Issue - meetings
Oxfordshire County Council's Productivity Plan
Meeting: 18/06/2024 - Cabinet (Item 84)
84 Oxfordshire County Council's Productivity Plan 
PDF 206 KB
Forward Plan Ref: 2024/137
Contact: Kathy Wilcox, Head of Financial Strategy
Kathy.wilcox@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Report by Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer (CA8)
The Cabinet is
RECOMMENDED to:
(a)
Approve the
productivity plan for submission to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing
and Communities
(b)
Approve
the additional barriers to efficiency document for submission to the Department
for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Additional documents:
- Annex A – Oxfordshire County Council Productivity Plan 2024-2025, item 84
PDF 161 KB
- Annex B – Annex to Productivity Plan, Barriers to Efficiency, item 84
PDF 112 KB
Decision:
Recommendations approved.
Minutes:
Cabinet received a report recommending the approval of the
productivity plan for Oxfordshire County Council. The plan had been produced in
response to the DLUHC's request for councils to share their current plans to
transform services, use technology and data, reduce spend and identify barriers
to efficiency. The plans were a
requirement for all Councils as part of the Government’s 2024/25 Local
Government Finance Settlement
The Chair presented the report
and outlined a number of the positive achievements of the Council including
“Delivering the Future Together” the response to the SEND improvement plan and
the “Oxfordshire Way” programme within Adult Social Care. The council has also prepared
an additional document to be submitted to the DLUHC alongside the productivity
plan. This document highlighted the areas where central government intervention
could unlock barriers to efficiency, such as inconsistent and short-term
funding, complex and overlapping regulations, and lack of flexibility and
autonomy.
During discussion members referred to the anomalies concerning
Government policy on Home to School transport.
Councillor Leffman moved and Councillor Sudbury seconded the
recommendations and they were approved.
RESOLVED to:
(a)
approve
the productivity plan for submission to the Department for Levelling Up,
Housing and Communities
(b)
approve
the additional barriers to efficiency document for submission to the Department
for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities