Agenda item - Inclusion Plan for South Yorkshire

Agenda item

Inclusion Plan for South Yorkshire

Minutes:

A report was presented which provided an update on the development of the South Yorkshire Inclusion Plan, together with progress notes on the Employer Contract and Progressive Procurement themes.  The MCA and LEP had adopted inclusion within the SEP, which was one of the three pillars of the policy objectives that outlined the plan for stronger, greener and fairer economic growth.  At the Board meeting held in May 2021, Members had agreed the approach and parameters for the Inclusion Plan.

 

Development of the South Yorkshire Inclusion Plan had continued during the summer period.  Following an engagement phase with the LEP Board Members, it was envisaged that a substantive progress report would be presented to the next Board meeting.

 

Members noted the progress that had been made in relation to the key themes of employer contract, progressive procurement policy, health and wellbeing, and inclusive innovation.  It was noted that most of the progress had been made in relation to the employer contract and the progressive procurement policy.  It was envisaged that once the employer contract had been agreed, that this would guide the manner in which the work was undertaken with all of the organisations, in particular the private sector business that the MCA and LEP undertook business with.

 

The Board Members had been invited to attend a workshop which would be held during w/c 13 September 2021 which would enable further engagement on the Inclusion Plan.  Following which, the matter would be discussed with business leaders at the SCR Business Recovery Group, business representative groups and others.  Work was currently underway with an external affairs team to select a cross section of businesses and business leaders to undertake detailed sessions, and to report back to the Board.

 

Since the last Board meeting engagement had been made with the LEP Board Members, local authority officers, universities, third sector partners and businesses, and bids had recently been received to commission a piece of work around the health assets review.  It was envisaged that an appointment would shortly be made, with a view to the work commencing in the upcoming week or so.  This would enable the health and wellbeing theme to develop quickly.  In relation to inclusive innovation, the policy paper had been drafted and further work would be undertaken.  The Board would be provided with an update in due course.

 

R Stubbs requested a further understanding in relation to employee engagement.  He sought clarity around the health and wellbeing objective, which he considered that the key areas were for a better delivery of the health care services, recognising that most of this would be derived from outside of the control of the NHS, and how to grow the health and life sciences supply chain centre within the region.  He considered that the work that was articulated within the SEP related to growing the economic centre as a key anchor for the employers within the region.  He requested a consistent use of terminology.

 

In response, F Kumi-Ampofo referred to the paper that was currently being developed and to agree the role of the MCA across the key areas as outlined by R Stubbs.  In relation to the SEP, the health sector and the business of health would be engaged in innovative activity. The commission that had been made for work around the health assets review would enable a better understanding together with the potential for grow.  The COVID-19 pandemic had highlighted the fact that there would not be an economy without a healthy population.  The MCA and the LEP would work with partners in order to close the health outcomes gaps that currently existed which linked into the economic outcomes that fell within their remit.

 

J Muir considered that it would be helpful to include R Stubbs in the future discussion, in particular in relation to the health and wellbeing agenda.

 

B Adams expressed his thanks to F Kumi-Ampofo and his team for the comprehensive report.  The Inclusion Agenda, which formed part of the rational from the SEP, would attempt to make the economy fairer and improve the lives around the region.

 

J Muir referred to the necessity to establish a framework that pointed towards good employer practice.  It was noted that those companies that engaged with employee participation in seeking to steer the company were usually the most productive and profitable.  The MCA had pioneered a number of initiatives within the region, and the employee contract was well advanced.  He was confident that through the process that had been agreed, that matters would progress onto the consultative stage.  He considered that the health and wellbeing theme required the most discussion moving forwards.  He wished to encourage a debate on the innovation side to involve collaboration between the public and private sectors, the anchor institutions and the universities to ensure that the Inclusion Strategy was inclusive geographically.

 

Members noted the necessity to ascertain a mechanism to ensure that Doncaster and Barnsley benefited on a place basis for investments for innovation that led to industrialisation, commercialisation and job growth.

 

Mayor Jarvis MBE considered that this was a very important piece of work given the long standing inequalities within South Yorkshire that had been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.  He welcomed the focus of the LEP Board on the matter, and he looked forward to a progress update being provided to the LEP Board meeting that was scheduled to be held in November 2021.

 

RESOLVED – That the Board:-

 

i)        Considered the progress made to date.

 

Agreed to lead the engagement phase of the Employer Contract theme (and the Inclusive Innovation theme later).

Supporting documents: