Agenda item

The Cabinet considered a report of the Corporate Director of Resources which sought approval and adoption of a new and updated Digital Strategy for the county (for copy of report see file of minutes).

Councillor S McDonnell, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Digital, Procurement and Customer Services thanked the Corporate Director and his team for developing the updated Digital Strategy and for all the engagement work undertaken with a range of stakeholders.

The Strategy underpinned and complemented many of the things the Council were trying to achieve, with specific and close alignment to the Inclusive Economic Strategy and the Poverty Strategy and Action Plan.

At its core was a set of themes that would frame and drive forward work in this area, underpinned by a range of commitments in the core of the Delivery Plan that would follow.

The Council had come a long way since the existing strategy was adopted in 2019, as exemplified in the report, and the next five years would undoubtedly see more significant changes to the way the Council worked, engaged and indeed the way people accessed services and the services provided by the Council.

It was vitally important that the Council took people with them on the digital journey, including the workforce, elected members, communities and partners so that no one was excluded. Inclusivity was at the heart of the Digital Strategy so that everyone could benefit from the technological benefits of today and of tomorrow as they emerged.

Councillor S McDonnell also thanked the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Management Board for their review of the draft Digital Strategy in advance of this Cabinet meeting.

In seconding the report, Councillor A Shield, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Equality and Inclusion was pleased that the strategy had a focus on Digital Inclusion and building Digital Communities so that everyone could benefit. This was one of the cornerstones of the Poverty Strategy and Action Plan.

This strategy was about providing more choice to people not less. It was also about leveraging opportunities we have and those to come, however, it was also important that access to services was not wholly dependent on digital access and that other alternatives, through telephone and face to face services, continued to be available to those who preferred or needed them, with digital assistance available to those that required it.

Resolved:

That the recommendations in the report be approved.