Inverclyde Council sees 'exceptional' improvement since 2005 Audit

Inverclyde Council has witnessed a “sea change” in how local services are being run locally.

In 2005, the council was branded one of the worst in the country in an audit report.

But auditors have today (Thursday) published a ‘best value report’ of the council, highlighting the “exceptional” difference over the last 12 years.

Inverclyde Council Leader, Councillor Stephen McCabe, said: “This report is exceptional and highlights the sea change which has been delivered locally with the Council.

“It is particularly heartening to see Audit Scotland and the Accounts Commission recognise the importance of a constructive working relationship between officers and councillors – something which was heavily criticised in the report in 2005.

“It could easily be argued that Inverclyde is one of the most improved Councils in the country.”

He added: “This report will not make the headlines the 2005 one did, but it does show a dramatic improvement and it should be welcomed by residents across Inverclyde.

“It shows that local council services are being well managed, that effective leadership is helping the council to deal with the challenges facing it in the coming years.

“I would like to congratulate the many officers and councillors who have, in the years since the last audit, recognised that working together for the betterment of Inverclyde is the priority and I would encourage them all to continue that work in the coming years.”

The Council’s Chief Executive, Aubrey Fawcett, added: “Inverclyde Council has come a long way since the previous best value audit report in 2005.

“The most recent report released by Audit Scotland highlights that progress from 2005 and the significant improvement since then.

“They have highlighted the many areas of very good practice across the council and these are testimony to the hard work of a large number of people at Inverclyde Council and our partners over the years.

“In particular, auditors have recognised the positive working culture, the clear vision and stable, effective leadership.

“Inverclyde Council serves its communities and auditors have also put an emphasis on the good work being done by services to seek the views and involvement of the community in delivering services. “

She added: “Overall this is a very good report and shows the scale of improvement.

“I would like to thank all the council employees and partner organisations over the years who have helped to make those improvements a reality.

Audit Scotland carried out their work in January and February 2017.

The audit work included interviewing councillors, senior officers and partner organisations; observing a range of council and committee meetings; reviewing documents, and conducting focus groups with councillors & officers.

The key areas the audit examined included the council’s vision, performance and outcomes, arm’s length organisations or ALEOs, workforce planning and the council’s community and citizen engagement.