Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director (Corporate & Support Services) & Deputy Chief Executive.

Policy priorities for 2021/22 were set out within the Council Plan, which was adopted at the Budget Council Meeting in February. This incorporates the shared outcomes from the Borough Plan alongside specific priorities of the Cabinet.

These priorities, re-shaped to take account of One Stockport and Building Back Better (building on Covid19), are articulated within the Portfolio Agreements, which form the basis for regular in-year reporting. Portfolio and Corporate Performance and Resource Reports (PPRRs and CPRRs) will assess progress against key objectives, priorities, outcomes and budgets, enabling Scrutiny Committees to hold the Cabinet to account and for the Cabinet to identify current and future risks to delivery.

This report presents the draft 2021/22 Agreements for the Resources, Commissioning & Governance and Citizens Focus and Engagement Portfolios  for consideration and comment by the Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to review and comment on the draft Portfolio Agreements.

Officer Contacts: Peter Owston on 0161 474 3274 or email: peter.owston@stockport.gov.uk; alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk

 on 0161 474 5397 or email: alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk; and

Kora Yohannan on 0161 474 4032 or kora.yohannan@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting the draft 2021/22 Agreements for the Resources, Commissioning & Governance and Citizen Focus & Engagement Portfolios for consideration by the Scrutiny Committee.

The agreements articulated the policy priorities for 2021/22 that were set out within the adopted Council Plan, incorporating the shared outcomes from the Borough Plan alongside specific priorities of the Cabinet. These priorities, re-shaped to take account of One Stockport and Building Back Better (building on Covid-19), were articulated within the Portfolio Agreements which formed the basis for regular in-year reporting.

The Cabinet Members for Citizen Focus and Engagement (Councillor David Sedgwick) and Resources, Commissioning and Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

Citizen Focus and Engagement Portfolio

·         A Member highlighted under the section on ‘Earmarked Reserves’, the £130,000 Invest to Save Reserve to be used for Museum Projects and the £80,000 Double Running Reserve to support Library Savings. These savings related to library savings in the 2021 Medium Term Financial Plan and primarily related to management and other staffing costs.

·         The Cabinet Member elaborated on the £0.050m allocated on cultural services to support residents.

Resources, Commissioning and Governance Portfolio

·         The development of performance indicators around the number of Stockport Council employees undertaking apprenticeship qualifications and wellbeing measures from ‘Let’s Talk’ surveys were welcomed, although the target for the latter should be reported more regularly than twice yearly.

·         Whilst support was given to the ‘Single Source of the Truth initiative’, the view was expressed that is should be renamed.

·         The importance of Social Value and the Procurement Bill was highlighted and it was felt that this was an issue that the Scrutiny Committee should consider later in the Municipal Year.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.