Agenda item

For decision.  

ORDERED that the Executive:

1.     Approve that Directorate Service Plans for 2026/7 explicitly set out the key evidence of need relevant to the Directorate’s responsibilities, including reference to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation.

2.     Approve that Directors identify and record specific commitments within their Directorate Service Plans which demonstrated how their activity would contribute to reducing inequality and addressing deprivation in Middlesbrough.

3.     Approve that Directorate commitments arising from this work would be drawn together into a single, consolidated report and brought back to Executive, setting out the Council’s collective and intentional approach to responding to deprivation and areas of greatest need.

4.     Approve that alongside the development of the Council’s consolidated position, a structured process would be established to engage key partners — including those involved in the Town Strategy and wider system leadership arrangements to:

•         set out their planned contributions to addressing the inequalities identified through the Indices of Multiple Deprivation; and

•         align these contributions with the Council’s own commitments in order to support a coordinated, place-based response.

AGREED that Executive

Note that a separate report setting out the Council’s formal response to the Overview and Scrutiny Board Short Review on Poverty would be brought to Executive in September 2026.

The Mayor submitted a report for Executive's consideration. The purpose of the report was to seek approval to embed the consideration of deprivation evidence within Directorate Service Plans for 2026/27 and to establish a coordinated approach across the Council and its partners to address deprivation and inequality in Middlesbrough.

The report also outlined proposals to develop a consolidated Council-wide response and engage key stakeholders in developing a town-wide commitment to addressing deprivation.

The Executive was advised that the Council Plan 2026–29 contained a clear commitment to improving outcomes for residents, reducing inequality and alleviating the impact of poverty. Members heard that the updated Indices of Multiple Deprivation (2025) showed that Middlesbrough continued to have the highest proportion of neighbourhoods within the 10% most deprived nationally and that a coordinated, evidence-based approach was required to address these longstanding challenges.

The Executive noted that Directorate Service Plans would be used to demonstrate how planned activity, investment and commissioning decisions responded to identified need and deprivation evidence. Members also noted that a further report would be submitted setting out the Council’s collective response and that engagement with key partners would be undertaken through existing partnership arrangements to support a place-based approach.

Members thanked officers for their continued efforts on this piece of work. Executive also commented this was an important initiative and that, in relation to the matter of deprivation, it would not only help those experiencing poverty, but also those who were working but struggling financially.

OPTIONS

An alternative was to develop a standalone poverty or deprivation strategy, or a separate action plan for directorate prioritisation. This had not been recommended at this stage, as the Council Plan already set the overarching strategic framework and priorities. The supporting performance management framework enabled the Council to monitor performance and take corrective action where necessary.

Another alternative would have been to continue existing arrangements without requiring explicit consideration of deprivation evidence within directorate service plans. This was not been recommended, as it risked continued inconsistency in how evidence of need was reflected across Directorates and would have missed the opportunity to bring together all planned actions into a single collective statement.

ORDERED that the Executive:

1.     Approve that Directorate Service Plans for 2026/7 explicitly set out the key evidence of need relevant to the Directorate’s responsibilities, including reference to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation.

2.     Approve that Directors identify and record specific commitments within their Directorate Service Plans which demonstrated how their activity would contribute to reducing inequality and addressing deprivation in Middlesbrough.

3.     Approve that Directorate commitments arising from this work would be drawn together into a single, consolidated report and brought back to Executive, setting out the Council’s collective and intentional approach to responding to deprivation and areas of greatest need.

4.     Approve that alongside the development of the Council’s consolidated position, a structured process would be established to engage key partners — including those involved in the Town Strategy and wider system leadership arrangements to:

•         set out their planned contributions to addressing the inequalities identified through the Indices of Multiple Deprivation; and

•         align these contributions with the Council’s own commitments in order to support a coordinated, place-based response.

AGREED that Executive

Note that a separate report setting out the Council’s formal response to the Overview and Scrutiny Board Short Review on Poverty would be brought to Executive in September 2026.

REASONS

The Council Plan already established the Council’s strategic priorities, including a clear commitment to reducing inequality and alleviating the impact of poverty. The recommended decision did not introduce new priorities or a standalone strategy. Instead, it provided a clear mechanism for implementation and assurance, by: using the existing Directorate Service Planning process;

•         requiring Directors to articulate how their plans responded to deprivation evidence; and

•         enabling Executive to consider the collective response across the organisation.

This approach responded directly to the Overview and Scrutiny Board’s findings on the need for clearer corporate alignment, while allowing time for fuller consideration of its recommendations through a separate report.

Widening the approach to convene a whole town response by key stakeholders reflected that many of the entrenched issues which drive deprivation levels would require a concerted, focussed effort on the part of key partners from across the town in order to drive real change.