A plan to help Falkirk Council become more efficient and effective and better meet its obligations has been agreed at a special meeting of the Council held yesterday.
'Falkirk ‘22 Delivering Best Value' sets out the actions the organisation will take to embed new processes and ways of working and thinking that will fundamentally change - and improve - how it functions.
It will also help deliver on the nine recommendations made within the pages of the Best Value Assurance Report (BVAR) on the Council.
Officially published last month (January), the BVAR highlights both the progress made in delivering Best Value since the Council’s last audit in 2016 and the issues the organisation needs to urgently address.
Accountability
In a message to employees about the BVAR pre-Christmas, Chief Executive Kenneth Lawrie said he and his leadership team would take full responsibility for delivering the actions laid down in the Falkirk ‘22 plan.
To help make that happen, the plan has been split into seven themes that align to the nine recommendations in the BVAR.
Owners have been assigned to each theme:
- Leadership: Karen Algie, Head of People, Technology and Transformation
- Transformation: Malcolm Bennie, Director of Place
- Performance: Robert Naylor, Director of Children’s Services
- Capital: Malcolm Bennie, Director of Place
- Communities: Kenny Gillespie, Head of Housing and Communities
- Falkirk Community Trust: Kenneth Lawrie, Chief Executive (and Director to be appointed following the retirement of the Director of Corporate and Housing Services)
- Equalities: Patricia Cassidy, Chief Officer, Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership
The owners will be accountable for the delivery of a list of actions that relate to the theme they are responsible for.
Making it happen
Each action in the plan has been designed, following consultation with Elected Members and senior management, to have a positive impact on the way all council employees will work moving forward.
Already actions are starting to be delivered, with the plan due to be completed before the Accounts Commission undertake further Best Value work in late 2023.
Updates on progress will be made following the outcome of the budget and business plan Council meeting on 2 March.
What is the Accounts Commission?
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