Council welcomes external audit of performance

Highland Councillors have welcomed a “very positive” external audit of its performance in demonstrating best value and community planning.

The Council is judged by the Accounts Commission to be improving well in the direction and pace of change and is well placed to deliver future improvement.

The Council is judged to be improving well because it can demonstrate:

1. a clear vision for the Highlands;
2. strengthened corporate working through political and management arrangements;
3. a shared vision and service improvement with partners;
4. it provides good quality services that are responsive to local communities;
5. improving performance in important service areas (education and child protection are highlighted);
6. high and improving customer satisfaction;
7. progress with the improvement actions following the first BV audit in 2006.

The Council is judged to be well placed to deliver future improvement because it can demonstrate:

1. strong, clear and consistent leadership;
2. effective political management (effective administration and opposition);
3. well functioning ward structures;
4. effective partnership working;
5. generally sound resource management;
6. well-developed arrangements and achievements for sustainability, including climate change;
7. sound processes for the Council’s equalities agenda;
8. critical self-awareness and a strengthening culture of continuous improvement.

The audit report identifies eight areas of improvement.  They focus on:

1. Co-ordinating and prioritising the range of performance improvement activities;
2. Demonstrating Value for Money (VFM) more consistently and openly;
3. Two areas of service specific improvement: adult social work and housing management rent arrears;
4. Improved management and political arrangements to progress the equalities agenda further;
5. Concluding improvements to staffing arrangements;
6. Increasing the pace of change in two Corporate Improvement Programme work streams (customer engagement and asset management);
7. Further improvements to partnership working in terms of partnership performance management and clearer alignment between local and strategic partnerships;
8. Taking forward the improvement actions for the Caithness Heat and Power project.

Convener Councillor Sandy Park said:  “This is the latest in a series of excellent external examinations of Council activities. It reflects well on our staff and the Council as a whole.  Most of these improvement areas were recognised in the Council’s self-evaluation and most have work already programmed.”

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