Corporate Strategy 2025–2029: A stronger future, built together

Gloucestershire: Challenges, opportunities and our commitment

Key areas of focus

• Jobs and Opportunity: We’re working to grow the local economy, create good jobs close to home, and ensure every community benefits. Every child should have the best start in life, and adults should have the chance to learn new skills and build their futures
• Health and Wellbeing: We aim to help everyone live healthier lives, with the right support when needed, in vibrant and resilient communities. We’re committed to tackling poverty and deprivation, transforming services so no one is left behind
• Care and Inclusion: We provide exceptional care for vulnerable children and adults, and are focused on reducing inequalities so everyone feels included
• Roads and Places: We’re fixing and maintaining roads, improving public transport, and making public spaces safe, clean, and welcoming
• Climate and Nature: We’re taking action on climate change and protecting our environment, with local solutions like nature recovery and renewable energy

Our core values

• Respect: Listening and valuing each other
• Excellence: Always improving through learning and innovation
• Integrity: Acting honestly and fairly
• Accountability: Keeping our promises
• Empowerment: Enabling communities and colleagues to thrive

Gloucestershire’s context

• The county’s population is growing and ageing faster than the UK average, bringing both opportunities and challenges for health, care, and community support
• There are pockets of deprivation and health inequalities, with some areas facing lower life expectancy and greater barriers to opportunity
• Rural isolation and access to services remain challenges, especially for those without transport
• Climate action is a priority, with significant benefits for health, nature, and the local economy

Our local challenges

• Demographic Change: More older people means greater demand for health and social care, and a need for resilient communities
• Public Sector Transformation: Local authorities, the NHS, and other partners are undergoing major changes, making collaboration more important than ever
• Health Inequalities: We’re committed to tackling unfair differences in health and wellbeing, focusing on policy and community-led initiatives
• Rural/Urban Divide: Ensuring everyone can access services, especially in rural areas, is a key focus
• Climate Change: We’re accelerating efforts to reduce carbon emissions and protect green spaces

Our local opportunities

• Economic Strength: Gloucestershire has a diverse, resilient economy, with strengths in manufacturing, digital, and green technologies
• Community Power: Over 4,500 voluntary and community organisations help support local people and drive positive change
• Digital and Data: Investing in digital solutions and data intelligence will help us deliver better, more efficient services and target support where it’s needed most

Our priorities

The strategy includes four main priority areas and associated outcomes:

1. Children and young people thrive

• Give every child the best start in life
• Be ambitious for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
• An excellent wide-ranging education for all
• Be outstanding corporate parents and family to children growing up in our care and entering adulthood
• Offers excellent career opportunities for a highly skilled children’s services workforce

2. Strong, healthy communities that care

• People live healthier lives for longer and health inequalities are reduced
• People receive an excellent adult social care service when they need it
• People thrive and live a good life, supported to maintain their independence by services that work together in their communities
• Communities are protected by an effective, efficient and inclusive Fire and Rescue service which is rated Good

3. A place to be proud of

• Support a healthier, more resilient natural and built environment
• Improve the quality and safety of our roads through targeted capital improvement schemes, effective communication with the community, and coordinated efforts to improve the street-scene
• Foster inclusive and sustainable local economic growth and prosperity, which tackles inequality
• attracts inward investment and delivers cohesive, connected and sustainable infrastructure to drive economic growth
• Communities are connected with improved, safer, healthier and greener public transport

4. An open, fair and sustainable council

• We are trusted by our communities to listen to what local people care about and work with them to find and shape the right solutions together
• Strengthen leadership, culture, and workforce capability to make GCC a great place to work
• Deliver Local Government Reorganisation in a way that is collaborative, sustainable, and aligned with community needs
• Deliver a balanced budget and long-term financial resilience through smarter planning and cross-cutting efficiencies
• Use digital innovation and data intelligence to improve services, collaboration, and decision-making