Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/222

Contact: Robin Rogers, Programme Director, COVID Response Tel: 07789 923206

Report by Interim Chief Executive (CA11).

Effective partnership working across Oxfordshire has been at the heart of the local system response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the national and local picture improves, system partners have developed a shared framework for Recovery and Renewal (see Annex 1) to move operational partnership working beyond the immediate COVID response phase. This document sets overarching common ambitions for the issues and themes that will be worked on together as organisations and the community learn from the pandemic. It aims to ensure that Oxfordshire is best placed to learn from and recover from the immediate impacts of the pandemic, to support the long-term renewal of communities and places, and enhance our joint impact on national and international challenges.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)               Adopt the Oxfordshire System Recovery and Renewal Framework, as set out in Annex 1, as the key partnership document guiding joint programme planning beyond the COVID-19 pandemic period;

b)              Delegate final revisions to Oxfordshire System Recovery and Renewal Framework to the Interim Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, as partnership organisations complete their engagement and decision-making processes;

c)               Note the summary of utilisation of COVID Programme grants for the immediate COVID response, as set out in Annex 2.

Cabinet agreed the recommendations on the understanding that further discussion will take place with the District and City Councils on the implementation.

Cabinet considered a recovery and renewal framework setting overarching common ambitions for system partners for the issues and themes that will be worked on together as organisations and the community learn from the pandemic.

The Chair introduced the report which was based on the assumption that the community was coming out of the pandemic – although infection numbers continued to fluctuate.  The framework was based on learning from the pandemic, including how voluntary and community groups stepped in to play an important role.  It will be shared with the city and district councils and other partners and was aimed at guiding recovery, addressing inequalities that were exacerbated by the pandemic and improving resilience whatever the challenges faced.  For example, following the invasion of Ukraine there could be an influx of refugees.

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse Councils had already endorsed the aims of the document but had some concerns about its implementation and how the framework would relate to existing frameworks that operate very well.  The Chair invited Cabinet to similarly endorse the aims but allow discussions to continue with partners on the implementation.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Deputy Leader, emphasised that much of the report dealt with inequalities in the county.  Oxfordshire was one of the wealthiest counties but some in the community did not see the benefits, showing that the so-called ‘trickle-down’ economy did not work.

Councillor Brighouse stressed the importance of working with the colleges and other organisations who have a lot of money to invest to ensure that they invest it in activities that add social value - for example, investing in local young entrepreneurs.  The Council had an important role to play in how the economy worked.

Councillor Calum Miller stated that the framework was attempting to continue the new ways of working and collaborating, that were developed during the pandemic, into business as usual going forward.  He paid tribute to the hard work of Council staff and those working for our system partners that helped people throughout the pandemic.

Councillor Miller added that it was clear that many people would face a new emergency with the cost of living increases known to be coming in on 1 April.  He was confident that the Council would play its part in helping people through this latest emergency.

The Chair put the recommendations on the understanding that this was a working document and that further discussion will take place with the District and City Councils on the implementation.

RESOLVED to:

a)           Adopt the Oxfordshire System Recovery and Renewal Framework, as set out in Annex 1, as the key partnership document guiding joint programme planning beyond the COVID-19 pandemic period;

b)           Delegate final revisions to Oxfordshire System Recovery and Renewal Framework to the Interim Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, as partnership organisations complete their engagement and decision-making processes;

c)           Note the summary of utilisation of COVID Programme grants for the immediate COVID response, as set out in Annex 2.