Denbighshire Cabinet welcomes positive Panel Performance Assessment

In a meeting held on 18 February, Denbighshire’s Cabinet welcomed the encouraging feedback received in the Panel Performance Assessment report and recommended that Council approve the report when it meets on 20 February.

The assessment, the first to be carried out in Wales, was held in September 2024 when independent experts evaluated key areas of the Council’s performance, and the positive report was issued at the end of 2024.

It is a Welsh Government requirement that this evaluation is carried out every five years to gauge how the Council is meeting performance requirements. The Panel was led by an independent chair, two senior peers from other Welsh Local Authorities and two peers from the wider public, private, and voluntary sector.

The Panel conducted interviews with Cabinet Members, Councillors, staff and a range of partners and in its findings the report concluded that overall, given the current context of significant demand and financial pressures, Denbighshire is a well-run council with key areas of strengths and innovation.

Denbighshire’s Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets, Councillor Gwyneth Ellis said, “In the first instance, I’d like to thank the staff of the Council for the work they deliver day in day out to support the County – its residents and visitors. The positive report is a reflection of staff’s efforts and commitment to the people of Denbighshire.

“I’d like to thank the assessment panel for their thoroughness throughout and the Officers in the Council and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) who have worked in partnership to arrange the performance assessment.

“As a Council we welcomed the opportunity to participate and we have appreciated being given the chance to test ideas with impartial expert peers who can provide alternative perspectives. Having drawn up an action plan based on the recommendations, the Council will now work towards achieving these.”

Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, WLGA spokesperson for Data, Digital and Improvement said, “We commend Denbighshire County Council for being the first to undertake a Panel Performance Assessment in Wales. It’s encouraging to see the Council’s proactive approach to sector led improvement and I hope the insights and recommendations of the panel prove useful to the council in their ongoing efforts to meet the unprecedented challenges facing local government.

“The WLGA and its Improvement Programme, is firmly committed to supporting Councils across Wales in their ongoing improvement efforts and in delivering the best outcomes for their residents.”

The report concluded that overall, the Authority is well run and exercises its functions effectively and also acknowledges the challenges it has recently faced. It also said the Council has clear process in place to manage resources economically and efficiently and has navigated a decade of local government austerity well while protecting  front line services where possible.

It found there are positive working relationships between staff and members and recognition among staff of the Council’s ethos.  Staff also demonstrated a strong sense of pride in working for the Authority and showed a real commitment to making a difference to communities and a willingness to support Council staff from other service areas when needed.

The Panel noted areas of good practice and innovation, including a high degree of integration across social services and education; good engagement with staff and members; and the Member Area Groups whereby members and officers meet in designated wards across the County to discuss residents’ local priorities and local impact issues.

Cabinet has recommended the report to Council for approval to take forward a set of actions on key areas of improvement identified.  The full report can be found on the following link https://tinyurl.com/mr46f9k2