High Performing Council

A trusted and transparent Council that lives within its means. A Council that aspires to deliver best practice across all services and puts residents at the heart of what we do.

Priority: A culture of continuous improvement across all services and functions

Our objective: Develop the systems, processes, and culture that enables the Council to meet its Best Value duty.

We will achieve this through

  • Developing an Organisational Development plan to equip the Council with the skills and culture to discharge its Best Value obligations.
  • Upgrading the Council’s housing systems to deliver service improvements.
  • Implementation of a Property Management system.
  • Launching a new and more accessible Council website.
  • Rollout of new contact centre technology to improve the customer experience.
  • Upgrading the Council’s primary finance system.

Outcomes

  • A responsive, customer focussed organisation.
  • Implementation of improved systems across several directorates.
  • Website upgrade enabling customers to self-serve effectively.
  • Improved budget monitoring, accountability, and transparency.
  • Council systems better integrated.

Success measures

  • Improved data quality across systems to enable better performance management.
  • Reduction of officer time spent on tasks that can be automated via system enhancement.
  • Increased numbers of residents and businesses completing online transactions through self-service.
  • Improved resident/staff satisfaction.

Our objective: Ensure effective governance to enable rounded decision-making, based on a proper understanding of options and their consequences (including financial, legal and risks) which are tested through appropriate scrutiny.

We will achieve this through

  • Strengthening the performance of Council’s wholly owned companies through more effective governance of the relationship with the companies.
  • Embedding a new and enhanced committee reporting template.
  • Strengthening the Forward Plan process.
  • Strengthening the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny arrangements.

Outcomes

  • Effective oversight applied to the management of Council companies.
  • Stronger alignment between the companies to the Council’s priorities.
  • Members presented with clear advice and guidance, including the full implications of proposed decisions.
  • An Overview and Scrutiny function that adds value and strengthens the Council’s decision-making process.
  • A well planned/considered Forward Plan.

Success measures

  • Company business cases approved by the Council and Government.
  • Clear decisions relating to the future of wholly owned companies.
  • Members feel sufficiently informed in their decision-making.
  • An Overview and Scrutiny function that is valued by Members and is compliant with statutory guidance.
  • A forward plan that effectively represents the pipeline of planned council activity.

Priority: A modern employer with a high performing workforce

Our objective: Staff are developed and supported to deliver high performing and cost-effective services.

We will achieve this through

  • Developing a pay and progression strategy to ensure staff are rewarded.
  • Developing a strategy and action plan for equalities, diversity, and inclusion.
  • Reviewing and updating the Council’s recruitment and retention strategy.

Outcomes

  • Council services are provided by a knowledgeable and skilled workforce.
  • Equalities, diversity, and inclusion considerations are evident as part of Council decision-making processes.
  • Employees are engaged and motivated.
  • Processes are consistent and transparent.

Success measures

  • Positive employee survey results.
  • Change programmes create efficiencies and improvements across the Council.
  • Survey results indicate employees feel the organisation is fair and diverse.
  • The strategies are developed and agreed.
  • Employment terms have been reviewed.

Priority: A financially responsible council with sustainable and affordable plans

Our objective: Effective use of our estate to deliver maximum value for money and support the council’s place-shaping responsibilities.

We will achieve this through

  • Creating a finance section that has the right skills and capacity in place.
  • Finalising historic accounts to meet statutory reporting requirements and return to the statutory timetable for 2025/26.
  • Delivery of a balanced Medium Term Financial Strategy with clearly identified savings and mitigations to close budget gaps.
  • Developing and implementing a debt reduction strategy.
  • Identifying a Council-wide financial envelope which is not dependent on commercial activity.

Outcomes

  • Training and support for budget holders.
  • Improved financial transparency and decision-making.
  • Better skills internally to plan and deliver the MTFS and assess financial proposals.
  • Enhanced budget management and forecasting.
  • Enhanced accountability and transparency in the use of public funds.

Success measures

  • Use of financial forecast to inform robust strategic decision-making.
  • Councillors and officers recognising the Council’s duty in all financial business and using public resources responsibly.
  • A ‘right sized’ budget for the Council focused on delivering to citizens.
  • A balanced Housing Revenue Account and a sustainable Housing service.
  • Implementation and use of robust financial, budgeting, and accounting systems.

Our objective: Effective use of our estate to deliver maximum value for money and support the council’s place-shaping responsibilities.

We will achieve this through

  • Implementation of an asset review and subsequent rationalisation plan.
  • Addressing energy management issues to reduce consumption and costs.
  • Developing and implementing a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) that supports the Council’s strategic priorities and place-shaping agenda.
  • Creation and delivery of a robust maintenance capital works programme.

Outcomes

  • A clear strategy that enables the prioritisation of effort and works.
  • A SAMP that will manage the pipeline of asset disposals over a defined period and level out Council assets verses debt.
  • An approach to link estate management and place-shaping through the Local Plan.
  • Implementation of capital works to increase income where appropriate.

Success measures

  • Streamlined, effective maintenance planning and escalation process implemented.
  • Achieving annual disposal targets and meeting criteria set out by Commissioners.
  • Development/adoption of a capital works programme based on condition surveys.
  • Reduction in administrative overheads.

Our objective: Effective approach to the commissioning, procurement, and contract management of organisations that supply goods and services to the council.

We will achieve this through

  • Reviewing and enhancing procurement and contract management processes.
  • Ensuring the Council is compliant with the Procurement Act 2023 requirements.
  • Developing and adopting a Commercial Strategy.

Outcomes

  • Assurance that the Council is achieving Best Value in relation to procurement.
  • Contract Standing Orders updated to reflect new requirements.
  • Training provided to staff based on specific requirements.
  • Corporate Contract Register fully up to date to drive management information.
  • Pipeline of procurement/contract activity.
  • Clarity around the approach and implementation of commercial activity across the Council.

Success measures

  • New Contract Standing Orders adopted.
  • Ongoing review of procurement and contract savings opportunities.
  • New procurement and contract management frameworks developed.
  • Savings delivered via procurement activity.
  • Improved Government Commercial Assessment Framework score.
  • Fewer direct awards/exemptions issued due to greater rigour around processes.
  • The adoption of an updated commercial framework that reflects best practice and takes account of planned procurement and contract management improvements.

Our objective: Effectively manage the relationship with the council’s wholly owned companies in a way that ensures the public interest is protected.

We will achieve this through

  • Delivery of full business cases for Council wholly owned companies in order to support the Council’s strategic priorities.
  • Undertaking an assessment of company compliance with the Company Governance Framework.

Outcomes

  • Review the future of the Council’s companies in order to best protect the public purse, reduce debt, and meet the Council’s strategic objectives.
  • Ensure value for money in relation to investment and disinvestment decisions.
  • Ensuring robust and effective commercial governance is in pace and fit for purpose.

Success measures

  • Reduction in Council exposure to risk associated with companies.
  • Consistent quality of business cases and commercial decision-making.
  • Clear assessment of the viability of wholly owned companies to inform clear decision-making and next steps.

Our objective: Tackle the legacy issues confronting the Council rigorously, to best protect the public interest.

We will achieve this through

  • Reviewing historic charges to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) to ensure they are fair and legitimate, including costs relating to the Sheerwater Regeneration Scheme, and taking corrective action where necessary.
  • Development of a response to the publication of the Grant Thornton Value for Money Review.

Outcomes

  • Tenant rents used correctly/effectively.
  • Clarity and assurance around the HRA ringfence arrangements.
  • Clearly defined next steps and actions in relation to the Grant Thornton review i.e. historic loan arrangements and associated decisions/governance.

Success measures

  • A HRA that is clear and transparent with all subsidies removed.
  • Increased confidence in the Council dealing with legacy issues and meeting expectations of Government and Commissioners.
  • Successfully extracting the Council from legacy arrangements where possible.