Productivity Plan

We have made significant savings and efficiencies over the years through streamlined processes, invest to save opportunities and prioritisation of resources. As such we do not consider that there is wasteful spend within the organisation.

However, demand for Council services is continuing to increase, while budgets are reducing.

The Council has therefore developed a new strategic framework, Powering Our Future (POF), which sets out a planned, mission-based approach to carefully manage our resources over the longer term. This will see us create a new relationship with communities, while continuing to provide efficient services that offer value for money and are valued by our residents within the reducing financial resources we have.

Powering Our Futures mission statement

We will be a bold, brave and innovative Council. Together with our partners we will make sure Stockton-on-Tees is a fair and equal place, where everyone is proud to live and work, where our communities flourish and people feel they belong. We want everyone in our Borough to participate in building a brighter future for all of us.

The five missions

Communities Powering Our Future

This mission seeks to change our relationship with communities, so they use their knowledge, skills and strengths, to deliver better outcomes for themselves. Our approach will be more efficient, whilst also ensuring our residents are happy, healthy and feel like they belong.

We will empower communities to increase individual, family and community level activities by helping people and communities to be independent and have less reliance on Council services.

Partnerships Powering Our Future

This mission seeks to ensure we are stronger together. Our collective power with partner organisations will make a positive difference to our communities, and we will remove organisational boundaries to help improve the services our communities can access.

Through collaborative working, our residents will experience seamless services that are joined up across partner organisations.

This will also be more cost effective by removing duplication and silo working. Our work with partners will include developing and testing options for system-wide change, which can maximise the impact of public sector resource.

Transformation Powering Our Future

This mission will identify new and innovative ways of working that are better for communities and more efficient. In doing so, we will work with our partners and communities in new ways, embracing technology and different approaches to create opportunities and reduce inequality. We will do this using the limited amount of money we have available.

Our transformation programme will ensure we reduce the budget gap by £9million and deliver a balanced budget each year, while continuing to deliver good and efficient services with the resources we have available.

Colleagues Powering Our Future

This mission seeks to empower colleagues to do the best they can for communities. Our vision is to have a talented and diverse workforce that is committed, engaged and empowered to deliver the council's priorities and ambitious Powering Our Future programme. Our workforce will step up to the challenging budget situation by using their knowledge and skills to work with our partners and communities.

We want to be an employer of choice where our colleagues feel valued, informed and involved in a working environment that is fit to meet the future demands of the Borough.

Regeneration Powering Our Future

Our approach to regeneration and economic growth will be critical to the future prosperity and wellbeing of our communities.

Our exciting regeneration projects will make sure Stockton-on-Tees is a place of choice for business. Not only will this generate more income through Council Tax and Business Rates, but there will also be more employment opportunities, which will reduce the demand on services and save us money.

Our Borough will be recognised for its thriving economy at the heart of Tees Valley and as a place where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.