Our Priorities

Following a borough-wide engagement exercise held in early 2024, the council has produced a final version of the Swindon Plan (PDF) that sets out its long-term priorities to improve the quality of life for all of the Borough’s residents.

The final Swindon Plan was approved at meetings of Cabinet and Full Council in July 2024.

It sets out three priority missions for the next decade to build a ‘fairer’, ‘better’ and ‘greener’ Swindon:

• Build a Fairer Swindon - Making Swindon a fairer place, reducing disadvantages and reducing big disparities in life expectancy, education levels and social justice.
• Build a Better Swindon - Creating a town ready for the challenges of the coming decades. Where possible, leading town centre improvement and creating more affordable housing with the private sector
• Build a Greener Swindon - Fully playing our part as a council and a town in combatting climate change. Working with communities to find new ways of doing things that help, not hinder, the natural environment.

Acknowledging the ongoing financial pressures on public finances, the Swindon Plan sets out how the Council is looking to progress each mission working with communities and partners across the private, public and voluntary sectors.

The Swindon Plan sets out what we are looking to achieve for each mission. Each mission covers a number of themes, under which sit objectives.

An accompanying performance framework (PDF) sets out the action we will take to progress each objective over the next three years and how we will measure progress.

Our Values and Behaviours

The words ‘At Our Best’ are part of the Council’s organisational ethos.

'At Our Best’ means making the best use of our talents, skills and resources, aiming to provide residents with greater opportunities to live safe, fulfilling and independent lives and have a better experience when interacting with the council.

We have 3 commitments to be At our Best, and it is in this context that we define our Values and Behaviours

• A Learning Organisation
• Improving Performance
• Employee Experience

Our Values

At Swindon what we do really matters

We love ‘our’ Swindon. We want the best for it. We turn up each and every day to have impact, a place and people to be proud of.

At Swindon we do things right

We are accountable to our residents and ourselves to make the best decisions we can, to try new things to make Swindon thrive now and in the future.

At Swindon we make it happen together

We work together, with our communities, across the Council and with our partners to get the best we can collectively for Swindon.

Our Behaviours

Behaviours are the things we do and say to bring our values to life and by setting our clear expectations of everyone we can:

• set out high organisational standards of behaviour
• bring consistency to how we work
• build positive, collaborative working relationships
• shape and influence the right culture for the council

1. Delivering Performance and Results

• Being determined to achieve our outcomes by committing to the highest standards of individual and collective performance.
• Holding purposeful conversations which challenge, recognise contribution, giving and receiving relevant feedback.
• Being responsible for delivering my results. Results that contribute to the wider outcomes for Swindon Borough.

2. Collaborating and Innovating

• Taking a Swindon wide view. Understanding the impact of the political landscape for our organisation.
• Looking for appropriate opportunities to work internally and externally in partnership to find new and sustainable ways to do things.
• Being bold, willing to learn in order to meet the needs of our residents.
• Being proactive and accountable – making a difference.

3. Leading Self and Others

• Acting in a fair, ethical and authentic way, demonstrating mutual respect and treating one another as professionals.
• Fostering trust, developing ability and accountability.
• Developing the conditions for ourselves and others to thrive to create a one team spirit that we are proud of.