Published: Wednesday, 20th December 2023
The council's recent Peer Challenge recognised and acknowledged the council's extra focus on financial and cost management, the strength of its partnership working, and the can-do attitude of staff.
The Peer Challenge team also acknowledged that the borough has much to shout about and is the envy of its neighbours.
The Peer Challenge was undertaken through the Local Government Association's sector-led improvement programme and was requested by the current administration when in opposition. In 3 ½ days the Peer Challenge Team gathered information and views from more than 55 meetings, read a range of documents and policies, and spoke to more than 160 people including staff, members, and external stakeholders.
The review found that the new administration has hit the ground running and is perceived by staff and external partners as a 'breath of fresh air'. Whilst understanding that the new corporate strategy had not yet been adopted, the review acknowledged that the council was in a 'good position to deliver for its residents and work to regenerate the borough, despite its financial challenges.'
Cllr Terry Parish, Leader of the Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk, said: "The purpose of a peer challenge is to get an external perspective on what's being done and to shine a spotlight not only on the excellent work of the council, its employees and members, but to find those areas where we could improve and better shape the organisation to meet the needs of our various communities."
"All in all, I welcome the report. It acknowledges our solid base, and the ambitions we have set out in our new corporate strategy and highlights this is an opportunity to reset the focus of the organisation. We will be developing a new annual plan which will demonstrate how we are delivering tangible outcomes for our residents and communities.”
The report made eight recommendations. Two about improving engagement with staff and engagement and consultation with residents in the development and delivery of services, two relate to taking stock and making the council fit for the future, two relate to the budget and aligning resources around services people want and need, and the final two were about evaluation of performance and scrutiny.
Lorraine Gore, Chief Executive, said: "The review has highlighted some key areas for improvement, many of which we were already working on, so it is useful to know that we are heading in the right direction. I am pleased that the team positively acknowledged that we have strengthened our corporate governance and brought our legal team in house. I was particularly pleased to see the exceptional efforts made by staff, to provide services people need, were acknowledged. I was also pleased to note that staff here are both ready for and willing to change the way we do things. A planned staff survey in the new year will provide further insight.
"We are planning to improve our engagement with staff and the public over the budget and the corporate strategy in the coming months.
"We acknowledge the areas we need to work on and are in the process of putting together an action plan, which will address all the recommendations and will be considered by Cabinet at their meeting on 5 March.”
In the meantime, the full peer review report can be read online at: https://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/peerchallenge