Audit Commission's findings on best value audit welcomed
12th May 2010
The Highland Council has welcomed the findings of an audit on the Council's performance of its statutory duties on best value and community planning, which concludes the council is improving well and is well placed to deliver future improvement.
The Commission found that the council benefits from strong political and managerial leadership. Changes to committee structures and managerial arrangements have allowed the leadership to improve over recent years, providing a clear vision for the Highlands.
It also found the Council is delivering good quality services that are responsive to local communities and that it has effective partnership arrangements. It acknowledged that satisfaction with the Council and its services is consistently high and improving. A culture of continuous improvement was found.
The Commission found sound arrangements in place to manage its resources, although it highlighted that improvement is needed in corporate asset management, workforce planning, and in demonstrating competitiveness in how it the Council delivers services in the current financial climate.
Convener Councillor Sandy Park: "The council welcomes the Audit Commission's findings into how well the Council fulfils its duty to provide Best Value from its resources and in working with other organisations and communities. This is a positive report which reflects well on Council staff. I am heartened to see the Council's efforts recognised independently. "
Leader of the Administration Councillor Michael Foxley noted the comments about the strong political and managerial leadership.
He said: "These very positive comments demonstrate the progress we are making as a council. This leadership requires to be sustained as we chart our way through some very challenging times ahead with severe budget cuts due to the banking failures. We know where we need to improve and will set out a plan for doing this when the Council considers the audit report in full at the Council meeting on Thursday 24 June."
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate. The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate.
Following the success of its Business Digital Grant scheme launched last year, The Highland Council is delighted to announce further funding. This is to help Highland companies access digital support alongside other business growth support.
The Highland Council is delighted to confirm a highly successful second year for Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights between Wick and Aberdeen. The period from April 2023 to March 2024 has seen a substantial increase in passenger numbers, with several months seeing over 1,000 passengers using the service, and overall the service has seen year on year growth of 25%.
Members of Highland Council, who met on Thursday 14 March 2024, approved a corporate Digital Ambition, which has been designed to deliver significant organisational change across Council services, recognising the current priorities within the organisation. The Strategy, which is embedded within the wider Council Delivery Plan, has been developed to focus attention and resources on areas of change which will deliver the greatest benefit to the Council.
The Council remains committed to supporting mentoring in our schools, including the support that is currently delivered through the MCR Pathways programme. Highland Council is currently undertaking a review of Employability Support provided by a number of different council services and how these relate to the work carried out by external partners and in our schools.
Highland Council members have considered and agreed a revised draft Highland Outcome Improvement Plan. The partnership plan has been reviewed and updated by the Community Planning Partnership.
Members at today's (14 March 2024) meeting of The Highland Council agreed the local authority's new draft Community Wealth Building Strategy. They were also asked to note that a period of public engagement on the draft will now begin, with a final strategy returning to full Council for consideration in September.
Plans to invest up to £60m new Capital in Highland roads and infrastructure have been approved by Members at the Council meeting on 14 March 2024. The decision will see an additional £40m Capital investment in roads and transport infrastructure.
