Decision details

Purpose of report: An LGA Peer Challenge took place in February 2024. The LGA Peer Challenge set out to understand how the council operates, exploring the council’s leadership at place and organisational level, governance, culture, financial management and capacity to improve, with a focus on improving customer service and working closely with regional partners to best represent York’s interests.

The LGA report presented to Executive shares their recommendations about how the council can improve, the council’s strengths and areas of concern. In response to the LGA Peer Challenge, the council will share an action plan setting out the activities and projects that will support the council be best placed to address issues and consider opportunities.

Members will be asked to: Note the LGA Peer Challenge report and recommendations, and approve the council’s action plan in response to the LGA recommendations and consider next steps.

This item was deferred from the 18 April 2024 meeting due to amended timescale for receiving the final agreed Peer report.

Resolved:

                      i.         The Executive agreed to accept the LGA Peer Challenge recommendations:

Recommendation 1: Clarify a strong and consistent narrative that

drives the ability of the organisation to take advantage of the

opportunities available to York.

Recommendation 2: Be clear on the need to prioritise the

ambition of the new council plan to focus on key delivery.

Recommendation 3: Build on the clear leadership of the new

administration to develop a more mature corporate culture that

improves appropriate behaviours and relationships within the

organisation.

Recommendation 4: Consider how the corporate culture and

senior arrangements of the organisation can help shape and

deliver key priorities.

Recommendation 5: Consider how the Corporate Management

Team can establish a collective responsibility for the delivery of

key priorities and provide clear and consistent positive leadership

to the many hard working and dedicated staff.

Recommendation 6: Put in place a robust performance

management framework that recognises and rewards success and

has clear accountability for delivery.

Recommendation 7: Ensure improved staff engagement that

clearly communicates the shared aims ambitions and priorities of

the organisation and celebrates success.

Recommendation 8: Establish a well evidenced and robust single

version of the medium-term financial position that is collectively

owned and understood.

Recommendation 9: Improve the financial literacy of the

organisation, financial controls and financial grip that focuses on

the big picture.

Recommendation 10: Develop a clear plan to deliver savings that

includes a properly resourced strategic program for change with

sound business cases that flow through a strong and more robust

governance framework.

Recommendation 11: Ensure there are appropriate support

resources and structures to enable all members to undertake their

respective roles including training, early access to papers and

expanded access to information.

Recommendation 12: Develop a clear corporate strategy on how

City of York Council can better utilise the desire, capacity and

ability of partners to help the city improve and achieve its ambition.

Recommendation 13: Develop stronger, positive and strategic

corporate relationships with all partners. Ensure these are more

consistent across all partnership working utilising localised good

practice - (for example the work of the ICB, engagement with the

voluntary sector etc). Seek to replicate and embed these positive

examples across CYC to establish effective collaboration as being

the norm.

Recommendation 14: Properly understand the relationship with

the Combined Authority and its role in enabling CYC to deliver its

key priorities.

Recommendation 15: Implement an action plan to address these

recommendations with urgency and pace that moves from single

tactical interventions to a more strategic corporate approach.

Reason:     To improve the Council for residents and partner organisations.