Purpose

To present the findings of the Overview and Scrutiny Board’s report following its short review into the Council’s approach to poverty. A service plan was developed in response to the Board’s recommendations.

Decision

ORDERED that the Executive:

1. Note the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Board on The Council’s Approach to Poverty and its accompanying recommendations; and
2. Approve the Action Plan prepared by the relevant service areas in response to those recommendations.

Reasons for the decision

REASONS

It was a requirement that Executive formally considered Overview and Scrutiny Board’s report and confirmed the service area’s response to the accompanying plan.  

Alternative options considered

OPTIONS

To develop a standalone Poverty Strategy to respond to the OSB’s recommendations. This was not recommended as officers considered that the Council’s existing strategic framework, strengthened through the commitments approved within Making Middlesbrough Thrive, already provided the shared corporate ambition envisaged by Recommendation 1 of the review.

Embedding actions within existing strategic planning, performance management and partnership arrangements provided a more sustainable approach and ensured that reduced deprivation and inequality became integral to service delivery and corporate decision making.

A further alternative was to continue with existing arrangements without implementing the additional actions set out in Appendix 2. This was not recommended as it would have failed to fully respond to the OSB’s recommendations and would have missed the opportunity to strengthen corporate alignment, partnership working and performance monitoring.