Agenda and minutes

Venue: First Floor Meeting Space, 135 Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, OX14 4SB

Contact: Steve Culliford  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

96.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Councillors Pieter-Paul Barker and Robin Bennett had sent their apologies for absence. 

97.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 292 KB

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 10 March 2022.  

Minutes:

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 10 March 2022 as a correct record and agree that the Chair signs them as such. 

98.

Declaration of disclosable pecuniary interest

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests and any conflicts of interest in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

Minutes:

None

99.

Urgent business and chair's announcements

To receive notification of any matters which the chair determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chair. 

Minutes:

The Chair made two announcements:

1.    The Covid-19 pandemic was not over.  The number of cases locally was very high and had impacted on the capacity at local hospitals.  He urged the council and the public to remain cautious.  The council was continuing to provide support to those in need through its community hub. 

2.    With regard to the council’s support to refugees from Ukraine, he reported that the data systems between the council and the various agencies was flowing well.  The council had allocated staff to assist with work to support Ukrainians who had been relocated to South Oxfordshire.  Some staff had been transferred from their normal work to assist and he thanked them for this.  To date, the council had assisted over 200 Ukrainians in their relocation to South Oxfordshire and over the next fortnight the council would be making visits to support the 130 host families in the district.  It was expected that these numbers would increase.  The council would do all it could to support those in need; the chair referred them to the council’s telephone helpline. 

100.

Public participation

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

Minutes:

None

101.

Recommendations and updates from other committees pdf icon PDF 262 KB

To consider any recommendations to Cabinet from other committees. 

Minutes:

Cabinet received a summary of updates from the Scrutiny Committee, the Joint Audit and Governance Committee, and the Climate and Ecological Emergencies Advisory Committee.  Cabinet noted that there were no recommendations for it to consider on this occasion. 

102.

Joint communications and engagement strategy pdf icon PDF 240 KB

To consider the report of the Deputy Chief Executive – Transformation and Operations. 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the report of the deputy chief executive – transformation and operations.  This proposed a communications and engagement strategy, a joint strategy with Vale of White Horse District Council. 

 

The Cabinet member explained that the strategy would allow the council to govern its communications to ensure that meaningful, consistent and tailored messaging reached all of the council’s diverse audiences.  The strategy would provide the framework for communications and engagement activities.  It included the key principles from the council’s public engagement charter, which would be replaced by the strategy.  The strategy also highlighted several areas that would be strengthened.  These included improving customer satisfaction by raising awareness of the council’s services and the work the council was doing to help South Oxfordshire thrive.  It would strengthen engagement with others and improve the council’s reputation by demonstrating that the council informed and listened to its communities.  The Cabinet member emphasised that all staff and councillors had a role to play in the strategy’s success. 

 

Cabinet noted that the Scrutiny Committee had considered the draft strategy and had welcomed it. 

 

Cabinet concurred and agreed that the strategy should be approved. 

 

RESOLVED: to

 

(a)       approve the Joint Communications and Engagement Strategy, attached as Appendix 1 to the 7 April 2022 Cabinet report of the deputy chief executive – transformation and operations; and

 

(b)       authorise the head of corporate services, in consultation with the Cabinet member for corporate services (South) and the Cabinet member for community engagement (Vale), to approve annual action plans that will underpin the strategy. 

103.

Corporate plan performance monitoring report Q3 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 2 MB

To consider the head of policy and programmes’ report. 

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the head of policy and programmes’ report on corporate plan performance monitoring during quarter 3 of 2021/22, being the period 1 October to 31 December 2021. 

 

The Cabinet member for corporate services, policy and programmes emphasised that the report was high-level to monitor performance of the corporate objectives, and through council’s website it signposted links to other reports where more detail could be found.  The quarter 3 report included a graphical performance highlights summary.  It also identified areas where performance was less than the council would like, providing an open and transparent assessment of the council’s activity.  Looking forward, the quarter 4 report would include an annual summary of performance against the corporate plan. 

 

The Climate and Ecological Emergencies Advisory Committee and the Scrutiny Committee had both welcomed the report.  Cabinet members concurred and thanked the Cabinet member and officers. 

 

RESOLVED: to note the corporate plan performance monitoring report for quarter 3, 2021/22. 

 

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South Oxfordshire District Council
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