Issue - meetings

The Chief Executive presented the Corporate Peer Challenge report and action plans for the Executive Committee’s consideration.

The Committee was informed that the Corporate Peer Challenge had been requested at a Bromsgrove Council meeting held in December 2022, following the authority’s receipt of a Section 24 Notice from the external auditors, Grant Thornton.  The decision had subsequently been taken to invite the Local Government Association (LGA) to undertake a joint Corporate Peer Challenge for Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District Council. 

There were a number of key themes that were addressed in all Corporate Peer Challenges undertaken through the LGA but in addition, Councils could ask for the peers to focus on particular areas; for this Corporate Peer Challenge, a request had been made for peers to focus on governance and culture as well as Council finances, due to the points raised in the Section 24 Notices issued to both authorities.  The Corporate Peer Challenge team had comprised representatives from a number of different Councils, including elected Member representatives, and their report had been published prior to the local elections in May 2023. 

The Corporate Peer Challenge report had contained a number of recommendations and these had already been reviewed by the Corporate Management Team (CMT).  In some cases, Officers had identified that action was already being taken to address the points that had been raised.  The appendices to the report provided further detail on the action being taken and Members were asked to note the following key points:

·             The Corporate Peer Challenge had emphasised that, given the financial challenges for local government, the Council needed to identify clear priorities and to ensure that these informed the content of the authority’s Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP).

·             In respect of the governance issues that had been identified, Members were asked to note that there was already a lot of work being undertaken with respect to Member training, as part of the new Member induction process, as well as the ongoing review of the Council’s constitution by the Constitutional Review Working Party (CRWP).  In addition, CMT had identified that all Member briefings on particular topics might need to be organised on a case-by-case basis moving forward.

·             A lot of work had already been undertaken in respect of the Workforce Strategy, which had previously been approved by Members, and a high-level action plan had been developed.  Many of the projects within this plan were complex and required action from Heads of Service and managers and progress with this would be monitored.  Some of the priorities underpinning this would be considered by CMT shortly and would thereafter be managed by a Strategy Working Group.

·             In respect of the Council’s approach to agile working, an Agile Working Policy had been developed following a pilot of agile working arrangements.  The policy took into account best practice and staff briefings had been delivered to help communicate the terms of the policy.  There was an Agile Working Project Board, which assessed implementation from a strategic perspective, although service  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5