LG 10 - Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam

(Saesneg yn unig)

Consultation – Proposed Local Government Measure Committee

Wrexham County Borough Council welcomes the opportunity to provide evidence in relation to the proposed Local Government Measure.  Below are the detailed responses to the consultation questions.

Question 1 – A need for legislation:

1. The Council recognises the need to reform legislation to provide a robust statutory underpinning of the values and aims of the Wales Programme for Improvement and Community Planning Guidance and supports the proposal to replace the ‘best value’ duty with a duty to ‘secure continuous improvement more broadly’.  Also we support the broadening of responsibilities regarding community planning to local partners.

Question 2 - Changes and expected impacts on the organisation:

2. The Council already works beyond the limited focus of the current legislation to secure continuous improvement and effective community planning, so the proposed Measure will positively support our current activity and facilitate further joined up thinking across the two areas of work and between us and partner organisations.

Question 3 - Appropriateness of the Measure

3. a) Duty to Improve:  The Council welcomes the attempt to provide clarity on aspects of improvement and how we set and deliver improvement objectives and performance standards.  This will support the Council’s continued work towards making best use of capacity and our continued improvements both in the quality and the availability of services in a variety of ways.  However, concerns remain about the absence of any reference to the current financial climate.  ‘Securing continuous improvement’ needs to more explicitly reflect the impact that continual reduction in available finance has on a local Authority’s ability to maintain levels and ranges of service provision.

4. b) Power to Collaborate & Welsh Ministers Powers:  The Council supports the proposal for local Authorities to have a general power to collaborate with each other, which will further facilitate collaborative activities to take place.  However, the Council remains opposed to the introduction of a reserve power for Welsh Ministers to direct collaboration, which goes against the underpinning spirit of co-operation resulting in activities starting from a negative footing.

5. c) Performance Indicators and Standards:  The Council supports the clarification and increased flexibility around using and publishing performance information and the Improvement Plan.  However, it is felt that the consultation element prior to the Assembly specifying performance indicators or standards is critical, to ensure those selected are fit for purpose, add value and are relevant to the local public, rather than becoming a distraction from real improvement work and a burden on Local Authorities to collect.  We again reiterate our request for a complete review of the current Performance Measurement Framework which results in fewer, more focused performance indicators that are relevant and meaningful to the local public.

6. d) Regulation & e) Auditor General for Wales:  The Council would welcome the introduction of the changes proposed in relation to risk, regulation and inspection, but wonder how this will be delivered in reality without statutory guidance to support it across all the inspection and regulation bodies.

7. f) Intervention Power for Welsh Ministers: The Council recognise the existing development work that has taken place in relation to intervention and support processes and we support the intention to improve information support being provided prior to formal intervention actions being taken.  However, the Council are still concerned at the breadth of the general power for Welsh Ministers ‘to do anything’ to facilitate improvement.   Our concerns stated in paragraph 4 regarding the power to direct collaboration also apply again here.

8. g) Community Planning and Strategies:  The Council supports the introduction of a duty on named public sector organisations to co-operate in the developing and delivering of community planning and a community strategy.

Question 4 – Potential barriers to implementation

9. Any potential barriers to implementation have been raised in the answers under the appropriate sections above.

Question 5 – Financial implications of proposed Measure

10. Concerns remain about the absence of any reference to the current financial climate linked to expectations in the Measure.  All of the activities included in the Measure will be taking place in a climate of continually reducing available finance to deliver local services.  Contrary to the statement in section 6 of the Explanatory Memorandum, many of the activities in the Measure require finance to deliver them properly, for example publishing meaningful performance information, consulting with the public and carrying out compliance activity.  Also continuous improvement activities often require pump priming finance to deliver longer term improvements and savings, for example commencing new collaborative endeavours.   

Question 6 – Any other comments

11.The Measure will facilitate, to some degree, longer term, cross partner planning and delivery of continuous improvement, but it does not go far enough to align all partners performance regimes, which often currently conflict and have an adverse affect when attempting to work collaborative or to seek continuous improvement.  For example, Health bodies and Police are included for community planning purposes but excluded from the continuous improvement part of the Measure.

Yours sincerely

Chief Finance & Performance Officer