March 21, 2023
‘Considerable progress’ at Sandwell council, commissioners say
Signs of improvement are showing in Sandwell, a commissioner report said, as the council is understood to be making "considerable progress" in improving local government in the Black Country borough. Senior councillors at Sandwell council heard how, a year on from government commissioners entering the council after a damning report found long-standing governance issues, the same commissioners have praised the progress being made. In several reports discussed at the meeting, councillors noted how regular meetings between the commissioners, monitoring officer, financial officers, and chief whips have commenced. An employee recognition scheme - a first for the council - was also detailed. READ MORE: Two swimming centres in Sandwell to be demolished and sold on open market Commissioners also noted difficult decisions including the development of the former Brandhall golf course - subject to wide projects - a new SEND transport contract, and a changed Sandwell Leisure Trust contract were based on "clear evidence and with a transparency and reasoning which was previously lacking”. While the report praised the council for requesting follow-up visits from auditors and had a maturity that was "previously absent", several key improvement face "slippages in timescales". A report seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) notes items such as strategic business cases; performance management frameworks; and customer journey improvement plans, all face some form of delays. Kerrie Carmichael, the leader of Sandwell council, said during a cabinet meeting the council had an "honest assessment" of changes required to improve. "One year on we have made significant progress in delivery on our improvement plan. We have our permanent chief executive, Shokat Lal, which is another vital step driving forward with these improvements. We now we know there is more to do. "We know that we have to embed these improvements so that the changes we've made are sustained and we maintain that complete focus on delivering to our residents. Getting the right is key to the future of the success of this council." A report discussed at the cabinet meeting - titled 'Organisation Culture, Values and Behaviours' approved new values and behaviours for the council. Part of this includes new staff briefings, videos, branding, posters and screen savers. It comes after the council had reported decreases in staff wellbeing at the council, with only 62% of staff surveyed stating they felt a "strong sense of belonging to the council". Staff sickness absences, meanwhile, reached 9,454 in quarter one of 2022 compared to 6,612 for the same period last year. Councillor Bob Piper, the deputy leader of Sandwell council, said: "You can't change a culture you grow a culture. And I think that's very, very true. Culture can't be imposed from the top of an organisation if it does, it's probably the wrong culture anyway. "If you get a culture wrong, it can erode the confidence of an organisation it can involve the low confidence of a workforces who stifle creativity [...] We're already a different organisation to that that were over a year ago. And this is another step in the right direction that allows should allow us to move forward with confidence in the future." Kim Bromley-Derry CBE DL, the lead commissioner, concluded: “There is still a lot of challenging work to be done but we consider the council is on the right path to the sustainable improvements needed.” Have a story? Email rhi.storer@reachplc.com. Contact me by text, WhatsApp, or Signal using 07554 702 118. Get more stories by Rhi here . See our top stories and avoid ads by downloading our app to your phone or tablet Or get stories direct to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters here . READ NEXT: 540 student flats approved in city centre with updated design 'We feel intimidated': Bus drivers on why they are on strike Assistant police and crime commissioner receives complaint over 'toxic digital behaviour' Meeting about bus improvements cancelled after councillors delayed by public transport Fees lowered at 'inadequate' Hall Green prep school and it is 'making progress', Ofsted claims
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