LGA Corporate Peer Challenge: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) is a highly valued improvement and assurance tool that is delivered by the sector for the sector. It involves a team of senior local government councillors and officers undertaking a comprehensive review of key finance, performance and governance information and then spending four days at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council to provide robust, strategic, and credible challenge and support.

CPC forms a key part of the improvement and assurance framework for local government. It is underpinned by the principles of Sector-led Improvement (SLI) put in place by councils and the Local Government Association (LGA) to support continuous improvement and assurance across the sector. These state that local authorities are: Responsible for their own performance, Accountable locally not nationally and have a collective responsibility for the performance of the sector. 

CPC assists councils in meeting part of their Best Value duty, with the UK Government expecting all local authorities to have a CPC at least every five years. 

Peers remain at the heart of the peer challenge process and provide a ‘practitioner perspective’ and ‘critical friend’ challenge. 

This report outlines the key findings of the peer team and the recommendations that the council are required to action.   

Barnsley is a high performing council well regarded by its partners in the borough and the sub-region. The passion for and commitment to Barnsley is evident everywhere you look.

Senior political and organisation leadership is highly visible, highly praised and driving real change in Barnsley. 

Brilliant, bold and brave leadership has transformed the town centre and made it fit for now and the future. 

Creative and innovative approaches have been developed to transform public services, including Pathways to Work and Health on the High Street which are both national exemplars.

The council has changed and has a tangible ambition and passion for progress. 

The council is making impactful difference across the diverse parts of the borough.

Staff are hugely proud of the Council and love working here.

Members and officers are passionate about the people and place, including children and young people.

The council manages its finances well, it has robust financial management and a good understanding of its financial position and risks. 

The council needs to thoughtfully consider how this inspiring leadership is sustained in the future.

The approach that has got you to the high base you have may be somewhat different to what it takes for you to remain as high performing as you are and build yet further into the future.

The organisation may benefit from a period of active reflection whilst continuing to deliver on existing priorities, retaining its ambition and remaining opportunistic. 

Partnership working is widely seen as good but with a sense that it could be even better. Positively partners have an ambition to contribute more to delivery.

Barnsley is a valued and leading partner within SYMCA. Given the Council’s strong position and reputation it should actively consider how it could play an even stronger and more substantive role in the CA.

There are potential challenges around the organisational capacity and capability needed for the next phase of transformation. 

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:

3.1    Recommendation 1

Consider how to unlock the full contribution of partners to enable the delivery of future priorities. Most partners in the Borough are fully committed and want to play a more substantive role. The Council needs to consider how it enables this potential and particularly how it embeds a “co-production" ethos and shared delivery plan. There could be scope to do this as part of the work that is commencing on development of the 2040 vision.

3.2    Recommendation 2

Be clear about your asks of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and consider your contribution to shaping the effectiveness of SMYCA going forward. This is a pivotal moment for SYMCA. The Council has a key role to play in ensuring SYMCA is fit for purpose, and is focused on the right agenda moving forward. In addition it should consider where it could be the lead partner on behalf of the wider South Yorkshire sub region. A starting point for this could be through a clear articulation of immediate and longer-term priorities for Barnsley’s transport infrastructure.

3.3    Recommendation 3

Consider how the community empowerment approach can evolve to contribute to the public service reform agenda and ensure the borough maximises opportunities for external funding.  Opportunities for this could include the role of Area Councils and Ward Alliances in supporting multi-agency working with a focus on prevention and how this well embedded approach at a neighbourhood level can better support the 2030 vision.  

3.4    Recommendation 4

Consider a period of active reflection to specifically define future priorities and outcomes for Barnsley, to assure yourselves that you can maximise your role in the further success of the Borough. The Council has achieved so much. However the organisation has expended much energy to achieve this and it needs to ensure it supports the workforce to do this more sustainably. Critically this means genuine and real prioritisation. A key part of this reflection would include reflecting with partners and internally on the benefits realised and lessons learnt from key projects and programmes. This reflection should help inform the development of the vision beyond 2030 and future partnership working and how partners including the SYMCA can support you in realising your future vision for Barnsley.

3.5    Recommendation 5

Develop a sharper definition of ‘Enabling Barnsley’ and your next phase of transformation and appropriately align corporate resources and capacity to deliver this underpinned by a joined up and collaborative approach across services. The culture of Enabling Barnsley is self-evident. However, the understanding of it is variable especially for new employees. A refreshed clear definition would be helpful. In particular determine what needs to be different to enable a brave, bold and innovative culture and mindset across the organisation and an organisational development plan that addresses the gaps.

3.6    Recommendation 6

Develop clearer place and inward investment brand identities and a consistent place narrative for the Borough, underpinned by a clear and co-ordinated approach to delivery. This would give sharper definition to selling the many positives of Barnsley balancing the narrative around history and heritage with the positive impact of recent investment. Development of the respective brands needs to give consideration to the different audiences the Council needs to reach and the outcomes it wants to achieve, as well as making sure this resonates strongly with staff, residents and partners who are already great ambassadors for Barnsley and who therefore importantly must be able to buy into any new place narrative and brand. The Council needs to consider if it has the in-house expertise to develop this, and also to ensure that its well-resourced and well-respected communications team has a clear strategic role here. There also needs to be a clear, resourced and targeted “investor engagement” plan, focused on the Borough’s future economic opportunities.

3.7    Recommendation 7

Given stable and strong leadership has been a fundamental success factor for you, consider how you sustain this into the future. Strong political and officer leadership has created stability and a confidence to be brave and innovative, maintaining this stability is key. The Council may want to consider looking forward how they will tangibly do this including the merits of moving to all out elections. A consideration within this is whether there is a case for moving to all out elections beyond 2026 as a means of enhancing stability. There is also an opportunity to link future leadership considerations to the work on the emerging vision and programme for Enabling Barnsley, by defining the behaviours and values needed into the future to continue to ensure strong and effective leadership. This would then be underpinned by clear leadership development for officers within the council and a well-planned programme of support and development developed with, and offered to, elected members would then underpin.

3.8    Recommendation 8

Develop your ambitions around more effectively turning data into insight, through a clear data strategy and focus on this within the next phase of your transformation. Within this consider how to develop internal skills and expertise around the effective use of data and review existing staffing structures so that data roles and responsibilities are better aligned.

3.9    Recommendation 9

Consider a more regular and comprehensive approach to capturing the views of residents across the Borough including the voice of children and young people particularly at a neighbourhood level. You have an active Youth Council with young people who are great ambassadors for the town. However the group is not wholly representative of all Barnsley’s principal towns and consideration should be given to ensuring that there is wider representation.

4.1    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 by the LGA on the basis of their relevant expertise. The peers were:

• Lead Peer: Tim Johnson (Chief Executive, City of Wolverhampton Council)
• Member Peers: Cllr. Eamonn O’Brien (Leader, Bury Council) Cllr. Mike Ross (Leader, Kingston upon Hull City Council)
• Senior Officer Peer: Miranda Cannon  (Executive Director of Resources and Transformation, Salford City Council)
• Senior Officer Peer: Polly Cziok (Executive Director for Innovation and Change, London Borough of Merton)
• Senior Officer Peer: Caroline Wolfenden (Director of Change and Delivery at Chorley Council and South Ribble Borough Councils)
• Peer Challenge Manager: Ernest Opuni (LGA Senior Regional Advisor)

4.2    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? Is there an organisational-wide approach to continuous improvement, with frequent monitoring, reporting on and updating of performance and improvement plans?
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? What is the relative financial resilience of the council like?
5.    Capacity for improvement - Is the organisation able to bring about the improvements it needs, including delivering on locally identified priorities? Does the council have the capacity to improve?

As part of the five core elements outlined above, every Corporate Peer Challenge includes a strong focus on financial sustainability, performance, governance, and assurance.

The team also considered the following areas of focus as requested by the council:

1. Review how well BMBC has embedded the culture of Enabling Barnsley that has led to its success: How clearly does Enabling Barnsley drive the efforts and focus of all members and officers at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (BMBC)? How sustainable are the values of Enabling Barnsley going forward? What are the risks BMBC needs to be aware of in ensuring that the culture of ambition, bravery and determination is sustained?
2. Review what the council has done to change the image of Barnsley as a place externally, reflecting its new economic success: How can BMBC ensure that Barnsley’s image is widely recognised and clearly identified as ‘the place of possibilities’? How well is Barnsley articulating and proactively communicating this message external to the Borough? What can BMBC do better to promote the borough as ‘the place of possibilities’?

4.3    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 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. This included a position statement prepared by the council in advance of the peer team’s time on site. This provided a clear steer to the peer team on the local context at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and what the peer team should focus on. It also included a comprehensive LGA Finance briefing (prepared using public reports from the council’s website) and a LGA performance report outlining benchmarking data for the council across a range of metrics. The latter was produced using the LGA’s local area benchmarking tool called LG Inform.

5.1    Local priorities and outcomes

The council demonstrates some strong areas of focus such as promoting great childhood ambitions and tackling economic inactivity. There is very strong political and corporate support for children’s services as part of the council’s Great Childhoods Ambition. The council is driving positive change in relation to this priority and this work is underpinned by clear plans and investment. The positive focus on children and young people has a strong emphasis on tackling economic inactivity and championing improved employment prospects. There is emerging evidence of positive outputs with an ambition for these to translate into measurable longer-term impact. The Pathways to Work initiative is potentially game-changing for not only Barnsley but also South Yorkshire more widely as a key sub-regional initiative.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council can provide strong evidence of some brave, bold and creative approaches, such as Health on the High Street and Pathways to Work. This work is utilising strong and valued partnerships which are realising tangible outcomes and improvements. The priority the council accords to achieving positive public health impact and outcomes for all of the borough’s communities is demonstrated in how the council seeks to embed the theme across all services. Public Health teams are based in all directorates and are working on key portfolios to support positive delivery against wider community determinants.  

It is clear that when the council gets behind an initiative, it has a track record of making them happen by committing the investment required to delivery. Examples of this include Children’s Social Care improvement, the Adult Social Care Better Lives Programme, the development of infrastructure programmes such as the delivery of Glassworks, the delivery of a new Youth Zone, and the council’s rebuilding of all the borough’s secondary schools. Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is clearly wanting to deliver for all of its residents and does so in the context of the clearly articulated and high-profile Barnsley 2030 vision.

The council is empowering communities and supporting them to make changes to their local area based on what matters to them. Delivery priorities are rooted in a clear understanding of the constituent parts which make up Barnsley the borough as a whole. The council can point to numerous examples of its work, undertaken in tandem with partners, to tackle deprivation and health inequalities whilst seeking to raise educational attainment. Barnsley has very clearly also demonstrated a commercially astute approach to ensuring the future viability of the borough’s town centre ambitions.

There is a very clear desire at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council to focus on delivery and to be action-focused in all the council does. It is undeniably a key attribute of the council which has enabled it to drive forward with purpose and ambition in its desire for progress and continuous improvement. A recent example is the response to community tensions and actions that were quickly taken in response. However, this can also mean that the outcomes and benefits of activity are not always as well-defined as they might be, nor the fullest benefits identified and realised. There can be a focus on the ‘next’ initiative which does not always allow the space and time to concentrate on understanding and sustaining the effect of what has gone before. This can lead to a reduced emphasis on ensuring existing projects are delivering fully on the outcomes sought.

There was a recurrent view shared with the peer challenge team in a number of meetings that the council sometimes tries to ‘do everything’ and that it could be better at prioritising. It was communicated to the team that it sometimes feels like ‘there are a lot of strategies’ which do not always seem joined up. It is not always clear how closely aligned some of the activity undertaken is to the council plan or whether the strategies are underpinned by action plans to properly track progress and measure impact. The peer challenge team would encourage the council to balance its desire and drive for action with a greater consideration on measuring and understanding outcomes of what is delivered. To this end the team would encourage the council to take some time for ‘active reflection’ which is in no way intended to suggest a pause or halt in delivery terms.

There is a genuine commitment at the council to undertake effective consultation and engagement with the borough’s various communities wherever possible. However, the way in which this is undertaken across the organisation can be inconsistent as a result of there not being a clearly defined corporate resource with an agreed approach and sufficient oversight.  Area Councils and Ward Alliances are a valued part of the system, but the team wondered whether they might have a stronger role in wider Public Service Reform such as a more clearly defined focus on early intervention and prevention at a locality level. The peer challenge team would pose to the council the question as to whether resident engagement might be further strengthened with meaningful surveys, citizens panels, and a greater sharing of insights more generally. There would be some benefit in the council assuring itself that it is maximising the maximum possible impact available to Barnsley in this regard.

There is scope for a clearer understanding and definition of the priorities of the borough in relation to wider regional working through the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYCMA). The team were informed that there is a noticeably better relationship and engagement with SYMCA than was previously the case. That said, it is not always clear what priorities are shared jointly between the council and the Combined Authority in some key areas such as strategic transport. There would be value in the council considering further whether it is utilising the full potential of partners in delivery. There would be value in developing a clearer articulation of ambition around transport infrastructure as this is one area of the council’s aspirations which could benefit from this. This could assist the council in more clearly identifying its future transport needs whilst also ensuring it has a sharper strategy in how it seeks to influence SYMCA.

Barnsley Council’s approach to partnership working is already a strength but could be an even greater asset if the organisation makes more conscious effort to co-produce and jointly design activity and initiatives with its partners in all of its collaboration. For example, the impressive Pathways to Work initiative could be even more impactful if there was greater emphasis on co-design with employers. There would be some benefit in also ensuring that the progress of delivery does not become hampered by becoming overly bureaucratic for example. Community organisations have also indicated that they do not always feel as though they are fully valued or equal partners. This sometimes leads to a view that collaboration with the council can feel like an experience of being ‘done to’ rather than being fully enabled to contribute as extensively as might otherwise be possible. 

There is scope for an already very strong delivery on social housing provision to be even more greatly enhanced. There would be value in the council seeking to secure greater join-up with the provider Berneslai Homes on some elements such as tenant engagement. Berneslai Homes is an organisation responsible for managing around 18,000 homes on behalf of Barnsley Council. This could positively impact on them jointly contributing to improving health and employment outcomes for these residents.

5.1.1    Performance

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is clearly a high performing council; the first council to be both Local  Government Chronicle (LGC) and Municipal Journal (MJ) ‘Council of the Year’ in the same year (2023). The council’s Adult Education Service is rated as Outstanding whilst the Children’s Services has been rated Good by Ofsted.

In relation to Adult Social care, Barnsley is in the top ten nationally against the key metrics of ‘Social care-related quality of life score’ and ‘Proportion of people who use services who have control over their daily lives’. For ‘Overall satisfaction of people who use services with their care and support’ Barnsley ranks in the top 2 nationally.

Barnsley is also the first local authority to receive the highest C1 grading following recent inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).  
Grant Thornton have issued unqualified opinions on the accounts up to 2022/23 and also found no significant weaknesses in the council’s value for money arrangements in 2022/23.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Compares favourably to its CIPFA neighbours against the vast majority of LG Inform Metrics in areas such as: 

•    Reserves as a percentage of Net Revenue Expenditure
•    Council tax collected as a percentage of council tax due (2023/24)
•    Non-domestic rates collected as percentage non-domestic rates due (2023/24)

5.2    Organisational and place leadership

The Leader of the council has provided inspirational leadership for the borough and this is widely recognised not only locally but also regionally and nationally. He is highlighted as a great asset for both the council as an organisation and Barnsley as a place. He leads a council which is regarded as a brave and supportive partner that is also pragmatic and transparent.

In the context of the political leadership beyond the leader himself, it was reflected to the team that the council benefits from strong and collective leadership by the council’s cabinet. The description shared was of an ‘intensity of leadership’ delivered by a group of political leaders with a clear strategic focus who present as being cohesive and who work well together as a team.

In terms of the joint leadership of the council by members and officers, both the Leader and the Chief Executive of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council are widely recognised as providing strong joint leadership and they are regarded as being well-connected and influential. This highly regarded view of their effective joint leadership is one the team was made very aware of both internally to the council as well as externally among partners. A clear message is that the Chief Executive has shaped a positive, supportive organisational culture which underpins much of the council’s success to date.

The stability of political and officer leadership at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is regarded widely as being a key strength of the organisation. The joint commitment to corporate strategy and shared objectives is exemplified by the way both political leaders and senior managers got behind and supported Children’s Services following a very illuminating review. Both sections of the leadership swiftly and completely took on board the findings from the assessment of a new Director of Children’s Services which flagged up some challenges which not been previously identified by the council. There was very little hesitation in the identification and agreement of the additional investment of resources required to address and rectify challenges and risks to the service’s performance. This corporate approach involved the identification of savings from other parts of the council being redirected to support the improvement required by the service and the development of a financial sustainability plan for the service.

The work Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council has done in redeveloping  Barnsley’s town centre is an exemplar of excellence. It has engendered well-deserved internal and external confidence in the council’s ability to deliver successfully on major capital projects. The success of the Barnsley Town Centre regeneration programme is evidenced in the 98 percent let, or in legals status, of occupancy at the transformed Glassworks. Another key indicator of success is the Indoor market occupancy being at 96 percent capacity along with the resultant 23.5 percent increase in town centre footfall from 2022/23 to 2023/24. This impactful example of a successful place regeneration scheme is a tribute to the courage of the council in maintaining the momentum of this work even through the uncertain period of dealing with the Covid 19 pandemic. There is a clear opportunity to reflect this in refreshed place and inward investment brands.

The Health on the High Street initiative is another example of partnership working to promote preventative public health solutions. At the same time, it is having a positive economic impact with average increase of £17 per head spend being generated from the increased footfall.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council recognises the importance of strong partnerships and is increasingly using them to effectively deliver for local people.  Senior leaders at the council engage positively with partners and the authority is viewed as a skilled and highly respected convenor of partnerships. The strong and longstanding Barnsley 2030 partnership means the borough is ready and capable to bid for regional funding and other resource opportunities. The Barnsley 2030 Partnership is valued by all organisations who are part of this and the Inclusive Economic Board which is a key structure within the partnership governance arrangements. The council is regarded as a really supportive and responsive partner.

Berneslai Homes is a good operational partner in regard to collaboration with police, and children’s social care whilst also being proactive and responsive in helping to tackle issues relating to anti-social behaviour (ASB). For example, there is good support and joint working with Berneslai Homes to support children’s social care around vacancies for those reaching the age of 18.

All the borough’s secondary schools except one are academies. There are challenges associated with this governance and structure but relationships are developing and positive shifts are being made in terms of improved educational provision in Barnsley. The council is genuinely committed to involving young people and the local Youth Council is well-engaged and provides a valuable sounding board for the council in connecting with young people. The Youth Council is able to influence and support change and the young people on it are proud ambassadors of the borough and a real asset to Barnsley. It is part of the evidence that Barnsley understands and is delivering on its responsibilities to future generations of Barnsley. The investment in the new Youth Zone and the National Academy for Vocal Excellence (NAVE) are notable examples of high quality delivery.

The SEAM Digital campus provides evidence of Barnsley looking to the future, seeking to upskill its future workforce whilst embracing modern digital opportunities for growth. The team did have some questions about the options for Higher Education provision in Barnsley and whether the lack of this a constraint to future ambition. There may be value in this being considered as part of any future work.

As is the case with all organisations – even those delivering to an excellent standard- there remains scope for further continuous improvement. 
There is evidence of distributive leadership across the council but there is always a need to be mindful of corporate connectivity for example some partners identified the council as most effective in responding to issues where there is alignment to established services and structures but less so where themes cut across. There may be value in more work being undertaken to ensure stronger and closer working between the Heads of Service and BLT levels in connecting more effectively and seamlessly with the council’s SMT level. Wider cohort meetings involving all of these levels coming together in a more structured fashion may have some value.

Partnerships are seen as generally good and valued but some partners feel they have the potential to be even better. There may be scope to ensure the Inclusive Economy Board is fully fit for purpose in terms of its size, membership and the wider shared leadership which could better utilise stronger input from organisations around the table other than the council.  

As mentioned previously some community organisations sometimes feel more like a resource than an equal partner. There would be value in the council engaging with some of these organisations to reset and rebalance partnership arrangements in which there is a perception among some community partners that the council ‘takes over’ and takes ‘too much credit’ for community group success. The peer challenge team found evidence of a patchy approach to developing and growing some of the key grass roots organisations into stronger borough-wide organisations; consideration of this as part of any reset would be of value. As also mentioned previously there is scope to review and refresh the role of Area Councils and Ward Alliances and consider their role in the context of wider public service reform.

Children and young people are listened to and heard at certain key levels as previously referenced however there remains scope to further strengthen and embed this particularly at a more localised neighbourhood level.  For example, there does not appear to be as great a level of representation of younger people on Ward Alliances and there may be value in exploring how these might better engage children and young people.

Funding for Barnsley CVS includes contributions from the local NHS as well as the council. Whilst there are some high-profile VCS organisations and smaller community groups in Barnsley, there is a view that there are not enough medium-sized voluntary sector organisations to further enhance the capacity and delivery by the third sector. The appointment of a new CVS Chief Executive Officer presents an opportunity to work together in building some of the requisite additional community capacity which would be welcomed by the sector.

Ward Alliances receive funding for initiatives which may facilitate them playing a more prominent role in better helping and sustaining ongoing community groups and activity.

The council is viewed as ambitious and is seen as a positive place leader. However, there is also a perception of a tendency to ‘jump from one thing to the next’ in responding to new ideas and initiatives emerging from the laudable ambition of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council to never rest on its laurels. There was a consistent view of the scope and importance of the council better using data as part of a more strategic approach to delivering new initiatives recognising that officer and financial capacity could be a challenge in delivering on any next phases of borough ambition.

The relationship with SYMCA needs to evolve and improve. The peer challenge team would encourage the council to consider specific strategy and clearer focus for how the council will engage in this sub-regional and wider regional arena. At the time of the peer challenge there seemed to be a lack of clarity and consistency relating to what the borough’s ‘asks’ of SYMCA should be. There was also not yet a consistent approach to maximising Barnsley’s influence in the wider strategic direction of SYMCA. This relationship warrants further significant attention at a time when the future shape of local government will be heavily shaped by the wider devolution agenda of central government.  

5.3    Governance and culture

There are very positive member and officer relationships at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and these are underpinned by appropriate behaviours and standards. There was no evidence of any behaviour and standards having raised  issues in the past or the prospect of this happening in the future
The council has been prepared to make changes to strengthen key governance and assurance functions. Scrutiny arrangements are well regarded and viewed as being. effective as evidenced by the Audit and Governance Committee which embraces and accepts a high level of challenge from independent members.

External Auditors are positive about the Council’s effective financial management and good level of performance. Barnsley Council is definitely viewed as being a more modern organisation having gone through a number of efficiency programmes. The council is performing well in terms of delivery of both statutory and other non-statutory services and is doing so in spite of the reduction of resources experienced by all councils. The legal service has seen significant increase in permanent staffing levels to address the previously significant reliance on locums, plus an improvement in the service’s budget position from a significant overspend. The service has also introduced a focus on developing their own with trainee roles being used for the first time.

Organisational values are well embedded and understood. There is a genuine focus by the council in ‘growing its own’ and developing staff. This has not precluded the council from recognising the need for bringing in ‘fresh eyes’ meaning it is open to new ideas and outlooks. As mentioned previously the improvement programme relating to Children’s Services is an example of the council’s dynamism and responsiveness to new input.  

Barnsley Council is blessed with staff who willingly give over and above out of  goodwill because of how much they care about Barnsley and its aspirations and ambitions. Managers are empowered to lead effectively in this space. However, and not unlike many other councils, there is a possible over-reliance on the goodwill of staff meaning it is important that the council keeps all pertinent considerations under review to avoid inadvertently compromising the wellbeing of staff.

The peer challenge team encountered a perception from some of those with whom they met that there is a lack of a consistent cross-cutting corporate approach across some of the council’s delivery. It is equally clear that Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is starting to work better in relation to cross-organisational themes and challenges, but scope remains for this to be further strengthened and embedded as a way of the council making this a core part of its ‘business as usual’ going forward.

There is a view shared with the team that inconsistency in how projects are managed could mean that the ability to embed the benefits of learning are not always realised. A means of addressing this could be to strengthen the governance and expectation on projects to have clear business cases and tighter measures of success before they commence.

The peer challenge team would encourage the council to consider the effectiveness of scrutiny arrangements particularly in relation to pre-decision scrutiny. There seem to be some arrangements which are quite complex led by a particularly large Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 34 councillors, and there would be value in the council assuring itself that these arrangements are enabling member participation and effective scrutiny. There would also be value in further clarification of the role of Cabinet Support Members in relation to scrutiny.

Member development needs more of a consideration ahead of the scheduled 2026 all-out council elections. This ought to be a priority ahead of the elections especially if a shift in councillor demographics were to occur.

The council is encouraged by the team to keep the frequency of political meetings under review with a particular consideration of the resource implications of current arrangements. The meetings schedule and their frequency could be explored (for example cabinet meeting twice a month)
Political stability is a key strength of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The team would suggest that there is value in the council considering the case for moving to a permanent schedule of all-out elections after 2026 as a means of enhancing this stability. It would be worth the council reflecting on how and whether this might contribute to future political and managerial stability and long-term decision making.

The corporate approach to policy management appears to warrant some review and further consideration to ensure all policies are being kept up-to-date and are easily accessible. There does not appear to be a centrally coordinated policy function. There may be value in the consideration of a policy network across the organisation to better coordinate this key work.

5.4    Financial planning and management

The LGA pre-peer challenge finance briefing note to the team brings together information on financial performance, budget setting, strategic financial planning and governance to inform the work of the peer challenge team. It was based on a desktop review of the Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council’s financial monitoring and outturn reports, budget setting and financial planning documents, statement of accounts, annual governance statement, external audit findings and other relevant reports. It was shared with the council ahead of the team arriving on site. The main findings from the LGA financial briefing were as follows:

• At the 31^st of March 2023, General Fund (GF) revenue reserves were the highest as a proportion of net revenue expenditure amongst all metropolitan district councils.
• GF revenue reserves at 31^st March 2024 were well above the pre-Covid level.
• The council overspent its GF budget in both 2022/23 and 2023/24, mainly due to overspends in children’s services, and was forecasting an overspend in 2024/25 at Quarter 1 albeit at a much lower level than in 2023/24.
• Efficiency savings planned to be delivered through the council’s transformation programme were sufficient to bridge the budget gap for 2025/26 and 2026/27 forecast at the time the 2024/25 budget was set.
• The council entered a Safety Valve Agreement (SVA) with the Department of Education (DfE) in 2022 and since then in-year deficits in the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) have reduced, albeit not as fast as set out in the SVA.
• The council has a reasonable level of reserves in the HRA and has spent broadly within budget in recent years.
• There has been slippage in the capital programme in recent years but this was lower in 2023/24 than previous years.
• The council does not add new schemes to the capital programme unless they are within existing funding approvals or can be funded from external capital funding opportunities.
• The council has high levels of borrowing relative to other metropolitan district councils, partly as a result of its investment in the Glass Works development which was completed in 2021.
• The council has low levels of exposure to increased interest rates because most of its borrowing is at long term fixed rates and because of low level of borrowing required to fund new schemes.
• The council has limited exposure to risk through interests in companies or commercial investments, other than its investment in the Glass Works.
• Grant Thornton (GT) have issued unqualified opinions on the accounts up to 2022/23  and also found no significant weaknesses in the council’s value for money arrangements in 2022/23.
• The council’s Annual Governance Statement (AGS) sets out clearly the governance arrangements together with action plans, progress on which are reported regularly to Audit and Governance Committee (AGC).
• The internal auditor provided ‘reasonable’ assurance for 2023/24 based on internal audit activity in 2023/24 and reported a reduced number of ‘limited’ assurance opinions on individual audits compared to previous years.

The peer challenge team felt that the council’s financial position is widely understood and that there is strong political oversight and engagement in the budget planning process, with Leader and Cabinet clear about budget challenges, and a budget  development process which included scenario planning and RAG rated options appraisals. This means the MTFS assumptions are well understood allowing the Leader and the Cabinet to be clear about any budget challenges at any point in time. They have proved in the past that they will make tough decisions if required and will not resile from so doing in future. 

There is a clear understanding of areas of overspend and demand pressures, with a prudent approach to maintaining reserves at a healthy level. There is a recognition that there is a tough financial outlook for all councils but this is against a backdrop in which levels of reserves at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council remain healthy at present. There is a transformation programme and a specific list of ‘difficult decisions’ which can be considered as a means of closing any future financial gap.

A robust approach to financial management is reflected in Audit opinions, which have raised no major concerns whilst any minor recommendations have been already been actioned.

A strategic approach to borrowing and treasury management such as the financing of the Glassworks debt was delivered without reliance on the income stream to fund this. Debt is used sparingly, and the council is very careful about borrowing and avoids this exposure wherever possible. Strong financial management processes are embedded within the council’s budget management practice.  

There is good rigour and governance around capital projects, with risks discussed at capital boards. There is also a good understanding of risk and a continuously improving approach to risk-management practice. Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council’s prominent role within SIGOMA is a benefit for the council in terms of early insight on government policy and being sighted on emerging agendas and national priorities.

Finance is treated and deployed as an enabler and the council can point to success in bringing in external funding to support the ambitions of the council. 
There is evidence of a list of measures to close the future financial gap built on a clear understanding of any overspend with dedicated arrangements to address.

In terms of areas the team would encourage the council to consider:

• There is a need to consider a more collaborative approach to HRA management with Berneslai Homes.
• There are tight controls over capital programme and treasury management. This represents a prudent approach but could potentially limit future growth – it is worth the council assessing the balance it needs to strike in ensuring it continues to be as ambitious in the future as it has been in the past.
• There is spending on third parties to support transformation including digital as there is a skills gap and lack of resources in core services. It was not clear to the team as to how sustainable this is and we would encourage the council to review current arrangements and capacity.
• There seems to be a lack of clear evidence that the focus on digital is leading to easily identifiable financial or other defined benefits. This is worthy of further consideration.
• Continue to ensure there is sufficient corporate oversight of delegated financial management. Data on activity and demand is not always sufficiently developed or comprehensive to support effective financial management (e.g. for example Section 17 spend in Children’s Social Services).

5.5    Capacity for improvement

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is open to change. This is demonstrated by its creativity, ambition and willingness to explore new ways of working.

The council is quick in addressing problems and learning from experience. There is a strong and cohesive senior leadership with the capability to drive future change under the dynamic leadership of the council’s Chief Executive who sets high standards.

The council is keen and ambitious to exploit the potential of technology. It benefits from having a stable, capable and experienced finance team who have a good awareness of the financial capacity the council can commit to ongoing improvement in this space. As mentioned previously the council benefits from robust and effective financial management.

Some of the corporate teams such as Communications and Business Intelligence are well-resourced. The Legal services have managed to recruit permanent capacity to address a previous significant reliance on locums. The council has also achieved a significant reduction in sickness absence rates over the last 2 years through a sustained focus on this across the organisation and with managers.

There is some evidence of a lack of corporate capacity for transformation. As a result, service-based transformation could potentially be impacted by  a lack of a cross-cutting approach and join up across different services. The team would encourage a review of this to put in place a transformation programme with a clearer approach to allow a better understanding and utilisation of wider, cross-cutting opportunities.

The council would find value in focusing on ensuring it has the change capacity to deliver on the digital ambitions and use the tools and technology to their full potential. Part of this would involve considering a reduction in reliance on external partners. An starting out with a clear business case and objectives for digital transformation that all teams can buy into and support.

The Council has a reduced core corporate capacity. There is a challenge in relation to data analysis capacity which has created a significant gap in terms of meeting demand from services for support. The council would be encouraged by the team to consider its appetite to rebuild and the invest in capacity it can deploy against this.

That said there is still significant corporate capacity in some areas that could be better allocated or differently focused. The corporate centre in some places seems well-resourced but this resource is not always as well-allocated as it might be. For example, the communications function has received investment but there remains a reliance on some external providers for some of the functions that this team might realistically be expected to deliver (for example in relation to public relations activity).

Some staff are stretched, and this has been also recognised by some of the council’s  external partners. An example of this is in the community development capacity and ability to support Ward Alliances and local community groups. There is some concern within the council that there is a potential risk of being over-stretched and there would be value in some further consideration of this concern by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council.

Digital, self-serve offer for customers is underdeveloped leading to high call volumes. The team wondered whether this was a sign of reluctance to push contact online and develop improved self-serve systems. Berneslai Homes have for example no digital self-service offer. There is focus in some areas of raising self-serve for example in HR, communications and in digital but this does not always have enough support to help embed this well. Bearing in mind the council’s stated ambition to encourage  residents to be more digitally enabled and focused, there is work to do to fully realise potential benefit from channel shift and to demonstrate the brave, bold and innovative culture on this as embodied in the Enabling Barnsley priority

There are ambitions to significantly improve approaches to managing and utilising data and insight but there is still much work to do in order to create a genuinely intelligence-led organisation. Although the organisation has been equipped with various digital ‘tools’, the intelligence and interpretation capability is not yet embedded or consistent. There is more to do to ensure the organisation is able to utilise these tools fully.

There is an opportunity to develop the community empowerment approach to support further work on integrated neighbourhood working with partners. Consultation and engagement is currently fragmented across the organisation and there does not yet appear to be a centrally coordinated or corporate capacity. There would be some benefit in a resident engagement and insight strategy utilising comprehensive survey information. It would also be worth considering the use of citizens panels and finding other ways of ways of pooling insights. Area Councils and Ward Alliances could be more focused on the Public Service reform agenda but would need significant shift in their capacity to deliver on this.

There is some risk around age profile in some key areas of the council’s workforce. It is not yet clear how effective succession planning is in addressing capacity and recruitment challenges. There seems to be a challenge in relation to attracting to some positions such as Engineers as well as to Data and Digital functions and addressing this may require some innovative solutions.

Berneslai Homes has a good track record in relation to managing stock but the new build programme of 200 homes is a small proportion of the future housing delivery targets. The council will need to consider how wider targets will be achieved and how for example the SYMCA can support these ambitions.
 
There is more to do to ensure the responsiveness of the council’s services to business and investors’ needs (for example in relation to Planning and Estates management).

Financial and core data from a Children’s Social Care perspective would benefit from further attention and ongoing challenges with system implementation will also require further attention.

5.6    Embedding the culture of Enabling Barnsley

The aspirational language around ‘Brave, Bold, Innovative’ accurately describes some of the examples of Barnsley Council’s track record of delivery. Initiatives such as Health on the High Street, the Glassworks development and Pathways to Work are all compelling examples.

The council does well in undertaking improvement when this takes place working within service area or directorate structures and there are a range of strategies underpinning this priority including the People strategy and MTFS.

The investment in leadership development by the council is in evidence across the council. This has positively impacted on improving some areas of retention and recruitment, and addressing sickness absence.

Staff have an appetite to innovate and transform and there is a strong culture of continuous improvement which seems to be integral to the culture of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The personal commitment of staff and how invested they are in the council and the borough emanates from them seeing themselves as having a direct role in enabling change for residents.

There is however more still to do in addressing the inconsistency of understanding across the whole organisation about ‘Enabling Barnsley’. There is a need for a clearer, sharper articulation of what the strapline is aspiring to and seeking to communicate. The structures are there for ‘Enabling Barnsley’ but the message and brand and what it means does yet not fully filter down all of the council.

‘Enabling Barnsley’ does not yet have a clearly defined programme to achieve the desired culture shift it is aspiring to. As a result of this, it sometimes struggles for traction as a concept because it can become lost against the other more easily communicable priorities and strategies.

The Council needs to clearly articulate its next phase of any Transformation programme to support ambitions including ‘Enabling Barnsley’ and identify how this will be delivered and resourced. Core services which were stripped back are not always well positioned to be enablers of change and as a result it is not easily able to prepare people for change such as using new digital tools. The digital focus needs more focus and granularity with a clear definition of which outcomes and benefits are the highest priority for the council.

The team would encourage the council to reflect, prioritise and focus on the next phase. This is not a call for any kind of a ‘pause’ but is rather a suggestion of a period of ‘active reflection’. This is not a weakness and could have the major positive impact of the council being able ‘prioritise its priorities’ without losing momentum or  ambition.

There are areas such as the customer digital and self-serve offer where the council could be demonstrating a brave, bold, innovative culture to a greater extent.

There would also be value in a sharpened approach to Transformation which looks across the council more corporately. This will require the council becoming more effective at enabling when it comes to working across the organisation. This  requires a more corporate approach than the current approach of this happening at a service or directorate level.

5.7    Marketing Barnsley

There is a consistent ‘talking up’ and positive view from partners, staff, members, and the community particularly around the striking Town Centre regeneration delivered. The town centre is a model of transformation. Barnsley has created a brilliant market town experience that works and is authentic. Now is the time for the borough to look to the future with real confidence about its offer and achievements.

Residents feel even prouder of Barnsley and are reconnecting with their town. There is a strong consensus that perceptions are positively changing particularly with both local residents and people external to Barnsley alike. The town has many great ambassadors who are selling Barnsley beyond the borough’s boundaries.

There are a number of great elements cited consistently internally and externally, to weave into and develop a clear place narrative around including the town centre, geography, digital focus and the proud industrial heritage. The ‘Place of Possibilities’ as a brand gives scope for the creation of sub-brands. The word ‘possibilities’ in of itself could be used proactively in support of projects, initiatives and campaigns in a way which strengthens the brand and ensures it permeates everything the council does. One example relates to the Great Childhood ambition which might lend itself to a strapline such as ‘a childhood of possibilities’.

The external recognition through awards has reinforced the reputation of Barnsley as a good partner and helped with the confidence of the organisation. The council has put a lot of effort in the last 5 or 6 years into trying to rebrand Barnsley. It is conscious of wanting to be forward-looking without losing its proud and valuable roots and heritage. The borough is adroit at leveraging grants and attracting events into the town which is positive in terms of enhancing Barnsley’s profile. The council has achieved success in attracting events into Barnsley to support destination management. This is in no small part due to a consistent message around the  improvements to place through investment in Barnsley as evidenced by the Glassworks development for example. The investment in a dedicated inclusive growth communications officer to support messaging is also having a positive impact. 
The council deserves credit for how it confronted community cohesion issues emanating from occurrences of disorder in South Yorkshire which occurred in the summer of 2024. It responded very quickly and positively which is important for the positive perception and reputation of the town. Now may be the time for Barnsley to consider how it sustains and embeds more of an ongoing approach to horizon scanning and ensuring it has a keen understanding of changing communities generally and in Barnsley in particular.

The ‘Place of Possibilities’ brand is recognised and has potential but is still open to being widely and broadly interpreted which creates a risk of it failing to establish a sharp focus on making a tangible difference. There needs to be more definition in terms of the priorities and ‘who’ is being targeted and ‘what’ is being communicated and to then ensure the brand runs appropriately through all relevant plans.

The strengths in terms of place could be brought together into a strong place  narrative as part of an overall branding strategy. Barnsley 2030 sits with the Chief Executive’s office whilst the Council Plan sits in Core Services in the Business Intelligence unit. There might be an opportunity to better align these and consideration should be given to how this might be done in support of sharpening messages which sell Barnsley.

The Council needs to develop a market-informed, inward investment brand, narrative and delivery plan. There is not yet a specific place marketing strategy; there appear  significant opportunities to better articulate this. In essence ‘Place of possibilities’ needs something akin to an ‘elevator pitch’.

There is scope to strengthen the co-ordination and management of brands within the Council. There is an array of brands with no hierarchy which can make for a confusing picture. There would be value in the council considering a brand management approach and then embedding it by ensuring compliance. This would include some effort being invested in better understanding the different audiences who need to be engaged. The council may wish to consider how it develops and funds place marketing activity as well as deciding who might be best placed to deliver this. There are a lot of positives identified to ‘sell’ Barnsley but these need to be better defined into a clear narrative which highlights what the borough’s unique selling points are.

There is a need for careful balancing of Barnsley’s history in the narrative. It is not unusual for places with a distinctive history and identity to find it challenging to achieve the right balance and narrative between a proud past and a future ambition which differs from that which went before. 

There has been an understandable and significant focus on the town centre. There may be some value in giving some more focused thought to the other towns and localities across the whole of the borough. Although the people in those towns are the focus of priorities around skills and employment, there is a risk that the ‘people’ and ‘place’ ambitions diverge. There needs to be more definition around the borough’s principal towns and their contribution to the future aspirations and image of Barnsley.

On a further place-making front there would be value in addressing the lack of high-end hotels and overnight accommodation which could be a limiting factor. There would be value in further consideration by the council and partners as to how Barnsley how it might address this.
 

It is recognised that senior political and managerial leadership will want to consider, discuss and reflect on these findings. The LGA will continue to provide on-going support to the council. Following publication of CPC report you need to produce and publish an Action Plan within 5 months of the time on site. As part of the CPC, the council are also required to have a progress review and publish the findings from this within twelve months of the CPC. The LGA will also publish the progress review report on their website. 

The progress review will provide space for a council’s senior leadership to report to peers on the progress made against each of the CPC’s recommendations, discuss early impact or learning and receive feedback on the implementation of the CPC action plan. The progress review will usually be delivered on-site over one day. 

The date for the progress review at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council will be agreed following finalisation of this report.

In the meantime, Mark Edgell (Principal Adviser for East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and North East Regions) is the main contact between your authority and the Local Government Association. As outlined above, Mark is available to discuss any further support the council requires. [email protected].