Council to discuss Accounts Commission's findings following progress report
MORAY Council is set to discuss the findings of the Accounts Commission’s Best Value Assurance Progress Report, published today (3 March 2022).
A special full council meeting has been scheduled for 15 March 2022, at which all councillors will have the opportunity to consider and discuss the findings agreed by the Accounts Commission, in its continued monitoring of the council following the Best Value Assurance Report published in August 2020. This meeting will be available to watch live via Moray Council’s webcasting service.
Ahead of the discussion at Full Council, Chief Executive of Moray Council, Roddy Burns, has broadly welcomed the findings.
“I’m pleased to see this latest report highlights that despite the “additional and sizeable pressure” placed on the council in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic we have made good progress, particularly around performance management, maintaining a focus on attainment, improving our housing services, and our financial position.
“Recognising fully the challenges which still need to be addressed, work continues on our major strategic challenges, and supporting elected members to provide strong and cohesive leadership so we can ensure we’re providing the best possible services for our residents. We’ll redouble our efforts to build on the momentum for change established through the pandemic – particularly for our improvement and modernisation programme which we’ve invested more than £5 million in to date.
“As a new council forms in May 2022, we’ll have an enhanced focus on elected member induction, training and development, to ensure our new councillors have the skills to demonstrate the collective leadership the Accounts Commission – and the people of Moray – expect to see.”
Leader of Moray Council, Cllr Graham Leadbitter, said: “We took seriously the recommendations of the Best Value Assurance Report in 2020 and set to work immediately with senior managers to remedy concerns. To have this recognition of progress, alongside a timeline of the strategic decision-making and milestones the council has achieved since August 2020 is reassuring.
“Councillors will further discuss the Commission’s progress report and consider the constructive findings.”