Agenda item

The Chief Executive to present the Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge report. (TO FOLLOW)

With the assistance of a report by the Chief Executive (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Council considered the findings of the Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge and the recommendations of the Peer Challenge Team.

By way of introduction, the Chief Executive explained that an Action Plan would be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Performance and Growth) in October 2024 and thereafter on a quarterly basis. However, work had already started on the delivery of many of the recommendations.

With reference to the Workforce Strategy, the Chief Executive reiterated that given the level of engagement from employees and the overall positivity received, she did not wish to lose momentum with this project. With this in mind, discussions had taken place regarding the acceleration of resources to demonstrate to the workforce the intention to deliver against the recommendations. She also outlined her thanks to Council Members for their appreciative comments regarding the Councils’ employees delivering the Council’s aspirations and she would be conveying this to all staff within her weekly newsletter.

Turning to the Peer Review, the Council were advised that the recommendations would be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Performance and Growth) and accountability would be provided by allocating a Cabinet Member and Member of the Senior Leadership Team to oversee each recommendation. Those members with an interest in benchmarking were encouraged to look at the reports for other Councils on the Local Government Association Website. Members were also advised that a new framework for review had been introduced which was considered to be more challenging than the previous regime.

In terms of the recommendations within the report, Members were also advised that in addition to the key recommendations there were a number of additional actions that would also be implemented. The Chief Executive also reported that the Peer Team had commented on how welcoming and transparent those that they had met as part of the process had been and she had been keen to ensure that all parts of the organisation had felt part of the review. Feedback from staff had been good and tours had included Eastfield House and One Leisure, including the workshop.

In responding to the report, the Executive Leader, Councillor S J Conboy expressed her appreciation to the Peer Review team and indicated that she was looking forward to working with Members across the Council to reflect on the suggestions and recommendations within the report.

Having expressed his appreciation to the Peer Team and commented on the thorough and honest process he had experienced, the Leader of the Opposition Group Councillor R Martin commented on a number of aspects of the report. Firstly, the need to address issues arising from a number of departments feeling as though they were working in silos and the need to monitor trends in the delivery of affordable housing to ensure that any reduction in numbers was not a continuing trend year on year. Councillor Martin also commented on the need to develop a scrutiny work programme and he had already discussed with the Chief Executive the need for more member led engagement at these meetings. He took the opportunity to encourage all backbenchers to engage in the process and bring forward ideas and policies. Finally, Councillor Martin indicated that he looked forward to the Action Plan being brought forward to the next round of Overview and Scrutiny for further discussion and again on a regular basis.

Councillor J Neish commented that the Peer Team had found the District Council to be a well-resourced Council with the ability to make choices about how they delivered services. He commented that the review was a positive thing which would help the Council understand where some of the areas of challenge might be and those that needed further consideration.

Councillor S Wakeford expressed his appreciation to the Peer Review team for the review and the resulting report. He indicated that the resulting report was helpful, and that work had already begun to address some of the recommendations. In response to the comments made by Councillor Martin concerning affordable housing, Councillor Wakeford commented that success in this area was the result of a number of factors. However, the reason the review team had commented so positively was because in many authorities’ delivery had gone down, whereas in Huntingdonshire it had increased in the current year.

RESOLVED

that the Corporate Peer Challenge Feedback report as set out at Appendix 1 be received and the recommendations of the Peer team noted