Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:                1)          That the final report of the LGA Peer Challenge Team be noted and the Action Plan drawn up by Management Team and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) in consultation with council staff to respond to the report’s conclusions be endorsed.

2)          That it be noted that the implementation of the actions stated will require resource and capacity. It is envisaged that a financial allocation will be required in the future.

Reason for Decision

To enable the organisation to consider, plan, and respond to the findings of the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge and to put in place a programme of transformation across council services.

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Cabinet considered a report which reminded Members that following a motion to council, the council invited the Local Government Association (LGA) to conduct a Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) at the council as part of their sector level improvement programme.

The scope of the peer challenge was designed to incorporate both an external ‘health check’ of the organisation, including the core components examined by all corporate peer challenges listed below:

• Local priorities and outcomes           

• Organisational and place leadership

• Governance and culture

• Financial planning and management

• Capacity for improvement

The review took place in October 2023 and the final report was received in December 2023. The report summarised the findings of the team’s work and outlined the steps taken to develop the action plan (attached as Appendix A to the report) to respond to the recommendations set out in the report. The report noted that the council was already working on or planning actions to address some of the issues raised by the Peer Team.

Cabinet Members debated the report and drew attention to the fact that staff appeared appreciative of the involvement in the process. It was noted that the Corporate Performance Panel would be receiving regular updates, as would Cabinet.  It was noted that the Chief Executive would be leading the transformation board working alongside Cabinet and other officers. 

The need to knit the work streams into the portfolio areas by Cabinet members was raised, and the fact that they would discuss with the senior officers what they felt was appropriate for the plan.

Councillor Parish congratulated the Chief Executive for embracing the recommendations and ensuring the transformational work was moving forward. 

RESOLVED:                1)          That the final report of the LGA Peer Challenge Team be noted and the Action Plan drawn up by Management Team and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) in consultation with council staff to respond to the report’s conclusions be endorsed.

2)          That it be noted that the implementation of the actions stated will require resource and capacity. It is envisaged that a financial allocation will be required in the future.

Reason for Decision

To enable the organisation to consider, plan, and respond to the findings of the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge and to put in place a programme of transformation across council services.