Falkirk Council Best Value report – podcast transcript
I’m here today with Ronnie Hinds, deputy chair of the Accounts Commission, to talk about a new report on Falkirk Council.
Ronnie, can you tell me what the report is about?through what the report is about?
Yes – it’s a best value report which looks at how the council is performing. 
Falkirk council generally provides a good standard of services, notably in education and in environmental services. But it faces major financial challenges and needs to save £46 million over the next three years. Audit Scotland found a number of areas where the council needs to improve, such as stronger leadership and more systematic performance management.
Because of this, the Accounts Commission has significant serious concerns about the council’s ability to manage its financial situation, and still maintain a good standard of services for the people of Falkirk.
So what else did you find? 
It’s no secret that Scotland’s councils are facing major pressures, from funding reductions and growing demand for services. Falkirk is no different.But  the pace of change in the council has been slow, and it has relied too much on small-scale improvement projects, as well as reducing services and increasing charges, to get by. 
Political tensions have also caused problems, and some elected members haven’t been taking sufficient part in the running of the council and the proper scrutiny of its services. This has gone on for the past two years and while there are now new systems  in place, it’s too early to say if these will be effective.
So what does this all mean for the public?
There are more than 150,000 people living in the Falkirk Council area and they all rely on  council services.

Falkirk Council needs to reassure the public that it’s capable of continuing to deliver vital services, to a good standard. That will require a high level of ambition and an effective approach to transforming the way services are delivered.

So what do you want to see happen next?

The council needs to close the gap between its current level of spending and the resources it will have in the future. It must create and commit to a long term financial plan that clearly sets out its priorities and how savings will impact on services.  

There needs to be better leadership to achieve this, and councillors must fully engage with the new scrutiny arrangements, particularly  when difficult decisions need to be  made.

Given the Commission’s concerns, we’ve also asked the Controller of Audit to report back to us on Falkirk Council by the end of 2016, so we’ll be continuing to keep a close eye on its progress.

Ronnie, thank you.