Gloucestershire Looking to the Future 2019-2022DRAFT

gloucestershire.gov.uk Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council DRAFT

This year has also shown clearly how strong, resilient carbon emissions to 73% (against 2006/07 base and community spirited we are as a county. Covid-19 level) and brought an end to household waste going Introduction has tested us all, presented new challenges and straight to landfill, with the resulting renewable energy above all, has brought out the absolute best in people. generation taking our net emissions reduction to 97%. Gloucestershire is a great The offers of support from individual members of the We have gone on investing in new, improved and community and organisations have been staggering carbon-neutral school facilities, including a new school place to live, work and do and proven invaluable to those who have needed help. in Brockworth to meet the needs of our children We have also been able to showcase the strength with social, emotional and mental health needs, and business. Most local people and effectiveness of the relationships we have with a brand new secondary school in Cheltenham. We colleagues in the police, district councils, the NHS and have delivered significant new or improved cycling enjoy a high standard of the voluntary and community sector. By all working and walking infrastructure and continue our essential together; helping and supporting those who are most flood alleviation work. We are nearing completion living, and our levels of at risk, we have, thankfully seen much lower levels of of our £150m in the county’s road network, having health and wellbeing are impact than in other parts of the UK. resurfaced over 400 miles of road since April 2018. That is not to say there hasn’t been loss and suffering There has also been additional investment in our comfortably above the as a result of Covid-19, there has, and it is important children and family services, which has helped average for the country. we remember those who have sadly lost their lives improve the experiences and outcomes for young and those they have left behind. We must do all we people. There is much more to do but our foot is flat can to minimise others having to deal with the pain to the floor, to make sure improvement continues at Generally, local people and grief that comes with losing a loved one. a good pace. Our commitment to delivering high quality services We know there are many challenges ahead, both are well-educated, remains unwavering but we have also been clear economically and for the health and welfare of our unemployment is low and that this is not enough, if we want the county to be communities. No one is yet clear on what all these successful, prosperous and carbon neutral. We have challenges will be, but we are clear that with our Gloucestershire’s economy had a clear focus on what sort of county we want for partners, our communities and everyone’s hard the future, and how we can work with communities work to date, we are in a strong position to face and is strong and resilient and and partners to bring about the required changes. We overcome them and continue to look towards an have worked hard to move forward projects which will exciting future for our county. the local environment is secure future growth, including progressing work with partners on J9 & 10 of the M5 and the A417 missing diverse and attractive. link, as well as improving our superfast broadband network, which has become more important than ever this year.

We have shown strong leadership in tackling climate change and have made significant progress with our climate change commitments; rolling out an ambition Councillor Pete Bungard of tree planting that will see 35 Million new trees Mark Hawthorne MBE Chief Executive planted across the county by 2030; reduced our own Leader of the Council 2 DRAFT Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council

Our vision To make the most of all that Gloucestershire has to offer, help improve the quality of life for every community, support businesses to be successful and make sure the county is a place where people want to live, work and visit.

Our ambition is for Gloucestershire to be:

A Magnet County A Healthy County

A growing working age population, with more 18-40 year olds with People to have a good work/life balance and improved health high level qualifications choosing to live and work in the county and wellbeing

An Innovative County A Connected County

More businesses starting up, growing and investing in research and innovation Improved transport and internet connections so that people and businesses can connect with each other more easily A Skilled County A Sustainable, Low Carbon County More people with high-level skills and jobs in skilled occupations More efficient use of resources, more use of sustainable energy and carbon-neutral by 2045. A Prosperous County

Rising productivity and household incomes offering higher living standards A Resilient County

An Inclusive County Active, resilient local communities that keep people safe, provide them with support and help them to make a positive contribution The economic and social benefits of growth to be felt by all communities, including rural, urban and our areas of highest deprivation. Opportunities to be available for all and good relations between those who have protected characteristics and those who do not 3 Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council DRAFT

Demographic change Inequalities and deprivation Challenges and Gloucestershire’s population is ageing more quickly While living standards are high overall, there are areas than the UK average. The increasing number of retired of the county where residents’ outcomes fall well below people in the county will bring experience, resources national averages and where, as a result, local people opportunities and time to their communities, but as they grow older are more likely to depend on the services we provide. and more frail will also need more support from health, 19,415 people (3.1% of the county’s population) live in social care and safeguarding services. We are also areas amongst the most deprived 10% in England. In order to achieve our seeing increasing numbers of people living with disabilities Covid-19 has shone a light on inequalities. We and other long-term conditions in all age groups. vision and ambition for quickly saw evidence emerging of a disproportionate At the same time, our 18-64 population is expected to impact on different parts of society; for example, Gloucestershire, we remain static. Young people tend to leave the county older people, men and some geographic areas. But in their late teens and early twenties - the net loss can by far the biggest impact was seen in people from need to understand and be as many as 400 19-25 year olds per year. While Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. Sadly, plan together for the the concept of ‘working age’ is shifting, we do need we have seen a higher number of Covid-19 cases, to respond to this challenge to make sure we have the deaths, hospitalisations and complications in members opportunities and skills we need to keep the county competitive of these communities. Black and Asian people were and support economic growth. We can also expect between 2.5 and 3 times more likely to be admitted challenges we are facing. to see a trend towards more people living as single to hospitals in the county with Covid-19 than white person households. This will make it harder for people people of the same age. It is important that we seize to rely on immediate family for support in the future, this opportunity to focus on tackling inequalities and and make it more important that they are part of that the learning from the first wave informs not only resilient communities that look out for one another. GCC actions but those of the local system for the second wave. The 2020 Annual Report of the Director Climate change of Public Health focuses on the impact of Covid-19 on the BAME community and provides some clear Along with councils up and down the country, recommendations. Work is also happening via the Gloucestershire County Council has declared a climate Health and Wellbeing Board and within the Integrated change emergency. This recognises the irreversible Care System. impact that humans have already had on climate change and the need for bold and timely action to be taken. The County Council is providing a strong Rural isolation leadership role, working with other public sector As well as being one of our best assets, the rural bodies and local communities, to reduce Carbon nature of the county makes it difficult for some emissions across the whole county. We are already people to access the services they need. This is a close to achieving carbon neutrality as a council and particular challenge for the three out of every twenty have made a strong public commitment to achieving a Gloucestershire households that have no access to carbon neutral county by 2045. We have backed that a car or van. The roll-out of high-speed broadband up with a wide range of ambitious yet practical actions internet access has already reached nearly all as set out in our Climate Change Strategy. addresses across the County, but we need to continue to work towards full coverage so that all households 4 and businesses benefit. DRAFT Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council

Financial reforms already seeing a willingness from communities to play of the wider economy, the potential of robotics and an increasing role in the early and preventative steps artificial intelligence will be critical given our likely The basis on which councils are funded is changing for health and social care. We know there is an limitations on working age population numbers. dramatically. Over recent years we have seen big appetite in many communities to do more, and we reductions in the level of funding we receive from want to work more effectively with those who want to While the impact of these issues and the speed Central Government. Whilst we do not yet know make a difference to the places they live and work. with which they will affect us is hard to predict, what the outcome of the Fair Funding Review for Local The Covid-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity will matter is our ability to anticipate, respond, and Government or the next Comprehensive Spending to not only strengthen existing community and reposition ourselves. This means we must be forward Review, we expect to see further significant changes, voluntary groups but for new groups to flourish. The looking, adaptable and innovative as a council and including the phasing out of the Revenue Support shared aim of supporting each other through a global capable of providing effective leadership across Grant and the introduction of a funding model based crisis has brought about tangible gains in terms of the our communities. on business rates retention. This would mean that County’s vibrant VCSE sector. future funding would be more closely linked to growth in the local economy than has previously been the The readiness of our case. We are also likely to see more of a ‘whole system’ approach to funding, such as through the partnerships and relationships pooling pilot with district councils and the roll out of Gloucestershire already benefits from the fact that ‘Integrated Care Systems’ with the NHS. almost all our key public sector partners work to the same geographic boundary and serve the same Our economic potential population. Changes to the way the public sector is funded, and the potential for different relationships at as a growing county the sub-regional, national and European level make it The growth that is planned for Gloucester, more important than ever to work creatively with Cheltenham and Tewkesbury is a game-changer. partners to make sure Gloucestershire punches It allows us to think imaginatively about the role above its weight and attracts inward investment we want Gloucestershire to play in the sub-region, and national funding. and the infrastructure we need to put in place to make that happen. It has the potential to free us The potential of digitisation from some of the constraints that would otherwise to transform public services hamper economic growth, and to enable change on a significant scale. The rapid growth of digital technology provides tremendous opportunities to innovate and transform the way we deliver services for local people. The power of our communities For example, social media is changing the way we Gloucestershire has a thriving voluntary and communicate and interact with communities. Local community sector and already benefits from the government has yet to explore fully the potential of ideas, effort and energy of the many thousands of ‘big data’ to predict future demand for services and people who are active in their communities. We are to design and deliver preventative solutions. In terms

5 Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council DRAFT

Since 2009 the Assuming current population Since 2009 the growth of the older population has trends continue, the population population (aged 65 and above) in Gloucestershire will reach has outpaced that of the younger grown population

Gloucestershire by 7.9% has a population of (compared to 7.6% for England & Wales over 637,070 the same period) 683,849 & 738,482 by 2028 by 2043 27.6% 3.5% Gloucestershire Although Gloucestershire has around Manufacturing and health are generally benefits from significant sectors in terms of a high standard 800 employment accounting for The council of living, Children in provides a Care and the County network of 19,415 Council supports 31 libraries 82.1% people 5,118 and supports local groups of total support (3.1% of the county population) adults receiving 11.6% and 13.9% to provide a further requests involved live in areas that are in the most long term care of employment respectively 8 community libraries help accessing 10% deprived nationally food and general supplies

Gloucestershire has During lockdown, 123 Sites The County Council the County Council’s of Special Scientific has 53 councillors and employs Community Help Interest and There are around Hub received 3 Areas 3,300 3,965 6,738 of Outstanding Natural Beauty which staff requests for help1 cover 51% of the county’s area miles of road within 6 the county 1 This figure will include some duplicate requests DRAFT Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council

Our Priorities for Gloucestershire The first part of this strategy has set out our long-term vision and ambition for Gloucestershire. The remaining sections show how that relates to our work as a council, and sets out our priorities and the actions we will take over the next three years.

Children’s wellbeing and safeguarding Communities and Localities • Make Gloucestershire a child-friendly county • Make sure no community is left behind • Increase the resilience of children and families • Increase the resilience and safety of local communities • Intervene effectively to keep vulnerable children and young people safe Environment, Economy, Transport and Infrastructure • Make sure children in care and care leavers get the best • Secure the benefits of high quality growth for local people possible opportunities and communities • Help business in Gloucestershire to thrive, grow and connect with Education and Skills the wider world • Make sure children have access to a good quality education • Safeguard the county’s natural landscape and environment • Help children and young people with additional needs to • Reduce Gloucestershire’s carbon emissions by 80% by 2030, and learn and succeed secure a carbon neutral county by 2045 • Develop skills for the future Highways Health, Care and Prevention • Invest in improving the county’s roads • Design an adult social care system that helps people • Improve customer service and satisfaction stay healthy and independent and supports people with long-term needs • Promote better mental health for all Council leadership • Help people of all ages to stay healthy and well • Get the most out of the shared public sector estate • Join up health and care services • Transform services through digital innovation • Develop a future focussed workforce 7 Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council DRAFT Ambition tracker Children’s We want Gloucestershire to be a place where safeguarding • Every child can thrive, learn, develop and contribute to their communities and where no child is left behind and wellbeing • Every family is resilient, equipped to deal with challenges when they arise and are able to get back on their feet • Vulnerable children and young people achieve the best possible outcomes • Children who are in need or at risk get high quality support that makes a real and lasting difference in their lives

Investing in Gloucestershire’s future means placing We recognise that the council has an important part children at the heart of everything we do. What we to play in making this happen. We want to spread this achieve today in making Gloucestershire a place vision and capture the imagination of people across where children and young people can thrive, develop Gloucestershire to work together to raise our ambition and reach their potential will shape and influence for local people. We also want to act as a champion our communities for generations to come. We want for vulnerable children within our county. The 2017 to make Gloucestershire a great place for children Ofsted inspection showed us that our services were to grow up, and we can only do that if individuals, not keeping children safe or making the difference families, communities, businesses and other partners in their lives that we would want. We are making work together. progress in improving the quality of those services but we know we have much further to go to make sure that all children and young people get the quality of support that they need and deserve.

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We will: • Reviewing, redesigning and joining up early • Implementing our Child Sexual Exploitation help services to make sure they work together strategy of Prevent, Protect and Pursue and • Make Gloucestershire a child-friendly county, effectively to provide the support that raising awareness of CSE with our partners; families need; where all partners take into account the needs of • Continuing to use the voice of children children when making decisions, by: • Working with partners to identify, as early as and young people to shape, challenge and • Working with our ambassadors for vulnerable possible, those children and families that need improve everything we do. children and young people to engage with help and support; Do everything we can to make sure children local children and young people to understand • Developing effective parenting programmes; • what will make Gloucestershire a better place in care and care leavers get the best for them to live, play and grow up; • Increasing use of Family Group Conferencing; possible opportunities to grow up healthy, stay safe and do well in education and work by: • Setting out a clear commitment to listen to • Making more use of early help coordinators and consider the needs and aspirations of and community social workers; • Improving the stability of placements for children in care by planning their entry into children and young people in everything we Extending use of family support working • care more effectively to get more placements do as a council; through Families First Plus, across all levels of right first time; • Encouraging our partners, local organisations need; Increasing the availability and variety of high and communities to join us in listening to Implementing our strategy to prevent and • • quality, local placements for children in care; children and young people when we are build resilience against adverse childhood making decisions that affect their lives; experiences (ACEs); • Strengthening our care leaver strategy and launching our local offer for care leavers to • Developing a toolkit to help local organisations Adopting and promoting a restorative, • make sure they have a smooth transition to place children at the heart of what they do; strengths-based approach across all services; adulthood and independence. • Working together to raise the aspirations of • Working with schools to reduce the need children and young people and to reduce for exclusions. health inequalities amongst children and We will work with: young people; • Intervene effectively to keep vulnerable • Making sure children get a good start in children and young people safe and make a Schools Community life and enter school with the skills and positive, lasting difference to their outcomes by: and colleges and voluntary knowledge they need in order to learn • Working through Gloucestershire groups and succeed. Safeguarding Children’s Board to implement District a quality framework; councils Health • Increase the resilience of children and families by: • Focussing relentlessly on driving up the quality Police of social work practice; • Promoting effective local partnerships that work together with families in a holistic way • Actively exploring alternatives to care to address their needs; and exclusion; • Building and retaining a high quality children’s social workforce; 9 Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council DRAFT Ambition tracker Education We want: • Every Gloucestershire child to have a high quality education, suited to their needs, and skills that equips them with the skills and attributes they need to make a positive contribution to their community and succeed in life • Children and young people with high needs to learn and succeed in local schools that understand, respond to and meet their needs in a flexible way • To grow the working age workforce by keeping and attracting more 18-40 year olds with high level qualifications • Gloucestershire’s economy to be driven by a flexible, well-trained workforce which can provide the skills local employers need in a modern, diverse and successful economy

The council’s role in education is evolving. Against a backdrop of increasing change the way that the council and schools work together to meet the independence, school autonomy and the developing role of Regional needs of these children. School Commissioners, the council has three key roles in education: Looking beyond the role of schools, the county’s working age population Making sure that the system works for families – that high quality • is expected to remain static. There is demand for more people to replace school places are available in the right location, that meet the workers retiring from the county’s workforce, and the county loses up to aspirations of families and reflect the needs of all children. 400 young adults to other parts of the UK each year. We will need to be • Improving outcomes for vulnerable children and all those with creative and bold in order to make sure that the county can provide a additional needs. workforce with the skills to drive economic growth. Championing the needs of vulnerable children and young people so • We know that the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic will that there is an inclusive learning system for all. have a significant impact on children and young people’s education and Increasingly, we achieve this by influencing and working with others, future employment possibilities. The majority of children received online including the leadership of academies, free schools and the Regional education at home during the lockdown period and will be supported by Schools Commissioner. This will be the premise of the new Education schools to catch-up on any missed progress as a result of this; additionally Strategy which aims to create a whole system approach across the county young people leaving school in 2020 did not sit exams and the plans for to provide effective, high quality and inclusive education. 2021 are currently unclear. Additional support will be provided to young people seeking employment and training opportunities given the impact of We also know that while Gloucestershire children achieve well overall, this Covid-19 on businesses and the economy. masks the reality for some. In particular, too many children with additional needs experience poor results. We are seeing increasing numbers of Alongside providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum, children with an Education Health & Care Plan and rising expectations from schools will be focused upon ensuring children and young people’s social, families. We cannot continue to do things in the same way. We need to emotional and mental health needs are met following the impact of the 10 pandemic on their lives to enable them to be in the best place to learn. DRAFT Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council

We will: • Developing post-16 placements that offer We will work with: routes into employment and community • Work with schools to make sure children based support. have access to a good quality education that Children, young Education, skills and prepares them for adulthood, by: • Support young people and adults to develop skills for the future by: people and their employability funding • Developing and delivering a school places families bodies strategy (which includes a new comprehensive • Working with local employers to create 5,000 school for Cheltenham); new apprenticeships, at least 2,000 of which Schools, colleges, Regional partners, will be in engineering; • Supporting and challenging schools, headteacher including GFirst academies and other settings to improve • Increasing the uptake of apprenticeships and associations and neighbouring where needed; other training opportunities both within the and governor LEPs and combined council and with local businesses; authorities • Making sure that the way we allocate school Further education places and home to school transport is fair, • Making sure the new technical level providers including The Regional equitable, clear and transparent. qualifications include sufficient and leading universities Schools appropriate work experience with local Commissioner • Supporting schools to maintain high quality businesses and organisations; and effective education for all children during Local and regional the Covid-19 pandemic; including on-site, • Dealing with replacement demand by employers Employment catch-up and remote learning increasing opportunities and options for older and Skills Board workers and influencing businesses’ and • Help children and young people with individuals’ expectations of what constitutes additional needs to learn and succeed, by: ‘working age’; • Developing alternative provision and providing • Strengthening links between schools, colleges alternatives to exclusion; and businesses; improving and making better use of labour market information; • Supporting schools to keep children and young people in mainstream provision; • More effectively coordinating digital skills development to build on the strengths of the • Providing more flexible support to meet the Gloucestershire economy in terms of cyber needs of individual children; and digital; • Giving schools better access to specialist • Linking local businesses with schools to support, including a new special school for develop early aspirations; Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs; • Increasing access to good quality work • Passing more funding directly to schools to experience opportunities. help them respond to the needs of children as they arise; • Providing peer support for parents and carers within their community; 11 Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council DRAFT Ambition tracker Health, We want: Care and • Inclusive and supportive communities • Gloucestershire people to make choices that lead to healthy lives Prevention • People to enjoy increased wellbeing, independence and personal resilience • Good quality care and support available when people need it

The Covid-19 pandemic has shone an important light on the work of our invaluable health and care needs of an ageing population. That will mean doing more to make social care workforce, who are providing care and support to all who need it in the sure people can live independently for longer, including exploring the potential of most challenging of circumstances. Adult social care and support is a vital service technology to support them. in helping people of all ages to live the life they want to lead. We recognise that there is an extremely strong link between a person’s mental Despite the impact, additional pressure and restrictive nature of the pandemic, our health and their physical health. A positive approach to mental health and making strategic ambition of supporting people to live independently continues, reflecting good lifestyle choices will help them to stay healthy for longer, and to minimise the their aspirations. For many the expectation will still be to live a healthier longer impact of any long-term condition on their lives. life which is changing the way they choose to spend their later years. The idea of a fixed retirement age is disappearing and being replaced by a more gradual We are already working with communities and voluntary organisations to help them transition from working life to retirement. This is positive for local people. Many respond to a growing number of more vulnerable people, and to make sure that people choose to use their retirement years to ‘give something back’ and get our services work effectively in partnership with those communities. We are also involved in voluntary work or other community activities. working more closely with the NHS and other partners to help more people back to independence, for example, after a stay in hospital. These things are already easing However, we also know that an ageing population will put increasing pressure on pressure on the system and allowing us to provide good quality care for those who public health and social care services. We expect the number of over-75s (the age need it most, but we need to do more. group most likely to rely on council services) to increase by an average of 2,240 per year per year over the next 25 years, and we are already seeing an increasing As part of our response to Covid-19 we have developed the Local Outbreak number of people of all ages with complex, long-term health conditions. Management Plan (LOMP) which provides the local road map for the system to prevent, contain, monitor and respond to outbreaks of Covid-19, alongside our While, in the short term, the county council and Central Government have invested Gloucestershire partners. This also includes our work to address health inequalities additional resources into health and social care, we need a solution that is through the Covid-19 BAME Task and Finish Group, to understand the impact of sustainable in the long term. We need to think differently about how we meet the Covid-19 on these communities. DRAFT Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council

We will: • Promote better mental health for all by: their communities; • Design an adult social care system that helps • Ensure that Mental Wellbeing support is • Raising awareness of the impact of Adverse people to stay healthy and independent and available to those affected by Covid-19 & Childhood Experience (ACEs) on people’s long term supports people with long-term needs, by: the lockdown restrictions; health and wellbeing, building resilience and helping to prevent the impact of ACEs being passed on to Making sure we focus on the strengths of • Creating a county wide movement that • the next generation; individuals and communities – their skills, their focusses on the factors that contribute networks and resources – rather than just to good mental health; • Joining up our data to better understand and their needs and vulnerabilities; • Promoting better understanding and improve health outcomes across Gloucestershire. • Helping people to do things for themselves; awareness of mental health; and encouraging • Joined up health and care services through other organisations to join us; • Working with community groups to help them an integrated Care System to provide: offer support and help to vulnerable people; • Embedding thinking about mental health • An even greater focus on supporting people to keep in everything we do through a ‘no health Improving the impact of short term help to healthy and independent and developing active • without mental health’ approach; make sure people regain their confidence and communities; independence whenever possible; • Offering free mental health first aid training • More joined up care and support for people with for organisations that sign up to our Working with other health and care professionals long term health conditions – in their homes, GP • shared commitment; to promote positive risk taking that helps surgery, community or hospital; people to achieve their personal goals; • Help people of all ages to stay healthy and • More control for people over the care they receive; • Increasing the range of local housing well by: • Greater freedom and control to make options available to allow more people to • Deliver the Outbreak Management Plan to local decisions about services. live independently; help prevent, contain, respond to and monitor • Supporting those individuals who find Covid-19 in Gloucestershire; We will work with: themselves vulnerable to help them cope • Providing Covid-19 support to high risk settings such as Care Homes, Schools, with daily living and adapt; Voluntary and Gloucestershire Universities & Supported Housing • Responding proactively to frailty community groups Care Services and vulnerability; • Working with partners to review our approach NHS Trust • Continuing to make Gloucestershire a to focus on prevention and on reducing health Gloucestershire dementia-friendly county; inequalities, including those resulting from Clinical 2gether NHS COVID 19; • Making sure that carers are identified early Commissioning Foundation Trust and have timely access to quality information, • Mitigating the impact of long-COVID on health Group advice and guidance to enable them to inequalities in the local population; GPs and other maintain independence; • Helping people in vulnerable circumstances Gloucestershire primary care Hospitals NHS providers Exploring the potential of technology to to improve their health, supporting them to • Foundation Trust support carers and improve the quality of care live independently and preventing them from District councils that people receive; becoming homeless; Working with children, parents, schools and • Joining up data to better understand the • Police impact we are having; partners to reduce childhood obesity; • Working with partners to develop a • Encouraging inter generational activity and sustainable social care workforce. other ways of helping people to be active in 13

Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council DRAFT Ambition tracker Working with We want: • Healthy, resilient and engaged communities that work together to improve Communities the places they live and work and Localities • Everyone to have the same opportunities regardless of where they live • Thriving voluntary and community groups that support innovation and collaboration • To work with partners for the good of local people - inspiring confidence in public services • Councillors that are active and knowledgeable in their communities and can support change at a local level

Along with our partners, we have a strong track to make that happen. We don’t want to miss any record of understanding local communities opportunity to help local people improve the places and using data about local needs to inform what they live and work services we provide and how. However, more could be done to work with communities to understand The Covid-19 crisis initiated a new wave of volunteer what assets and strengths they can offer and to and community action across the county. The help them articulate their goals and ambitions. We Gloucestershire Community Help Hub received 3500 know there is greater scope to gather, analyse and individuals signing up to give help to their neighbours act on feedback from communities. We have tended and communities. Voluntary sector and community to rely on traditional methods of consultation and groups swiftly switched to remote support for engagement, and have not yet begun to fully explore vulnerable people via digital platforms. Staff from all of the potential of social media and other less formal the Gloucestershire local authorities were redeployed, ways to shape our understanding of what including volunteering for a range of other activities local people want and think. from delivery logistics to management of mobile testing units. We recognise that the county has a thriving community sector and already benefits from the This demonstrated not only the dedication and enthusiasm and effort of countless volunteers as commitment of both staff and the public to serving school governors, community activists, their communities but also the value of joint working carers and more. We also know that there is an to resource operations flexiblyand the value of strong appetite to do more if we work with communities partnerships in delivering vital services. 14 DRAFT Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council

We will: • Supporting local councillors to use any We will work with: ‘Growing Our Communities’ grants remaining • Make sure that no community is left unspent to help meet the aspirations of their behind, by: communities. • Working with local people and communities • Build the resilience and safety of local District councils to understand what they want to achieve and, communities by: with our partners, to help them to improve the Police places they live and work; • Encouraging and extending the use of our 31 libraries and 21 fire stations as community Local Maintaining the Gloucestershire Covid-19 • hubs; community Community Help Hub to signpost to self help groups and support or local support from the district Help • Promoting councillors as community leaders voluntary Hubs and champions and tapping into their knowledge and expertise about their local organisations • Working collaboratively to deliver a areas; co-ordinated volunteer response and Parish and volunteering infrastructure in Gloucestershire. • Working collaboratively with parish councils town councils and community groups to join up services and • Piloting our approach to community share resources at a local level; engagement through a plan specific to Gloucester City; • Building on and developing the strengths within individual communities; • Focussing on neighbourhoods and areas where need is greatest; • Using digital technology to connect people and tackle social isolation and loneliness; • Ensuring that no-one’s opportunities or aspirations are limited because of where • Targeting community safety advice and they live; support (including fire and trading standards) to ‘at risk’ groups; • Helping people develop skills and experience in areas where outcomes and prospects • Further developing the innovative work of the are poorest through our network of Growth fire & rescue service in identifying vulnerable Hubs and Innovation Labs to make sure they people and helping them to stay safe and well benefit from the opportunity of a growing in their homes; Gloucestershire economy; • Using firefighters to provide a falls ‘pick up’ • Enhancing library services in our three major service and a telecare response. centres (Gloucester, Cheltenham and Stroud) and in areas where need is greatest to support community aspirations;

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Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council DRAFT Ambition tracker Environment, We want: Economy • More Gloucestershire businesses starting up, growing and investing in research and innovation Transport, and • Rising productivity and household income, Infrastructure offering higher living standards • The economic and social benefits of growth to be felt by all communities, including rural, urban and areas of highest deprivation • Improved transport and internet connections so that people and businesses can connect with each other more easily • A carbon neutral county that provides a high quality of life now and for future generations • More efficient use of resources and more use of sustainable energy

Changes to the county’s population, and to the way that local government is funded, means that we will be increasingly reliant on the success of our economy to fund vital public services. We know that over the next 20 years 60,000 houses need to be built in Gloucestershire. We welcome that growth and the opportunities that brings with it, but need to make sure that it is delivered in a way that works for Gloucestershire and its communities and that meets our commitment to tackling climate change. That means planning for and bringing investment into local infrastructure and making sure that our rural areas are accessible and well connected to the urban centre of the county. With large numbers of people working at home either through choice or necessity, the roll-out of high speed broadband to every part of the county remains a high priority and one that we continue to support.

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We will: • Safeguard the county’s natural features and We will work with: environment for future generations by: • Secure the benefits of high quality growth • Embedding green infrastructure into our for local people and communities, by: thinking and planning for Gloucestershire’s • Delivering transport access for the new UK future development and regeneration; Cyber Business Park in Cheltenham; • Planning and designing with health and Sub-National Developers • Making sure that we plan the infrastructure wellbeing in mind; Transport needed to support sustainable growth; • Tackling poor air quality to reduce its impact Body Local • Continuing to negotiate with developers to on people’s health; Economic secure investment in the infrastructure that • Taking preventative measures to increase the Sub-regional Partnership communities need. county’s flood resilience and improving flood LEPs and allevation and drainage; combined Local Nature authorities Partnership • Help businesses in Gloucestershire to thrive, • Reducing reliance on landfill and recovering grow and connect with the wider world by: value from non recyclable waste; District Supporting GFirst to develop a Local Industrial Growth hubs • • Continuing to work with district councils to councils Strategy for Gloucestershire; reduce waste and increase recycling. • Continuing to support Highways England push ahead with the improvement work on • Reduce Gloucestershire’s carbon emissions the A417 Missing Link; by 80% by 2030, and secure a carbon neutral • Progressing the business case development county by 2045. We will do this by working of major transport schemes to attract with our partners through Leadership Government funding and remove barriers to Gloucestershire to: future economic growth – including M5, J9 • Implement the Gloucestershire Climate and A46; Change strategy; • Improving the long-term passenger transport • Deliver the Gloucestershire Tree Strategy that offer across the Central Severn Vale including will see 35 million trees planted by 2030; high-impact, high-efficiency “super routes”; • Install over 200 electric vehicle charging points • Working in partnership with Network Rail and by 2023; regional partners to improve rail connectivity • Strengthen the Gloucestershire Sustainable and deliver the Gloucestershire Rail Energy Strategy; Investment Strategy; • Grow our low carbon economy; Working with partners and developers to • Help our residents, businesses and partners create a cycle superhighway across the centre • to radically reduce carbon. of the county. • Delivering superfast broadband to every home by 2021; • Commissioning work to develop plans for a full fibre network. 17

Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council DRAFT Ambition tracker Highways We want: Delivery • A highways network that keeps people and goods moving and helps Gloucestershire’s economy • High levels of satisfaction with roads • To be at the forefront of highways technological transformation, encouraging early adopters to base themselves in Gloucestershire • More efficient use of resources and more use of sustainable energy

Highways is probably the most visible service that we in more rural parts of the county are particularly provide. Our roads affect everyone on a daily basis, dependent on private car ownership in order to and in many cases shape how local people feel about access education, work and essential services. We the council. Whilst significant progress has been made know that we need to keep the county moving. The in improving the road network in recent years, more solution is likely to lie not in building more roads, but needs to be done to improve people’s perception of in using technological advances to improve the flow our roads and their satisfaction in the service they of traffic. receive. The easier we make it for customers to interact with us digitally, the more we can focus our Self-driving and semi-autonomous vehicles, the roll time and money on repairing and maintaining roads. out of 5G mobile technology, changing patterns of car ownership and growing public awareness and More people using the roads and more frequent concern about air quality, will all shape the way severe weather will put more pressure on our road we use and think about the road network in network. This will affect everyone, but residents coming years.

18 DRAFT Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council

We will: • Setting up a highways skills academy to We will work with: work with local contractors to grow • Continue to invest in improving the county’s construction skills; roads by: • Starting to plan for the introduction of • Completing our £150m investment in 5G technology; resurfacing highways; • Improve customer service and • Focussing maintenance on those high speed satisfaction by: and high capacity roads; Highways District Parish • Making it easier to report and track progress contractors councils and town • Progressing the delivery of major transport of repairs online; councils projects designed to improve highway capacity – including M5 J10; • Keeping flexibility within the service to carry out a range of basic highways • Delivering transport schemes and changes maintenance functions at a local to town centres to facilitate CV19 social level in response to local priorities. distancing measures; • Delivering major active travel schemes to facilitate the use of cycling when accessingmkey services and employment opportunities; • Exploring new opportunities to generate income from the highways network in order to invest it in maintenance; • Investigating the potential for developing a world class traffic signal infrastructure to reduce congestion;

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Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council DRAFT Ambition tracker Council We want: leadership • To be a council that looks to the future by delivering resilient, digitally enabled services through a skilled, empowered workforce • To focus on the needs of residents and refuse to be constrained by organisational boundaries • To harness innovation, maximising benefits of technology to transform services and improve access

We want to be at the forefront of changing local As we begin to tackle the challenge of economic government. Over recent years, we have worked hard recovery, we are using our influence and our to make sure that we are financially resilient by making resources to stimulate Gloucestershire’s economy. We choices (often difficult ones) about what services we will continue to provide leadership and join up services can provide and how we should provide them. That across the local public sector to champion the needs gives us a solid base from which to build for and aspirations of our residents. We want to be a the future. force for good across Gloucestershire, striving to do the right thing, not the easy thing. Covid19 has accelerated innovations in the way we work; increasing remote working, making more of In order to do that, we will need council leaders and our services available online, reducing our carbon staff that are not only up for that challenge, but who footprint. But we know there is more that can and relish it – who are innovative, creative and motivated should be done. to achieve the very best. Our culture will need to be underpinned by strong values and an appetite for doing things differently, always putting residents first.

20 DRAFT Our Council Strategy 2019-2022 Gloucestershire County Council

We will: • Investing in our Digital First programme to • Providing clear development opportunities transform our ICT capacity and maximise and making it easy for staff to gain new skills • Get the most of the shared public sector provision of digital services; and experience. estate, by: • Maximising the use of technology to support • Improving customer service and creating independent living and reduce the need for We will work with: efficiencies by sharing facilities and delivering people to go into residential care homes; agile working capabilities; • Developing a customer access strategy that • Selling surplus buildings and land to generate provides clear, joined up service pathways for customers and stakeholders. capital receipts and support wider community District West of aspirations around housing and employment; • Develop a future focussed workforce by: councils England Combined • Making the most of our physical resources Setting out a clear, attractive and competitive • Local NHS Authority to meet our environmental and economic Gloucestershire ‘offer’ to attract the best trusts ambitions. people, valuing diversity and optimising the Police benefits of inclusion; • Transform public services through digital innovation by: • Getting the most out of our people, wherever GFirst LEP they are, by delivering on Agile working; • Helping residents and communities develop digital skills; • Empowering and equipping staff to be innovative and work across boundaries to • Using data to better understand the needs of achieve the very best for local residents; our residents and customers;

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Achieving our vision through our values and behaviours Over the past year, building on conversations with staff about what is important to them, we have agreed the following values that will inform and underpin the way we work.

Accountability Respect We do what we say we will. We value and listen to each other. Integrity Excellence We are honest, fair and speak up. We continually improve through listening, learning and innovation. Empowerment We enable communities and colleagues to be the best they can.

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23 GCC_2325 10.18 2019-2022 the Future Looking to Gloucestershire