The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Joint Archives Committee met to discuss the Joint Archive Service's forecast outturn for 2025-26, and to review the Joint Archive Service Collections Policy. The committee was also scheduled to discuss feedback on the Joint Archive Service Annual Report.

Joint Archive Service Forecast Outturn 2025-26

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Joint Archive Service's forecast outturn for 2025-26, which included a projected overspend of £18,740. According to the Joint Archive Service Forecast Outturn 2025-26 report, this overspend was primarily due to increased utility costs, with gas and electricity prices having risen by 70% since the budget was set in February.

The report noted that the forecast assumed that the Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council would each contribute an additional £9,370 to cover the overspend.

The report also detailed a number of actions being taken to mitigate the overspend, including:

• A review of all non-essential spending
• A freeze on recruitment
• Efforts to generate additional income

Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 of the Joint Archive Service Forecast Outturn 2025-26 report provided a detailed breakdown of the forecast outturn, including income and expenditure by category.

Joint Archive Service Collections Policy Review

The committee was scheduled to review the Joint Archive Service Collections Policy. The Joint Archive Service Collections Policy Review report stated that the Collections Policy sets out the principles for the acquisition, management, and disposal of collections held by the Joint Archive Service. The Collections Policy is intended to ensure that the collections are relevant to the needs of the communities served by the archive, and that they are managed in a sustainable and responsible manner.

The report stated that the Collections Policy had been reviewed and updated to reflect changes in legislation, best practice, and the needs of the Joint Archive Service. The main changes to the policy included:

• A greater emphasis on digital collections
• A more proactive approach to collecting material from under-represented groups
• A commitment to working in partnership with other organisations to develop collections

The report included two appendices: Appendix 1 - Collections Development Policy and Appendix 2 - Joint Collections Statement.

Response to feedback on Joint Archives Service Annual Report

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Response to feedback on Joint Archives Service Annual Report. The report summarised the feedback received on the Joint Archive Service Annual Report, and set out the actions taken in response.

The report noted that the feedback had been generally positive, with stakeholders praising the Joint Archive Service for its work in preserving and promoting the history of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. However, some stakeholders had raised concerns about the accessibility of the collections, and the need for more outreach work to engage with under-represented groups.

The report stated that the Joint Archive Service was taking steps to address these concerns, including:

• Improving the online catalogue
• Developing new outreach programmes
• Working in partnership with community groups