayer.

This new development will also make a significant contribution to improving the environment. It will be built to the highest standards of energy efficiency. Its heating fuel demands will be partly met by using our own sustainable forest resource. Through this we will reduce the county council's CO2 emissions by over 1,750 tonnes, equating to the average annual emissions of nearly fifty household and it is expected that the new development will save the tax payer on average a quarter of a million pounds a year.

The Tipping Street development will establish a new model for flexible, efficient, customer-focused ways of working . The new county council centre will:

o create a stunning town centre development; o boost the town centre, stimulating future investment; o generate jobs in the building and service industries; o help improve the quality, efficiency and focus of public services; o rationalise Stafford-based council operations; o improve energy efficiency and set the standard for climate change

action.

Officers are expected to move into the new building in summer 2011 when our core services will be brought together under one roof. We really will be one team with one purpose.

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12. Commitment to Reporting Our Performance

We recognise the importance of reporting our performance. We report our performance every year, through ‘YS’ - our residents magazine. This sets out how Staffordshire County Council has performed against delivering the priorities and aims set out within the Strategic Plan.

To read previous performance reports highlighted in the ‘YS’ magazine, please email: [email protected] or telephone: 01785 276829.

13. Commitment to Listening and Responding

A paragraph stating that the county council is committed to listening and responding to the residents and businesses of Staffordshire.

e.g. ‘How to Contact Us’

14. Commitment to Accessibility to Information

We are committed to listening and responding to the residents and businesses of Staffordshire.

To get in touch with us directly please:

Telephone: 01785 223121

or: [email protected]

or: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/contactus

If you need a copy of this information in large print, Braille, another language, on cassette or disc, please ask us by contacting insert name and telephone

number.

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Logos – Cross Cutting Issues

strategic plan 2010 2015 v3.4a -...

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