Podcast transcript - Interview with John Baillie, Chair of the Accounts Commission

Angus Council: Best Value 2 pathfinder Audit Scotland

1. John, first of all what are your overall messages here?

Angus Council provides good services but quicker progress is needed on Best Value. The council still has much to do to ensure it is organised to deliver Best Value.

2. So what’s the council doing particularly well?

Well, the council has clear ambitions for its area and its making progress with its partners towards shared goals. Its services, generally, are of a good quality and well regarded by the local community. And it manages its finances and its other resources well. 

3. What does it need to improve on?

The council still needs far better corporate processes to help it maintain standards and to drive improvement.

There’s a lack of progress on establishing independent scrutiny of the authority’s performance, and this is particularly disappointing because it limits the council’s ability to focus leadership on delivering the key priorities. 

And councillors need to work together in a more constructive way to provide strong, strategic leadership and to challenge and hold officers to account. 

And finally, community planning needs to improve with more involvement of local people. 

4. What happens next with the audit of this council?

The issues identified in this report will inform what is known as the Assurance and Improvement Plan for the scrutiny of Angus over the next three years. A Plan is put together for each council after a shared risk assessment has been carried out by all the audit and inspection bodies. The Plan shows the scrutiny activity for Angus by each agency over the next three years. 

Thanks very much