Cheshire East Council has been slow to respond to some of the problems it faces and at times appears overwhelmed by the challenge, an independent panel says.
The independent assurance panel was set up provide external advice, challenge, and expertise to the cash-strapped council in driving forward improvement and transformation.
But while the panel said it recognised the commitment of Cheshire East to improve, and said it was good it has a significant proportion of permanent senior leadership team in place and commended its adults social care services for its Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating, its first progress update report was also full of criticism.
The report, from panel chair Angie Ridgwell dated June 27, states: “While recognising the good progress that has been made in some areas, it is accepted by all, including the council, that improvement is not where the council would have wished it to be at this juncture.”
It says there are four areas which need to be given ‘serious and urgent’ consideration, and these are pace, plans, communications and leadership and governance.
With regard to pace, the report says: “While the council has shown that it can move quickly in some areas, such as appointing a transformation partner, other areas have been slow.”
The report criticises the council for not having an overall plan to address its many challenges, saying: “While there are individual plans in response to the corporate peer challenge report, the transformation challenge, the budget and the children’s services Ofsted inspection, these need to be considered collectively so that the council can understand the corporate and cumulative impact of the proposed actions.”
And it adds: “It is also the case that the savings referenced in the transformation plan, and which are fundamental to the council’s sustainability, remain unclear to the panel.
“The council have, as yet, been unable to articulate what these savings are or when they will be delivered, including any interdependencies with other workstreams.”
With regard to communications, the report says: “A strategic approach to communications is required to ensure key stakeholders (elected members, officers, partners and residents) are kept informed of updates and progress.
“This includes the panel who often learn about developments through the media.”
Regarding leadership and governance, it says: “The scale of the issues faced by the council and the fragility of its position require strong and sophisticated leadership that is able to permeate through the organisation.
“Staff and residents need to have confidence in the council, especially in view of the difficult decisions we all accept the council will need to make.”
The report concludes saying Cheshire East has faced significant challenges for several years.
“It has acknowledged this and responded openly and positively to understand its issues and address them,” it says.
“It has made progress in some areas and pleasingly has been assessed as delivering a good adult social care service by the Care Quality Commission.
“In other areas, the council continues to be slow to respond and at times appears overwhelmed by the challenge.”
(story by Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter)
Car parks and dishwashers!
This article says that CEC has been aware of the problems for some time. Surely, those concerned have had their heads in the sand in the hope a miracle might happen. This item seriously questions the competence of those responsible, be it senior officers and also elected representatives.
It says it all about Cheshire East Council !!!
In Management, words are words, actions are actions and result are everything!!!
We have a public sector in the UK where GDP (Gross Domestic Product has fall per employee since the COVID 19 pandemic.
The question what is being done about, They demand more money but deliver less for the tax payer.
Sadly it is the private sector which funds public sector finance via our taxation system.
Where will it all end ?
I don’s know, except you can not keep taxing the population into extinction..
We forget the tax take is at a level last seen in World War 2