This plan sets a clear direction for the future of Derbyshire County Council in line with our vison of 'working together to improve lives across Derbyshire'.
Within the plan, you'll see that we now have 3 key objectives, they are:
- People – we want to see empowered communities where people live safe, happy, healthy and independent lives.
- Place – we want prosperous, green and sustainable places with opportunities for all.
- The council – we will be a resident-focused, efficient and effective organisation delivering value for money.
Underneath the Council Plan are our 4 service plans covering adult social care and health, children's services, corporate services and transformation and place. I encourage you to make yourself familiar with your relevant service plan so that you understand what your service area is prioritising in order to help us meet these objectives.
The way that we deliver our services is now underpinned by 10 new ways of working. These will guide how we design and shape our services as we change the way we work over the course of the plan and beyond.
Ways of working
- Customer - we will put customers and residents first, designing services based on their experiences, needs, and priorities.
- Partnerships - we will work together with our partners, combining resources and finding ways to achieve better results for local people.
- Transformation and improvement - we will design services with communities, and use a consistent approach to managing changes, focusing on best practice, innovation and doing things as efficiently as possible.
- Statutory - we will prioritise our efforts and resources on meeting our statutory responsibilities.
- Data and insight - we will use data and insight to guide our decisions and better understand our communities.
- One council - we will work together across the council, acting in a joined-up way, removing duplication of effort.
- Service delivery - we will try to get things right the first time by removing obstacles and delivering services that are accessible, inclusive, and responsive – improving outcomes for our customers and residents.
- Best value - we will spend money wisely and provide services in the most effective, efficient, and sustainable way.
- Digital - we will use digital technology to improve access, efficiency, and the overall customer experience, ensuring processes and systems work as well as they can.
- Workforce - we will have a high-performing, inclusive, well-led, motivated, well-trained, and well-rewarded workforce.
Another very important element of our Council Plan are our values.
If you came to one of the roadshow events last autumn or took part in the Council Plan consultation, then you will have had an opportunity to share your thoughts on our proposed values. Your input was really important in the shaping of these final, co-developed values which will play a significant role in our success as a council.
At their core, values are the guiding principles that shape how we make decisions and interact with each other. They describe who we are and what we stand for as a council, they help shape our culture and encourage consistent behaviours.
But they're not just words on a piece of paper. They';re a reflection of who we are and what we aspire to be, both as individuals and as an organisation.
Our values
- Collaborative – we listen and engage to deliver shared goals.
- Innovative – we are curious, embrace change and continuously improve.
- Empowered – we support, trust and value each other.
- Accountable – we hold ourselves and others to account.
So, how do we live these values every day?
It starts with each of us, every single day. Whether it's collaborating with a colleague on a new project, working with a customer to solve a challenge, or even making a small decision in our day-to-day tasks – each action we take is an opportunity to reinforce these values.
The values have been built into our performance development review (PDR) processes, allowing everyone to demonstrate how they are embracing and living our values every day. This focus will help us to make a connection between the work we do day-to-day and our council vision.
I encourage all of you to take the time to read through our Council Plan and then reflect and discuss with your colleagues and managers on how you might adapt or enhance the way you work in view of our new ways of working and values, as we start embedding these into everything we do.
Thank you for being a part of our journey as a council and the contribution you make to our success.