Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge

The peer challenge team reviewed the evidence provided by the council, and data. The team also conducted interviews with council staff, member, senior officers, and partners. The peer challenge team’s overall assessment is that Wealden District Council is a well-run and good council that is performing well with some strong practice. There is a clear ambition to change across the organisation to meet new challenges and ambitions. 

In fact, the team found many examples of very good practice (Southern Water Advisory Group, new crematorium site, housing, wellbeing, and cost of living work). 

It was clear during the interviews that the Chief Executive and Corporate  Management Team (CMT) are widely respected. They are seen as approachable and supportive by staff at the organisation, by stakeholders and partners. 

The council has a strong financial base with healthy levels of revenue reserves. The council has no debt (excepting the Housing Revenue Account and housing company. At the time the peer team was on site the organisation had just delivered a balanced budget. The council has a good record on financial management and planning.

The peer challenge found  there is a strong culture of governance within the organisation but noted there are some areas for improvement. 

The peer challenge team noted the council strategy, which was recently developed and launched ably by the new member leadership, who are growing into their role. 

The peer challenge team considered the council’s performance on planning and noted that the Local Plan is progressing with Regulation 18 consultation early in the new political administration. The team also noted the council is not currently meeting the Housing Delivery Test and land supply requirement yet (AMR report and HDT reports 2023). The peer challenge team heard during interviews and saw evidence that work is underway on Planning, and the council  are making improvements. 

In interviews it was clear there is a strong desire for members to have a greater role in the direction of the council. The senior management team is  aware of this and working with the new administration to address this. 

The peer challenge team found the council staff are a real asset, dedicated and proud of their work, the organisation, and the place. People enjoying working at Wealden District Council and appreciate the flexibility they have and the opportunities for progression. There is a real desire to do right by residents and deliver. However, the peer challenge team is of the view that more engagement with residents and external stakeholders is required. 

There is more work to be done on communications and engagement internally. The  peer team is  of the view  there is a need to have conversations earlier and to have difficult conversations about approaches and the changes the council has in train. 

The peer challenge team reviewed evidence and considered responses in interviews and found the lower tiers of management need more consistent engagement and development. Accountability and ownership could also be developed further at lower tiers. 

The council needs to consider resources, capacity and how they align with new priorities to ensure the organisation is putting the right resources in the right places, focussed on core services, and key priorities. 

The peer challenge team is of the view that Overview and Scrutiny functions could be reviewed. The team noted a constitutional review is being considered which could present an opportunity to do this. 

The peer challenge team was impressed with the way the council is leading partnerships (Southern Water, joint waste, voluntary sector), and developing a working relationship with health.

There are a number of observations and suggestions within the main section of the report. The following are the peer team’s key recommendations to the council: 

• Consider ways to improve communication, engaging at an earlier stage with staff, members, residents, and stakeholders. Include more options and opportunities for exploration with stakeholders. 
• With a new digital strategy on the way, look at the current IT and software provision and ensure staff have the tools they need to increase efficiency, productivity, and engagement. 
• The council should consider how best to align resources and capacity to the new priorities, at every level of the organisation. 
• Build on the work that has started on Equalities, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Increase staff awareness and consider ways to embed EDI, such as: member champion, staff equalities group, recruitment, retention, service delivery, better use of data, staff, and stakeholder engagement. 
• Review Overview and Scrutiny, CAGS, and the Audit, Finance and Governance Committee to ensure the right issues are going to the right committee, at the right stage in the process (i.e., finance/budget going to O&S). Consider moving to evening meetings to improve accessibility for members and residents. 
• The council is starting to use a co-design approach. Consider using this approach internally more often, before rolling this out with external stakeholders and service users. 
• Create a more empowering and trusting culture within the organisation (with appropriate safeguards) so staff across all tiers can deliver and innovate more. 
• Consider fully incorporating the statutory roles of Monitoring Officer and S151 officer roles into CMT. Further improve governance by considering the dotted reporting line for Internal Audit. 
• Deepen and strengthen the developing relationship between senior management and the political leadership. Consider holding a  joint away day specifically on strategic issues. 
• Consider jointly creating an overarching long-term vision of place with key partners

The peer team 

Peer challenges are delivered by experienced elected member and officer peers. The make-up of the peer team reflected the focus of the peer challenge and peers were selected on the basis of their relevant expertise. The peers were: 

• Damian Roberts, Chief Executive, Surrey Heath Borough Council, Lead Peer/Chief Executive Peer 
• Cllr Dave Neighbour, Leader, Hart District Council, Lib Dem Member Peer,
• Cllr Natalie McVey, Malvern Hills District Council, Green Member Peer
• Katie Goodger, Regional Adviser LGA, Officer Peer
• Angela Kawa, Peer Challenge Manager and LGA Officer Peer

Scope and focus 

The peer team considered the following five themes which form the core components of all Corporate Peer Challenges. These areas are critical to councils’ performance and improvement. 

1. Local priorities and outcomes – Are the council’s priorities clear and informed by the local context? Is the council delivering effectively on its priorities?
2. Organisational and place leadership – Does the council provide effective local leadership? Are there good relationships with partner organisations and local communities? 
3. Governance and culture – Are there clear and robust governance arrangements? Is there a culture of challenge and scrutiny?
4. Financial planning and management – Does the council have a grip on its current financial position? Does the council have a strategy and a plan to address its financial challenges?
5. Capacity for improvement – Is the organisation able to support delivery of local priorities? Does the council have the capacity to improve?

The peer challenge process 

Peer challenges are improvement focused; it is important to stress that this was not an inspection. The process is not designed to provide an in-depth or technical assessment of plans and proposals. The peer team members used their experience and knowledge of local government to reflect on the information presented to them by people they met, things they saw and material that they read. 

The peer team prepared by reviewing a range of documents and information in order to ensure they were familiar with the council and the challenges it is facing. The team then spent three days onsite at Wealden District Council, during which they: 

• Gathered information and views from more than 36 meetings, in addition to further research and reading.
• Spoke to nearly 100 people including a range of council staff together with members and external stakeholders.

This report provides a summary of the peer team’s findings. In presenting feedback, they have done so as fellow local government officers and members. 

Local priorities and outcomes 

The peer challenge team reviewed reports and data and considered the council’s performance in interviews. The peer team found  the council has a strong record on service delivery in most areas with LG Inform benchmarking data confirming this. 

The peer team noted the council has strong partnerships and obtained grants to help underpin this. The peer challenge team heard repeatedly in interviews with external stakeholders that the council is collaborating well with partners to deliver schemes and services. The peer challenge team is  of the view there is an opportunity for the council to use its considerable strengths to play a bigger role in the wider partnership space beyond the boundaries of the Wealden district area. 

The peer challenge team considered data and reports on planning and housing supply. The team noted the council is currently in the buffer zone, with an 83% Housing Delivery Test (HDT) measurement and that the council has identified a 3.83year land supply rather than a 5-year land supply (Annual Monitoring Report and HDT report 2023). The council is not unusual in this regard as many other local authorities are also struggling to identify 5-year land supply. Nevertheless, the council needs to address this issue. The new local plan (Regulation 18) and other work that is underway will help the council to make progress in these areas. 

Planning appeals are an issue for the council and an area for improvement. The peer challenge team heard in interviews that work is ongoing in this area and the council has sought support from the sector in order to make further progress. 

The peer challenge team conducted interviews with senior management and Cabinet members and heard that following the change of administration, the council has identified new priorities such as: climate change, housing, cost of living, community engagement and given a higher priority to Equalities, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). 

The peer challenge team reviewed the council’s work on these new priorities and can see that the organisation is making progress in these areas, although there is still more work to be done to embed these priorities. 

The peer challenge team noted that delivery of a new Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan is underway with more resources put in place and staff appointed. This is an area  the council is developing further. During a site visit to new council homes, the peer challenge team noted some good work is being done by the housing team in this arena (for example on biodiversity, sustainability, retrofit, and renewable energy). 

The council is ambitious on climate change and some work is taking place, but the organisation now needs to move towards embedding this ambition and priority across the organisation. 

As noted earlier in this report, EDI is a higher priority for the council now. The peer challenge team heard about examples of EDI at the council that show some positive work is underway with the very recent recruitment of a new member of staff. The peer challenge team also noted  the council is refreshing the Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA) and a new strategy is being developed. The peer challenge team was pleased to hear during interviews that the wellbeing and housing teams are aware of EDI and factoring it into their service delivery. 

The peer challenge heard and saw particularly good examples of delivery by the council: the new crematorium, supported housing, cost of living work and initiatives delivered by the wellbeing team. The council could consider submitting these to the LGA as case studies.

The peer team is of the view that the good work being done by the council could be further enhanced with better utilisation of data, such as place based performance metrics. 

The peer challenge team found community engagement is improving. The team is of the view that stakeholders should be involved at an earlier stage. The council is moving to a co-design approach this will involve investment of time, resources, and capacity as this is an intensive process and the council has limited experience of this approach previously. 

Organisational and place leadership  

In interviews, it was clear  the council has a strong Corporate Management Team (CMT), some of whom have been with the organisation for a number of years. The Chief Executive is seen as supportive, approachable, and unflappable by staff and partners. 

It was also clear in interviews with staff, members, and partners that the Leader and Deputy Leader are respected and work well together. The peer challenge team found the Cabinet Members have grown into their roles and are taking their priorities as an alliance forward. 

The relationship between CMT and Cabinet is still developing following the change of administration and can be strengthened further. They are aware of this and have already taken some steps to strengthen the relationship. 

The peer challenge team heard from numerous people about the priorities established by the new administration. The peer challenge team noted there are several plans and strategies in development. In the team’s view, an overarching vision for the area will help to bring all this work, and the various strategies and plans, together. 

The peer challenge team heard repeatedly in interviews with partners that the council is a strong partner and takes a leadership role in this arena. The peer challenge team also noted  the council provides a supportive role to the neighbouring district councils. The team encourages the council to continue to provide that supportive role to neighbouring districts. 

The peer challenge team reviewed community engagement and found  this is a positive for the council but could be developed further particularly in terms of earlier engagement. 

The peer challenge team was  impressed by the staff at Wealden District Council – they are a strength of the organisation. In interviews staff spoke about the council as an organisation and they really appreciate the flexibility, training, development, and opportunities to progress. In general, the culture of the organisation is welcoming and supportive. 

However, there is a sense that cross-organisation working, and communication could be improved, so  the council has a more joined up and consistent approach. This would also allow more sharing of ideas, good practice, and successes. 

The council has started to use co-design. The peer challenge team encourages the council to consider more use of co-design internally, so the staff voice is more prominent in the formation of new policies, plans and values etc. This would also give the council opportunities to develop its co-design approach and give staff experience of co-design. 

Overall, the peer challenge team found there is a lot of good work going on across the organisation and examples of very good service delivery. The council should continue to develop a culture that empowers and trusts staff to contribute positively to the changes that are in train and to further the new key priorities. 

Governance and culture 

The peer challenge team reviewed the council’s governance. Overall, the team found the council has a strong commitment to good governance. 

The council has a good internal audit function, which is well utilised. The Independent Auditors report to members in the statement of accounts for 2022/23 raised no significant issues of concern. 

The peer challenge team noted  the council has a variety of shared service arrangements with other local authorities. Overall, these arrangements appear to work well for the council. 

The peer challenge team heard during interviews that the council has brought strategic projects together under a single director with an Assistant Head of Service (strategic projects) dedicated to this area. Considering feedback from interviews, the peer challenge team is  of the view that also introducing more support for projects, for example templates, guidance, and training would be helpful. 

The peer challenge team reviewed the senior management team structure and noted  the S151 officer (statutory senior finance officer), and Monitoring officer (statutory senior legal officer) are not fully incorporated into CMT. It should be noted that the Chief Executive meets with both these key officers in the corporate governance group. 

As stated elsewhere in this report, considering feedback during interviews, the peer challenge believes there is some work to be done so that there is more ownership, clarity, and accountability, at the lower tiers of management. 

The council should consider ways to empower staff to get things done and innovate more. This includes involving them in shaping new plans and policies at an earlier stage. 

The peer challenge team reviewed member development and support and found  good work is being done in this area. The creation of individual member development plans is a positive step and welcomed by members. 

The peer challenge team considered member oversight and engagement and heard feedback that there are some issues with member oversight and engagement being later in the decision-making process than members are comfortable with. The council should consider how these concerns can be addressed. 

The peer challenge team also considered the overview and scrutiny functions at the council and found  they could be working more effectively. In order to make the function more effective, the council could consider replacing CAGS with Task and Finish groups, look at what overview and scrutiny reviews and works on, and consider moving to evening meetings to improve accessibility for members and for members of the public that work, have children etc. 

The peer challenge team noted there is a potential conflict with the same person chairing Audit, Finance and Governance Committee and Sussex Weald Homes. Although the individual concerned is taking steps to manage the conflict, the council should consider changing the chairing arrangements in these areas. 

The peer challenge team reviewed the council approach to risk and risk management and noted a new risk management strategy and new risk systems are being introduced. Overall, the council’s risk management is appropriate, and the new strategies and systems should bring improvements. 

There is a caring and supportive culture within the organisation, and this was frequently stated in interviews with staff at all levels. However, silos are still an issue for the organisation. Therefore, the work on the new priorities and changes to the approach to internal communications and engagement may help to address this. 

Financial planning and management 

The peer challenge team reviewed the council’s budget reports, audit reports, LG Inform benchmarking data and concluded the council has a solid financial base. 

The team noted that a balanced budget had been passed by Full Council and the organisation is one of a small number of councils that has no debt (except for the Housing Revenue Account and its arm’s length company, Sussex Weald Homes). 

The peer challenge team reviewed reserves levels and found the council has a solid and growing level of capital and revenue reserves. The team was also pleased to note there are earmarked reserves aligned to new priorities demonstrating that the council has considered the need to earmark resources for these new priorities. 

The peer challenge team was surprised to hear that the council does not charge for the discretionary service of off-street car parking. This is highly unusual and means the significant and growing cost of maintenance of car parks needs to be met from Council Taxpayers through the council’s main budget without any income contribution from those using the car parks. 

The peer challenge team asked questions regarding audit functions at the organisation. The team found  the internal audit function is effective. The team reports to the S151 officer and ensures robust arrangements are in place for alternative reporting lines when needed. 

The budget monitoring and reporting systems were reviewed, and the peer challenge team believes the council should consider internal monthly budget monitoring going forward, particularly as new priorities areas have emerged. This will allow for better tracking of spends, underspends and progress in key areas. 

The peer challenge team considered the council’s capital budget and capital programme. The council has a significant capital programme, however, there have been few slippages in the programme and budget. The team is of the view that more could be done to align the capital budget to new priorities. 

The peer challenged team noted  the council has a star chamber approach for budget issues and the senior management is open to bids for more resource from staff. The council is fortunate to be in a relatively strong financial position where this is possible. 

Having reviewed the budget reports, council spending and priorities, the peer challenge team believes there are opportunities for the council to consider ways to make discretionary services more sustainable in the long-term. The organisation should factor in issues like maintenance costs. 

Capacity for improvement 

Overall, the peer challenge team found the council has a strong base to work from with a clear ambition to change and improve further. 

It was clear during interviews with staff and external stakeholders that the council has dedicated, willing, and capable staff who are a credit to the organisation. It should be noted, however. that in some parts of the organisation, junior staff are at capacity. This is a source of stress and concern for staff and something  the council should address. Aligning resources and capacity to new priorities and key services may help to address this problem by ensuring teams are not being asked to work on too many different things and not trying to do too much. 

The peer challenge team encourages the council to address staffing capacity and IT issues to unlock the next stage of growth. There are strong foundations for the organisation to build on but these issues regarding capacity and IT need to be addressed for that to happen and particularly for that to happen at pace. 

The peer challenge team was  impressed by the good partnership working the council has across sectors. It was clear in interviews with external stakeholders that this is a strength. The peer team also encourages the council to keep looking for opportunities and develop emerging partnerships further as this will help enable the council to deal with wider place priorities where a systems approach would be helpful (for example climate change). 

The peer challenge team heard several examples of good and excellent work which impressed them. The team encourages the council to celebrate success and share learning more widely. The organisation should look to encourage more good practice and innovation as part of its overall improvement agenda. 

As noted elsewhere in this report, there is more work to be done on data and data analysis. The council should consider using other data sets including those arising from the latest Census and relying less on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. 

The peer challenge team found there is a need to address issues around consistent engagement. The council should look to improve communications and engage with key stakeholders (internal and external) at an earlier stage. 

The peer challenge team is also of the view that there are opportunities for the council to engage, develop, and empower lower tiers of managers. The council could consider ways to do this as part of the broader work on capacity and resources. 

The peer challenge team is also of the view that improvements on EDI could assist the council with recruitment and further improve service delivery. 

Overall, the peer challenge team believes the council has a strong base from which to improve and in the words of one interviewee it “feels like the right time for a refresh, Wealden 2.0.”