Report highlights areas of good practice and areas of improvement
East Hampshire District Council is a 'well-run' council that can 'deliver on its priorities', according to an overwhelmingly positive report by local government experts.
The council welcomed a team of senior councillors and officers from other authorities to review its operations, interview staff and councillors, and determine what it is going well and what can be improved.
The report, published last week, hailed EHDC as 'strong and sustainable', with 'passionate staff, who are committed to the council and residents'.
The report follows further good news for EHDC which was recently shortlisted as Most Improved Council in a national award scheme for local government.
Cllr Richard Millard, EHDC Leader, said: “I am delighted with this glowing report which vindicates so much of the bold and difficult work we have undertaken over the last few years.
“Among many commendations, it praises the success of our transformation programme, which has saved money and re-shaped our services and it notes the excellent collaboration between councillors of all political parties.
“I was especially thrilled to see the praise for our dedicated and hard-working staff who it describes as 'motivated, passionate and focused on delivery'.
"Of course, we are not complacent and the report also correctly suggests areas for continuing improvement. An action plan is already in place to make sure these recommendations are met and exceeded as quickly as possible.”
The report is the end result of a process called a Corporate Peer Challenge. It saw a team of senior local government councillors and officers undertaking a comprehensive review of key finance, performance and governance information at the council.
The team spent three days with the council in January quizzing staff and councillors and robustly challenging the council’s way of working.
Their report picked out for praise the council’s recent move to new premises, its new leadership structure, bringing IT services in-house and updating systems and redesigning services.
It also highlighted innovative and efficient use of council buildings, such as repurposing a community centre for homeless pods in Whitehill & Bordon.
Among the recommendations for improvement cited the team suggested that the council could exert more of an influence on the wider community, it could report financial updates to councillors more regularly, and increase training for councillors.
