The report provided Members with a progress update on the work to date to deliver the council’s Improvement and Recovery Plan.

Gavin Jones, Lead Commissioner, provided a brief summary of the report written to the Minister in November 2024, once a response had been received this would then be published. The key messages from the report were:

·       There had been significant progress across the council.

·       An increase in improvement and the pace of improvement over the past year.

·       Highlighted the importance of the corporate plan.

·       Improvements made around risk management.

·       Thurrock council should be proud of the journey so far to date but accept there was still a lot to be done.

·       Important that Thurrock could demonstrate that improvements were sustainable improvements.

·       Over the next few months commissioners to look at how well embedded those changes had been done.

·       Real improvements noted in member/officer relationship.

·       Leadership of the council, managerially and politically, working well together and with the engagement with officers.

·       All 49 members still had a role to play.

·       Encouraged all members to engage with the council’s training and development offer.

·       On finances, latest report highlighted huge progress.

·       Concern about capacity and would need to continue to focus on transformation.

·       Improved engagement with the local community had been noted.

·       Council's leadership continued to emphasise the work that was being undertaken to meet best value duty and this must remain a priority.

·       Devolution and Local Government reorganisation – the council would still have a duty to focus on recovery and as commissioners, would continue to hold the council to account for that improvement.

·       Noted that Gavin Jones would be standing down as Chief Executive of Essex County Council next month.

Councillors Jefferies, Speight, J Kent, Muldowney, Halden and Coxshall spoke on this item with the following comments made:

·       Acknowledged the progress been made within the council but noted there was still a long way to go.

·       Residents should be reassured that changes being made was to give residents of Thurrock a council fit for purpose.

·       Concern over the withdrawal of the local plan and urged the leader and his administration to publish the full reasons behind its withdrawal.

·       Referred to the RAG ratings within the report.

·       Noted this time next year some comparison between the two documents could take place.

·       Concern raised on red RAG rating for risk.

·       Thanks were given to Gavin Jones and commissioners for their help, support, advise and reassurance.

·       Recovery was still fragile and not to lose focus.

·       Take the past experience that we have had and to make sure that whatever came next was more sustainable, more responsive, that actually

held people to account and linked that accountability to delivery from day one.

·       Praised the members risk training and encouraged all members to attend.

·       Thanks were also given to council officers who continued to do their job to improve services and delivery those for the people of Thurrock. To cabinet members and the senior leadership team for all the work undertaken.

·       Touched on capacity and that some areas did not have a full complement of staff.

·       Risk profiles would now be in all overview and scrutiny reports.

·       Member supported the Government’s reform agenda.

·       Thurrock was a national leader for adult and children’s social care, and these should not be lost.

·       Important that the council got a defined and clear offer and that Thurrock with the national gold standard services took the driving seat and scaled those services up.

·       More development on what the Thurrock offer would be in devolution and how those excellent services already being provided by Thurrock should led on.

·       Could not see a sense of legitimacy by cancelling the elections.

·       Having an authority in Thurrock for at least 12 months, possibly 24 or even for 36 months, it was not legitimate to go three years without an election.

·       Suggestion that a response be made to the Deputy Prime Minster that Thurrock agreed with the reform agenda but cancelling the elections was not a good part of Thurrock’s recovery.

·       Important as part of the recovery plan that members were mindful that the council’s commitment to residents remained and ongoing to improve and deliver improvements for this council.

·       Not to forget the corporate responsibilities that all 49 members have.

Councillor Worrall summed up by thanking members for their comments. Ensured that services were still being delivered to meet the objectives of the commissioners and that balanced budgets were delivered. Confident that the council was going the right way but needed to remain focused.

RESOLVED

Noted the progress made on the Council’s improvement and recovery within the context of the Outcomes Framework.