Purpose

Reason for the decision:
KCC was required by the
Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) to coordinate the
development of the Get Kent & Medway Working Plan to support
the government’s ambitions set out in the Get Britain Working
White Paper (November 2024).
 
Background:
Local Get Britain
Working Plans focus on health, economic inactivity
(unemployment) and skills. They include an analysis of the economic
inactivity challenge locally, an overview of current service
provision and gaps in these areas and a short- and longer-term
action plan to improve health, skills and employment outcomes for
the local population and local employers to support an enhanced
quality of life and local economy. The Kent & Medway Plan needs
to be finalised in July 2025 and formally signed off by KCC, Medway
Council, the Kent & Medway Integrated Care Board and Jobcentre
Plus with endorsement from wider partners and
stakeholders.
 
Alignment to Local Strategic Priorities:
The plan adheres
KCC’s to Securing Kent’s Future’s
requirement for full cost recovery given that its development was
supported by a DWP grant for this purpose.
The plan builds on,
encompasses and supports ambitions in the Kent & Medway
Economic Framework, Framing Kent’s Future, the
Integrated Kent & Medway Integrated Work & Health
Strategy, Local Skills Improvement Plan and the Integrated
Care Strategy, all of which include elements to support people
into work and training, develop the local workforce and ensure that
employers have access to people with the right skills.
 
Other
options considered but discarded
Do
nothing: (discounted). It is a government commitment to have a Get
Brittan Working Plan and therefore the Department for Work &
Pensions wrote to Kent County Council (KCC) on 28 February
requiring the Council to lead the development of the Get Kent &
Medway Working Plan.
 

Decision

As Cabinet Member for
Economic Development & Coastal Regeneration I
agree to:
 
APPROVE and ADOPT the Get
Kent and Medway Working Plan on behalf of Kent County Council.
Other partner organisations (Medway Council, the Kent & Medway
Integrated Care Board and Jobcentre Plus) will also be taking the
Plan through their own approval processes.
 
DELEGATE authority to the
Director of Growth & Communities in consultation with the
Director for Public Health; Corporate Director for Children, Young
People & Education; Cabinet Member for Economic Development and
Coastal Regeneration; Cabinet Member for Social Care & Public
Health; and Cabinet Member for Education & Skills to sign off
the final plan.
 
DELEGATE authority to the
Director of Growth & Communities in consultation with the
Director for Public Health; Corporate Director for Children, Young
People & Education; the Cabinet Member for Economic Development
and Coastal Regeneration; Cabinet Member for Social Care &
Public Health; and Cabinet Member for Education & Skills to
refresh and/or make revisions to the
Plan as appropriate during the lifetime of the plan
 
DELEGATE authority to the
Director Growth & Communities in consultation with the
Director for Public Health, and Corporate Director for Children,
Young People & Education to take relevant actions, including
but not limited to finalising the terms of, and entering into
required contract or other legal agreements, as necessary to
implement the decision