4.1 The Plan for North Lanarkshire sets the long-term strategic direction for the council, partners, and other stakeholders and, most importantly, for each unique local community and the people who Live, Learn, Work, Invest, and Visit within North Lanarkshire. It’s a Plan with a shared ambition of inclusive growth and prosperity for all and a fairer distribution of wealth across all local communities. The Plan provides a very clear and compelling narrative for the shared ambition which the council (and partners) are working towards; a narrative that has become well embedded throughout the strategic management, service delivery, and corporate governance approaches across the council.
4.2 The vision was shaped by the area’s demographic, social, and economic profile which at the time showed a positive picture in terms of economic growth, inward investment, employment, and educational attainment, but still unacceptably high levels of deprivation and child poverty and clear areas of inequity and inequality. This meant that not all North Lanarkshire’s people were sharing equally in the improving picture, and there was an element of social exclusion across some towns and communities. A suite of 28 high level health check indicators was therefore identified to collectively provide the context for North Lanarkshire as a place. Since The Plan for North Lanarkshire was established in 2019, these indicators have continued to provide a robust, consistent, and independent way of assessing progress - the most recent results were reported to the Policy and Strategy Committee in March 2023. The suite of indicators has also played an important role in terms of informing the council’s strategic planning process through the Programme of Work.
4.3 As the delivery vehicle for the shared ambition, the Programme of Work provides a roadmap for work across council services and with partners. An annual strategic planning process enables a recurring and dynamic approach to realising the shared ambition. It enables delivery of the long-term vision to be informed by a strategic planning process that is framed within the context of the local demographic, social, and economic profile that shaped The Plan for North Lanarkshire, as well as the latest national policy changes and developments. This process also ensures a more targeted and cohesive approach to establishing the programmes, projects, and activities required to achieve the intended outcomes.
4.4 Achievements to date (reported to the Policy and Strategy Committee in March 2023) highlight developments that are key to creating the economic, social, and community conditions that will enable local people and communities (and the place that is North Lanarkshire) to thrive. These focus on the investment made to establish the solid foundations required to support the place based ambition. This includes the provision of high quality housing, hubs at the heart of local communities, transformations to town centres, and enhancements to active green spaces to bring physical and mental benefits. This is supported by growing transport links, an enhanced digital infrastructure, and a network of active travel routes, all of which is aimed at boosting the local economy, attracting inward investment, securing improved opportunities and outcomes for employment, education, housing, and leisure, and creating places where people want to Live, Learn, Work, Invest, and Visit. The council’s commitment made in 2022 - for itself and the area of North Lanarkshire - to achieve net-zero by 2030 through the Action on Climate Together 2030 Plan, aims to further support delivery of the place based ambition.
4.5 The fifth iteration of the Programme of Work (to 2028) was approved in March 2023. This longer-term approach reflected the need to reframe the Programme of Work in line with the latest North Lanarkshire context presented through the suite of 28 health check indicators. This evidence base shows positive trends in a number of key economic indicators (such as gross weekly pay, people claiming employment related benefits, and growth in North Lanarkshire’s economy), as well as significant improvements in educational attainment for all pupils gaining 5+ awards at level 6 and for pupils living in the 20% most deprived areas, leavers achieving a positive post school destination, and school exclusion rates. These trends were considered particularly significant given the extent of the impact of the pandemic that is evident in certain indicators. However the trends also show that challenges remain, reiterating the need for a new approach to the development of the fifth iteration of the Programme of Work. This was considered crucial to ensure a heightened and more strategic focus on not only sustaining the economic and community aspects, but also on ensuring a more targeted approach to improving social conditions and outcomes.
4.6 Sitting alongside the Programme of Work - as a key aspect of the council’s strategic planning framework - is the Strategic Policy Framework. This specifies the hierarchy of strategies, policies, and plans which underpin delivery of the long-term vision set out in The Plan for North Lanarkshire and ensures that strategy and policy remain connected to delivery in order to collectively facilitate a co-ordinated approach to identifying the resources and working practices needed to support delivery of the long-term vision. Through a structured approach, the Strategic Policy Framework aims to ensure that strategies, policies, and plans are formulated, developed, implemented, monitored, and reviewed in a consistent and transparent manner across the council. The annual update to the Strategic Policy Framework was approved by the Policy and Strategy Committee in March 2023. The supporting review programme ensures each of the strategies, policies, and plans are up to date, reviewed and updated at an appropriate interval, and reported to the relevant committee. A guidance document accompanies the Strategic Policy Framework to support the development and monitoring processes for strategies, policies, and plans, and ensure ongoing openness and engagement through stakeholder consultation.
4.7 Key to assessing the success of The Plan for North Lanarkshire and monitoring delivery of the Programme of Work (while ensuring each stage of delivery towards achieving the overall ambitions is appropriately planned, guided, implemented, and governed) are six inter-related corporate frameworks: • Strategic Policy Framework • Strategic Governance Framework • Strategic Performance Framework • Strategic Self-Evaluation Framework • Project Management Framework • Framework for Demonstrating Improved Outcomes for Communities
4.8 To ensure these frameworks remain aligned to The Plan for North Lanarkshire and Programme of Work, all are on a regular review and refresh programme. This also helps the council to ensure it is proactive in responding to social, economic, and environmental trends and changes in legislation and governance, as well as the broad range of national policy changes and new developments.
4.9 The Strategic Governance Framework has been developed taking into account the local environment within which the council operates. It brings the principles of good governance together with legislative requirements and management processes by which the council is directed and controlled and through which it is accountable to, engages with, and leads the local community. This aims to ensure the council is able to effectively pursue the long-term ambition set out in The Plan for North Lanarkshire, while ensuring this is underpinned with control and the management of risk, and:
• Resources are directed in accordance with agreed policies and according to priorities and in line with corporate project management procedures.
• There is sound and inclusive decision making.
• There is clear accountability for the use of those resources in achieving defined outcomes for service users and local communities.
4.10 The annual review process in place through the Strategic Governance Framework ensures that the council’s governance arrangements are regularly assessed for ongoing effectiveness within the context of The Plan for North Lanarkshire.
4.11 Aligned to the seven themes in the national Best Value guidance, the council’s Strategic Self-Evaluation Framework is framed around three questions (How well are we doing? How do we know? and How can we do better?) and supported by a rolling review programme. This approach provides a regular mechanism to assess the council’s functions and activities and identify areas for improvement within the context of fulfilling the vision set out in The Plan for North Lanarkshire.
4.12 The 2021/22 Annual Governance Statement reported on five self-evaluation exercises undertaken during the year (as noted below) for which the findings were relatively positive:
• Compliance with the CIPFA Financial Management (FM) Code.
• Adequacy and effectiveness of the revised Corporate Management Team arrangements.
• Risk governance arrangements in respect of DigitalNL.
• Whether the arrangements for the Data Governance Board (DGB) adequately contribute to the achievement of the council’s vision as detailed in the Roadmap.
• The effectiveness of current arrangements for the North Lanarkshire health and social care IJB and how well the Board meets its intended outcomes.
4.13 These five self-evaluation exercises resulted in 18 areas for improvement being identified and captured in supporting improvement plans. In general these aimed to further strengthen existing arrangements, rather than address any significant issue in terms of effectiveness. 13 actions (on four of the improvement plans) have subsequently been implemented in full during 2022/23. Full implementation of the remaining actions in the fifth improvement plan has been impacted by a significant cross council file migration process which called upon the same resources as the actions in the improvement plan; progress in this respect is being managed through the Data Governance Board to ensure full implementation during 2023/24.
4.14 The Strategic Self-Evaluation Framework is reviewed and refreshed annually and the latest update in October 2022 introduced a corporate approach to Options Appraisal. While the use of options appraisal was already widespread across the council, a corporate approach was formalised at this time to ensure that the outcomes from such exercises continue to provide the relevant assurances that service provision is efficient and effective and represents value for money, and that decisions made remain consistent with the strategic direction for the council, as set out in The Plan for North Lanarkshire.
4.15 Six monthly reporting during 2022/23 has continued to provide the Audit and Scrutiny Panel with oversight and assurance that governance, financial monitoring, performance reporting, and risk management arrangements within the council’s Arm’s Length External Organisations (ALEOs) are progressing satisfactorily, are suitably robust, and provide assurance that service delivery reflects Best Value. The reports have also highlighted external impacts on company operations (such as any residual after-effects of the pandemic, inflation (particularly in terms of energy costs), and the cost of living crisis) and have identified company responses and safeguards put in place to maintain service delivery and ensure business continuity.
4.16 Following publication of the Accounts Commission’s Best Value Assurance Report (BVAR) for North Lanarkshire Council in May 2019, updates on implementation of the eight recommendations for improvement were reported to the Policy and Strategy Committee in September 2019 and again in March 2020. The report in March 2020 consolidated the eight improvement actions within the Programme of Work to strengthen a corporate and integrated approach to improvement that supports delivery of The Plan for North Lanarkshire. The external auditors Annual Audit Reports (AARs) have provided annual updates in this respect, with the most recent for 2021/22 (reported to the Audit and Scrutiny Panel in December 2022) concluding that two more of the improvement actions were now complete (i.e. six in total). The good progress made in implementing the recommendation in terms of the Strategic Performance Framework and reporting schedule (to support delivery of The Plan for North Lanarkshire and its scrutiny by Elected Members) was noted and this BVAR recommendation was subsequently completed by the end of 2022/23. The one remaining BVAR recommendation in terms of falling satisfaction levels reflects a moment in time that pre-dates the pandemic and, as such, discussions are underway with the external auditors in terms of its ability to be implemented in the post pandemic environment.
4.17 While the pandemic continued to impact on the council’s delivery of planned day to day activities and achievement of strategic priorities during 2021/22, it is recognised in the annual audit opinion from the Chief Officer (Audit and Risk) that 2022/23 saw a more typical and stable year for council operations. This supported the development of Workforce Plans during 2022/23 that included an analysis of the risks and issues facing the current workforce and identified the gaps in terms of fulfilling service provision and delivering on the priorities and long-term vision in the future.
4.18 The more stable operating environment also supported the further delivery of phase one of the Leadership and Operating Model to maximise the use of existing assets to provide shared hub facilities across local areas for the use of the council’s workforce. In this respect phase one directly supported the council’s future workplace ambitions and proposed hybrid working approach. It also provided the ability to review and refine the model and arrangements at an early stage by discovering what works through dialogue with services, teams, and individuals. The offer of additionality to office space, through the hub facilities, further supported the council’s recovery from the pandemic.
4.19 As part of the transition towards new town and community hubs, three early adopter hubs were introduced in phase one of the Leadership and Operating Model. The hubs have played a key role in supporting agile employees to access flexible workspaces, rebuild social connections, and reverse the social isolation experienced during the pandemic and improve health and wellbeing. This approach has also enabled communities to have more direct access to the services they need and meant that staff were closer to the communities they work in. This model supports the focus on creating a positive workplace experience for all employees and ensuring the council retains its position as an employer of choice in an increasingly competitive labour market context. In this respect a 12 months extension to the Hybrid Working Scheme (to March 2024) was approved at the Policy and Strategy Committee in March 2023 and a commitment was made to explore opportunities for a permanent scheme during this time, to provide increased flexibility for hybrid staff while ensuring performance, productivity, and employee wellbeing are maintained.
4.20 While 2022/23 may have seen a more stable year for council operations compared to recent years, recovery from pandemic changed the landscape within which The Plan for North Lanarkshire requires to be delivered. The impact of inflationary pressures (such as rising contract costs, availability of suppliers and service providers, increasing costs and availability of supply chain materials, and escalating energy prices) had implications on the ability of the council to maintain a seamless approach to delivering services and progressing capital programmes that seek to mitigate against the range of different and complex economic, social, and health issues that exist. Locally, inflationary pressures created significant cost of living implications for the people and communities of North Lanarkshire, exacerbating conditions for those in the most vulnerable situations. As such, in November 2022 a range of measures were agreed to be introduced to assist local residents with the cost of living crisis. This included drop in spaces, a helpline, provision of advice, guidance, and signposting through the creation of a website, and a range of media campaigns.