Podcast script Shetland Islands Council  
I’m here with John Baillie, chair of the Accounts Commission to discuss a follow up report on Shetland Islands Council which checks on progress since the last Best value report in November 2011.
John, the Commission held a public meeting in Lerwick almost three years ago because of major concerns about how the council was run.  How is the Shetland Islands Council doing now?
Well, in a nutshell, it has made a series of improvements across the board.  Relations among councillors and between councillors and officers have improved and that’s giving the council clear strategic direction and leadership.
There’s better training of councillors and the council is learning from good practice elsewhere. There have been significant improvements in the way it manages its finances and information. And we were really pleased that the council’s financial statements have been given an unqualified opinion by the external auditors for the first time since 2004/5. 
Now, all of this is really encouraging. It is quite a different organisation now and it is much more effective in the way it conducts its business.
So where is the council heading now?
Well, that’s where it faces real challenges – and in some ways these are tougher than those faced by mainland councils that of course are also facing budget cuts. That’s because Shetland islanders, as the report points out, have been used to a high quality and level of service in recent years. These were partly funded out of the council reserves and, as the reserves continue to dwindle that simply cannot continue – the money runs out. 
So there are difficult choices. The council is engaging well with its communities in discussing these challenges and choices but it is not going to be an easy task. It is, however, vital that the council maintains the positive momentum that it has built up.  That way it can continue to deliver effective services for the people of Shetland in the years ahead.
Are you still going to be keeping tabs on the council?
Yes we are but not as in recent years with special follow up reports. This will be covered as part of the annual audit process that applies to every council – and that in itself says a lot about the real progress that has been made by Shetland Islands Council.
John, thank you.