The Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Staffordshire Council met on Tuesday 31 March 2026. The meeting focused on reviewing the council's Delivery Plan for 2026-2027 and its alignment with the new Strategic Direction, as well as noting the contract award for a new Finance and HR system. The committee also noted the Integrated Performance Report for Quarter 3 of 2025/26.

Delivery Plan 2026-2027 and Performance

The committee noted the Delivery Plan 2026-27 summary, which outlines how the council intends to achieve its Strategic Direction for 2026-2028. This plan is built around five priority areas: supporting people through early help and prevention, creating an environment for economic growth, investing in highways and digital infrastructure, creating safe and resilient communities, and ensuring efficiency and value for money. The committee also noted the future approach to monitoring this plan through the Council's quarterly Integrated Performance reporting process, which will commence from Q1 (April-June) in July 2026. It was agreed that the full Delivery Plan and Key Performance Indicators would be considered at the next meeting. An update on the current position of Burntwood Health Centre will be emailed to committee members.

Contract Award of Finance and HR System

The committee noted the contract award for the supply and implementation of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and managed payroll service. Discussions during the meeting included questions about the implementation of the contract, service changes, continuity planning, risk management, and potential implications of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

Integrated Performance Report, Quarter 3 2025/26

The committee noted the Integrated Performance Report for Quarter 3 of the 2025/26 financial year. This report summarises the council's performance against its 55 strategic performance measures. The Acting Leader, Councillor Martin Murray (Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills), briefly outlined the highlights and challenges presented in the report. It was noted that extra capital investment in Children's services is anticipated to lead to improvements during 2026/27. The committee also requested further information on the flexibility of the District Highways Programme, which will be circulated for their information.

Work Programme

The committee noted the Work Programme. The next meeting of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled for 16 June 2026.

Minutes of the Meeting Held on 24 February 2026

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 24 February 2026 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair, Councillor Thomas Baker.

MTFS Working Group - Executive Response

The committee noted the Executive response to the recommendations made in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) Working Group report. This response had previously been considered by the Council on 12 February 2026.