Independent review highlights progress made by Tameside Council

AN INDEPENDENT review of Tameside Council has praised the progress made in organisational development, partnership working, regeneration, and digital transformation.

The Local Government Association's (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge sees experienced councillors and officers from other local authorities take a fresh look at how the council is functioning.

The LGA team met with elected members, officers, partners and stakeholders in the summer, holding 36 meetings and speaking to 110 people.

They assessed the council against five areas: local priorities and outcomes; organisational and place leadership; governance and culture; financial planning and management; and capacity for improvement.

Their feedback report states:

• Despite the council experiencing a period of significant challenge and change, they found an organisation that’s made “meaningful progress in stabilising itself, developing greater self-awareness, and establishing stronger foundations and further plans for improvement”.
• They consistently heard praise for the leadership provided by the Leader and Chief Executive and how they’re “moving the organisation towards a more open, collaborative and accessible culture”.
• This leadership has helped create the conditions for improvement and has increased confidence within both the council and external partners.
• It highlighted praise from partners, staff and stakeholders on progress in organisational development, partnership working, regeneration, digital transformation and much more.
• The development of the Borough Strategy, the establishment of the Tameside Together Partnership, the introduction of Community Forums and renewed engagement with residents all demonstrate a council becoming increasingly outward facing.
• It highlighted the council's “significant ambitions” and “exciting opportunities” regarding regeneration, housing growth and place leadership.

The Peer Team is clear that there are still substantial challenges, in particular balancing a strong appetite for improvement with the realities of organisational capacity. Multiple significant priorities are progressing simultaneously, including Children’s Services improvement, Adult Social Care transformation, financial sustainability, transformation delivery, cultural development and partnership working.

The report makes 11 recommendations to support the council in strengthening its arrangements and maximising future opportunities on areas including prioritisation, the budget process and the transformation programme. These have informed the development of a comprehensive Action Plan that sets out clear actions, responsibilities, timescales and intended outcomes to ensure the findings are turned into measurable improvements.

Tameside Council Executive Leader Councillor Eleanor Wills said: “The Corporate Peer Challenge is a well-established and evidenced improvement and assurance procedure that provides robust, strategic, and credible support to local authorities.

“I’m delighted with the feedback, which highlights the progress we’ve made in transforming the council’s culture and our towns and supports our further plans for improvement.

“I’d like to thank the Peer Team for the diligence and thoroughness of their assessment and their recommendations, and everyone at Tameside Council and our partners for their support of the process and their work in our improvement journey. Our comprehensive Action Plan will now enable us to turn our ambitions into reality.”