Agenda item

Purpose of report

This report provided Cabinet with an opportunity to formally receive the outcomes of the recent Corporate Peer Challenge undertaken with the Council by the Local Government Association.

Decision

That Cabinet:

1.    Notes the Corporate Peer Challenge report, accepts the findings of the Corporate Peer Challenge and agrees to receive an action plan to implement the findings.

2.    Formally thanks the Local Government Association, the Peer Challenge team and their respective Councils for undertaking the review.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None.

Reason for decision

The Local Government Association ran a sector-led improvement programme, the flagship of which was the Corporate Peer Challenge. This involved a team of political and officer leaders with Local Government spending time on site and meeting with internal and external stakeholders to highlight key strengths and areas for improvement for a Council. In addition, the process included Remote Peer Support which involved a short period of online meetings between peers and internal stakeholders, together with a review a key documentation.

The final report and findings of the Corporate Peer Challenge were set out in Appendix 2 of the report and represented a largely positive report, highlighting in particular the following strengths of the Council:

·         The response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which was seen as exemplary by a range of partners

·         The strength of leadership from both the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive in identifying long-standing organisational issues and tackling them

·         The development of the Corporate Plan, key performance indicators and action plan.

The report also highlighted some areas for focus and improvement across the Council, particularly:

·         The need to continue to develop robust financial plans for future financial challenges and ensure that robust financial management was in place

·         A focus on developing effective Member and Officer relationships, with a real clarity needed on roles and responsibilities and a positive working culture as part of #TeamSK

·         The need to be prepared to invest in #TeamSK at an individual level in both Members and Officers to ensure maximisation of the skills and abilities in achieving the goals set out in the Corporate Plan

It was proposed that the development and publication of an action plan would take place in March 2022, together with a six-month check-in process which would take place later in the year.

The Leader of the Council, in presenting the report, put on record his personal thanks to the Corporate Peer Challenge Team which included Stephen Baker (Chief Executive, East Suffolk Council), Councillor Abi Brown (Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council), Kirsten Burnett (Head of Policy and Organisational Development, Hyndburn Borough Council), Paul Ellis (Director of Services and Deputy Chief Executive, Craven District Council), Stephen Cooper (Senior Workforce Advisor, Local Government Association) and Frances Marshall (Programme Manager, Local Government Association) for the work that they put into the challenge. He also thanked everyone who engaged and participated in the Corporate Peer Challenge process.

A number of points were raised during discussion of the report, which included the following:

·         The report stated that the Council could be proud, recognise and celebrate what it had achieved over the last 18 months and look ahead to achieve its full potential

·         The firm and solid leadership that had been shown since the Chief Executive’s appointment had been exemplary

·         The clarity of roles and responsibilities of Members and Officers, together with enhancing communication and teamwork was hugely important

The Leader of the Council added his personal thanks to Ken Lyon, Assistant Chief Executive, for all the work he had put into the Corporate Peer Challenge process, his contribution to South Kesteven District Council and the support he had provided to Cabinet. This was Mr Lyon’s last meeting of Cabinet prior to him leaving the Authority and the Leader wished him the best of wishes for his future endeavours.