CNES report – podcast transcript 
I’m here with Douglas Sinclair, chair of the Accounts Commission for Scotland, to talk about a report on the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.
Douglas, can you tell me what this report is about…
Yes. It’s a follow up report on how the Comhairle is performing on its duty to continuously improve in the way it performs for its community.
 
And what did you find?

Well, we found there had been real improvements since our last report in December 2012. And that report in 2012 raised significant concerns about the overall pace of improvement in the Comhairle.
In a nutshell, there is evidence now that the Comhairle has not just listened to past recommendations, it has put them into practice and has now embedded the principles of continuous improvement Best Value into how it conducts its business. And that is very encouraging.

What does this mean for the public?

Well, everyone in the Western Isles should stand to benefit from a better performing council. For example, there has been a decrease in sickness absence levels and a substantial rise in numbers of staff performance appraisals.

Having said that, there has been more limited progress in other areas such as evaluating satisfaction of  the Comhairle’s customers and citizens. But to be fair, the Comhairle recognises there are still areas for further improvement. 

So what do you want to see happen next?

What the Comhairle needs to do now is maintain the momentum it has built up and the drive to improve its operations and services it provides. In short, the Commission wants to see more of the same….
 
Douglas, thank you.