Corporate Development Plan: Progress Through Partnership - Making A Difference
Corporate Development Plan: Progress Through Partnership - Making A Difference
Corporate Development Plan: Progress Through Partnership - Making A Difference
2004 - 2007
The Moray Council’s ambition is to progress in partnership with communities and other public bodies
to make a positive difference to the quality of life for all. This aim is now reflected in our statement of
intent which will in future appear on all of our publications.
This short statement encompasses a wide range of priorities and commitments which are set out within
the Plan. I would also ask you to note that the Council has identified 8 of its highest priorities on which
much effort will be focused over the next three years. These priorities are: -
As Convener of the Council, I believe that all Councillors, Officers and agencies throughout Moray must
work together to improve the quality of life in our area. We must continue to develop strong and
effective partnerships both with the communities we serve and those who serve us, including public,
private and voluntary sectors.
Developments are already in hand to ensure that access to public services is modernised in order that
the community can access the full range of public services as conveniently as possible.
Most importantly, we must move to a position where we can demonstrate to the community that we
are delivering quality, value for money services and seeking continuous improvement by regular
monitoring and review of our performance.
The Corporate Development Plan shows what we, as a Council, wish to achieve over the next three years
and how the Council will be managed – our working principles. We are committed to working in
partnership with local communities and our partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors to
deliver these priorities.
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1 THE MORAY COUNCIL C O R P O R AT E D E V E L O P M E N T P L A N / 2004 - 2007
PURPOSE OF THE CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Corporate Plan 2001-2004 – Review
The first Corporate Plan 2001-2004 has provided the Council with a focus for its business over the last
three years. In the Corporate Plan we indicated how we would deliver both Scottish Executive policy
priorities and Council priorities, including our response to issues contained in the Community Plan. It
was an ambitious programme, covering a three-year period. Following the production of the Corporate
Plan, each department developed a Service Plan incorporating the projects highlighted for their services.
The Chief Executive and the Central Management Team monitor details of how all the actions are
progressing. The result of that monitoring enables the Central Management Team to ensure that the
priorities are being delivered.
In the first Corporate Plan there were four priorities highlighted. These four priorities were:
Overall the Council is making good progress on all the commitments made in the Corporate Plan. We
are committed to keeping the public informed about strategic plans and the progress made
against them.
This is the second Corporate Plan produced by the Council. It translates the Council’s vision for Moray
into practice and sets out the Council’s corporate priorities and plans of action for the medium term. It
provides direction for Members and Officers and highlights the key issues, priorities, planned
developments and corporate methods of working which can be expected of The Moray Council. In
addition to setting the priorities, the plan will also determine the future workload for departments and
set the framework for accountability in terms of delivering the programme.
Context of Plan
This Corporate Development Plan sets out a three-year programme for the period 1 April 2004 to 31
March 2007 and is an important part of the Council’s planning process. The core elements of the
planning process are:-
Community Plan – The Community Plan, which provides the long-term vision for the area and broad
strategic objectives, has been developing since 2001. It has been prepared in conjunction with key
partners in the area. The processes of community involvement, focusing on local needs and co-
ordinating services are central to the Community Planning process. The key areas highlighted for the
Council to action are referenced in the Corporate Development Plan and included in Service Plans to
ensure their delivery.
Corporate Development Plan – The Corporate Development Plan sets out the Council’s medium to long
term development objectives. It sets out how the Council will contribute to the overall community vision
and strategy for the area. The Plan focuses on the main development actions proposed to achieve the
priorities and co-ordinates activities and resources accordingly.
Service Plans - They are wide ranging in scope and cover all areas of Council activity. They will focus on
the priorities of the Corporate Development Plan and Service Committees and direct resources to agreed
activities. Action Plans for the future contained in the Corporate Development Plan will be referenced
under the Service Plans to ensure their completion.
Financial Plans - Longer term Financial Plans are prepared which will set out the finance available to
deliver the Council’s priorities. The level of available resources is reviewed annually and will influence
and affect other plans and activities.
While the time frame for each of the above documents often differs, each will be reviewed on a regular
basis and will be co-ordinated. Plans will also guide the numerous strategy documents, policies and
activities in the Council.
The section on Working Principles outlines how the Council will manage the planning process, the
organisation and the many services which we provide to the community. The Corporate Development
Plan will be translated into action by the preparation of detailed Service Plans, targets and budgets for
all services. At each meeting of the Audit and Performance Review Committee, members will scrutinise
reports on one of the main priorities highlighted at the beginning of this document.
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OVERALL AIMS AND PRIORITIES
The Moray Council is in a unique position in the community, being a statutory agency with a broad
range of responsibilities which directly impact upon many areas of community life. The Council has a
leadership role and aims to improve the quality of life for all people in the area by working with and
for the community and by delivering quality services within the available resources and powers.
To achieve this aim, the Council has developed programmes for action in three key areas :-
The Council will support and encourage measures that achieve Social Inclusion and enhance the quality
of life for the residents of Moray. It will ensure the provision of good quality affordable housing,
integrated Health and Social Care services and comprehensive services for Children and Families that
meet both statutory obligations and local needs. The Council will work with the community and public,
private and voluntary sector partners to improve services and facilities throughout the Council area.
The Council will provide a range of progressive lifelong learning, cultural and leisure opportunities
designed to meet the needs of the people of Moray, which will enable them to become positive,
informed, skilled, healthy and active citizens. This will be achieved by developing strong and effective
partnerships with key stakeholders including pupils, parents and staff and by working closely with other
departments, organisations and agencies.
The Council will develop and maintain a safe, clean, pleasant and sustainable environment. Alleviation
of flooding, improving the condition of the roads network and waste minimisation are key issues. The
Council will promote and support employment opportunities for local people and increase prosperity
throughout the area through active economic development and regeneration. This will be achieved by
developing integrated approaches in collaboration with other services and agencies. The priorities will
be to help local and incoming businesses and to provide suitable transport facilities and other
infrastructure. The management and improvement of the environment and economic development for
the benefit of the residents, visitors and businesses, in balance with the natural and built environments,
will also be a priority.
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
1. To achieve a cohesive Health and Social Care • To achieve cohesive governance, management
system that provides consistent, responsive and staffing framework with aligned budgets
and easily accessed services to agreed and unified operational and decision-making
standards. framework, in line with the Local Partnership
Agreement 2003-2006.
3. Carry forward the Council’s commitment to • Development and updating of Business Plan.
the retention of the housing stock within the
framework of the Investment Strategy and • Strategic review of Option Appraisal in light of
Option Appraisal Report. Social Housing Standards, Prudential borrowing
and other factors.
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PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
5. To ensure effective inter-agency/inter- • Review and develop the Childcare Strategy with
disciplinary co-ordination for planning and a particular emphasis on child protection,
delivery of Children's Services through 'For substance misuse and youth justice.
Moray's Children'.
• To manage effectively the consequences of
changing to the funding arrangements for the
Youthstart Social Inclusion Project.
7. To meet the requirements of the external • To prepare for the regulation and inspection of
regulation and inspection agencies with Housing Services, Social Work and Community
regard to Housing and Social Work and Care.
Community Care services.
• To effectively prepare to meet the requirements
of the Scottish Social Services Council with
regard to workforce registration.
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
1. To raise standards of educational attainment • To continue with and develop strategies for
for all, especially in the core skills of literacy raising achievement and attainment.
and numeracy, and to achieve better levels in
national measures of achievement including • To develop Study Support and Out of School
school examination results. Care and Learning activities.
2. To support and develop the skills of staff, the • To develop Continuous Professional
self discipline of learners and to enhance Development opportunities for staff.
learning environments so that they are
conducive to teaching and learning. • To implement the Leisure and Healthy Living
Programme.
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PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
3. To promote equality and help every learner • To continue to implement the Discipline Task
benefit from education, with particular Group recommendations.
regard paid to learners with disabilities and
special educational needs, and to lesser used • To implement actions arising from the
languages. Additional Support Needs Bill.
4. To work with learners and where appropriate • To develop the Citizenship agenda in pre-school
their parents, to teach respect for self and and school settings.
one another and their interdependence with
other members of their neighbourhood and • To continue to support the implementation of
society and to teach them the duties and the Dialogue Youth Initiative.
responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic
society.
5. To equip learners with the foundation skills, • To develop enhanced curricular opportunities.
attitudes and expectations necessary to
prosper in a changing society and to • To extend the implementation of Learning
encourage creativity and ambition. Centre developments.
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
1. Provide flood alleviation schemes for Moray • Prepare appropriate flood alleviation schemes
communities. for communities affected by flooding or
damage from watercourses and the sea.
3. Support local businesses and consumers • Partnership involvement in the Economic Forum
within an environment of sustainable to help local businesses.
growth.
• Maximise opportunities from European and
other external funding sources.
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PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
4. Provide suitable transport and other • Maintain and improve the existing roads
infrastructure to help the local economy. network.
5. Identify future housing, industrial, leisure • Review the Development Plan for the physical
and commercial land requirements. and infrastructure developments in Moray.
• Efficiency
• Effectiveness
• Economy
• Equal Opportunities
Our actions to address these areas will be undertaken within the following headings:
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WORKING PRINCIPLES –
HOW THE COUNCIL WILL BE MANAGED
1. COMMITMENT AND LEADERSHIP
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
❍ The Council is committed to delivering better ❍ To foster and encourage a culture of continuous
public services year on year through Best improvement within the Council and its
Value, and accepts the key principles of services.
accountability, ownership, continuous
improvement and transparency.
❍ Elected Members and senior managers will ❍ To develop and communicate a vision of how
ensure that Best Value contributes to the Best Value will contribute to the goals of the
corporate priorities of the Council and authority and, specifically to :-
informs the future direction of services. This
vision will be communicated effectively to ➥ Striving for continuous improvement.
staff.
➥ Balancing quality and cost in
delivering services.
❍ The Council is committed to high standards ❍ To continue to ensure probity and propriety
of conduct, probity and propriety, to honour through the work of the Council's Standards
the trust given by the electorate. Committee.
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
❍ The Council will be responsive to the needs ❍ To lead vibrant and inclusive Community
of its communities, citizens, customers, Planning arrangements.
employees and other stakeholders, so that
plans, priorities and actions are informed by ❍ To develop community profiles.
an understanding of those needs.
❍ To provide customer focused services.
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
❍ The Council will develop a framework for ❍ To develop plans to respond to the needs of the
planning and budgeting that includes detailed community.
and realistic plans linked to available resources
to achieve the authority’s goals (including ❍ To systematically review all Council activities
Community Planning commitments) at service through the Best Value framework.
delivery level.
❍ To produce a Corporate Development Plan,
matching priorities and available resources.
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4. SOUND MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
❍ The Council will ensure that the best use is ❍ To systematically manage the risks faced by
made of public resources, including Council services.
employees, ICT, land and property and
financial resources – keeping a considered and ❍ To recognise that the staff are a major asset and
appropriate balance between cost, quality that healthy and motivated employees are key
and price. to achieving the Council’s aims.
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
❍ The Council will ensure that its approach to ❍ Maintain and further develop the Best Value
review is rigorous and robust and that:- Review framework including the use of the
European Foundation for Quality Management
➥ No areas of work will be protected (EFQM) Excellence Model.
from consideration for review.
❍ Develop an annual Best Value 5 Year Review
➥ Review activity will achieve
Programme which ensures that services:-
quantifiable benefits for key
stakeholders.
➥ Are competitive,
➥ It is accepted that change may
be necessary. ➥ Provide good quality service,
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
❍ The Council will conduct its business in a ❍ To maintain separate accounts for all trading
manner which demonstrates appropriate activities.
competitive practice and will maintain
appropriate trading accounts under proper ❍ To be responsive to the interests of other service
accounting practice. providers, including the voluntary sector.
7. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
❍ The Council will contribute to the ❍ To develop sustainability criteria for assessing
achievement of sustainable development by the impact of Council activities.
considering the social, economic and
environmental impacts of activities and ❍ To further develop the achievements of
decisions. sustainability objectives into Council strategies
and plans.
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
❍ The Council will develop a culture which ❍ To develop a Diversity Strategy to cover all
encourages both equal opportunities and the aspects of equality in Council services and
observance of equal opportunities. adopt good practice in anticipation of
equalities legislation.
❍ The Council will ensure that measures are
in place to meet current legislation on:- ❍ To commit to the principles of equality of
opportunity while recognising our
➥ Equal Pay responsibilities as community leader, service
provider and employer to encourage the fair
➥ Sex Discrimination treatment of all individuals and tackle social
exclusion.
➥ Race Relations
❍ To review policies and procedures to ensure
➥ Disability Discrimination they comply with legislative requirements.
➥ Religious Discrimination ❍ To deliver measurable improvements in
accessing services through the use of Easy
❍ The Council will seek to improve access to Access.
services by all sectors of the community.
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9. JOINT WORKING
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
❍ The Council will encourage joint working and ❍ To work jointly with other service providers to
service provision where this will contribute deliver improved public services.
to better services and customer focused
outcomes.
10. ACCOUNTABILITY
PRIORITY COMMITMENTS
❍ The Council will issue public performance ❍ To develop guidelines on performance reporting
reports so that stakeholders are informed and the production of departmental public
regarding the quality of services being performance reports.
delivered and what they can expect in the
future. ❍ To define service standards against which
services can be measured.