Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council - Progress Review

The council undertook a Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) between 11 – 14 July 2023 and published the full report along with an action plan, in the meeting papers for full council on 5 October 2023.

The Progress Review is an integral part of the Corporate Peer Challenge process. Taking place approximately ten months after the CPC, it is designed to provide space for the council’s senior leadership to:

• receive feedback from peers on the early progress made by the council against the CPC recommendations and the council’s RAG rated CPC Action Plan
• consider peer’s reflections on any new opportunities or challenges that may have arisen since the peer team were ‘on-site’ including any further support needs
• discuss any early impact or learning from the progress made to date. 

The LGA would like to thank Blackburn with Darwen Council for their commitment to sector led improvement. This Progress Review was the next step in an ongoing, open and close relationship that the council has with LGA sector support.

The Progress Review at Blackburn with Darwen Council took place at the council on Tuesday 26 March 2024.

During the Progress Review, the peer team explored progress and outcomes to-date against all of the eleven recommendations from the Blackburn with Darwen Corporate Peer Challenge which took place between 11 and 14 July 2023. These recommendations are shown in Appendix A. At the council’s request, peers included a particular focus on recommendation 2.9 in the CPC report which relates to the work being undertaken to enhance and embed a culture of effective overview and scrutiny across the council. This included a focus group discussion with scrutiny chairs, lead members and officers involved in the overview and scrutiny processes.

For this progress review, the following members of the original CPC team were involved:

• Alison Greenhill, Chief Operating Officer, Leicester City Council
• Councillor David Baines, Leader of St Helens Borough Council
• Asif Ibrahim, Director of Legal Services and Deputy City Solicitor, Manchester City Council
• Cindy Lowthian, Peer Challenge Manager, Local Government Association

The Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) report, along with an Action Plan, was published in the meeting papers for full council on 5 October 2023. In advance of the Progress Review, the council shared a short position statement and RAG rated Action Plan (Red, Amber, Green) to update peers on the progress made to date. Out of the CPC’s 11 recommendations, seven are rated by the council as green (good progress made) and four are rated as amber (progress with further actions required). None are rated as red (not being progressed). 

Peers were pleased with how the council positively embraced this progress review. They continue to be impressed with the council’s strong and well respected political and managerial leadership which was again evident from a range of conversations that peers had with officers and councillors. Those who met with the peer team talked openly and honestly about progress, achievements and challenges and were receptive to constructive challenge. 

During the Progress Review, the council’s leadership briefed peers about some of the key changes to the operating context since the CPC. The council has worked proactively, alongside Blackpool Council and Lancashire County Council, to secure a level two Devolution Deal including a proposal to create a new Lancashire Combined County Authority. The proposal has been agreed by the three constituent councils and is now with government for approval through secondary legislation. It is clear that the council remains committed to ensuring this deal leads to positive outcomes for the communities of Blackburn with Darwen. 

Whilst the peer team were onsite the council received news that a proposed anchor supermarket chain had withdrawn a proposal to move from their existing location in Blackburn town centre to a new town centre location. Peers understand (from the council) that the supermarket chain remain committed to investing in their current site in the town centre. However, this scheme was a key element of the council’s Blackburn town centre Master Plan, with the existing store earmarked for future house building and the wider master plan including a proposed new skills and education campus. Lead members and officers were clearly disappointed but remain committed to reviewing plans and other development options.

Peers were told that other key developments - including those linked to the council’s Levelling Up partnership with government, Youth Investment Fund, and the Darwen Town Deal - continue to make progress.

For 2024/2025, the council has agreed a balanced budget with clear savings proposals, a Capital Programme for 2024/2025 and an updated Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) which shows how the financial challenge is set to continue with a forecast funding gap of c£13.2m to 2026/2027.

It is clear from both the council’s RAG rated action plan and the peer team’s time on-site that progress on the recommendations is being made. Peers could see from what they read and from conversations on-site how the CPC is being used to frame on-going improvement. An example of this is the review of overview and scrutiny, with council papers clearly framing this review around recommendation 2.9 of the peer challenge (embedding a culture of effective overview and scrutiny). Council budget papers in February 2024 make clear reference to the findings of the peer challenge. Peers heard from staff who told us that the peer challenge recommendations are frequently referenced in project meetings and other forums.

There was acknowledgement that progress is stronger in some areas than others (as outlined below). Peers recommend to the council that they should continue with their current approach to the implementation, monitoring and reporting on, the delivery of their CPC Action Plan.

This report will now consider each of the recommendations arising from the CPC in more detail (as outlined in Appendix A).

The council has RAG rated this recommendation green and for 2024/2025, has agreed a balanced budget including savings proposals, a Capital Programme for 2024/2025 and an updated Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). At the time of the CPC the council showed a forecast funding gap for the period from 2024/25 to 2026/27 of £18.6m. This was in addition to in-year savings totalling c£3.7m for 2023/2024. Peers noted that the latest position shows an improved position with a budget gap of £13.2m to 2026/27 in addition to c£4.1m of agreed budget efficiencies (savings) for 2024/2025.

Budget papers outline the required savings for 2024/2025 alongside the projected savings and efficiencies required up to 2026/27, with the bulk of these falling within adult social care, finance, and governance. The CPC had highlighted how the council has, over several years, used reserves to make up for year-end overspends. This approach continued during 2024/25 with £1.540m from the Budget Support Reserve being used to support the budget. The council clearly understand how (similar to many other councils) the use of reserves is not sustainable in the longer term and the importance of maintaining focus on the delivery of the required savings. In view of this, the council may wish to consider rating this Action as ‘amber’ to help reflect their on-going work, challenge and focus in this regard.

At the time of the CPC, the Strategic Director of Finance and Resources (s151) post had been vacant. Peers were pleased to see that this post has been filled (through the return of the previous postholder). It is clear from the information presented to peers and also from the meetings with officers and members how the return of this postholder is bringing increased confidence, oversight, and constructive challenge to the council’s financial management. This is very much welcome by all who spoke with the peer team. Ongoing monitoring and oversight of the delivery of required savings will be crucial including embedding these across all service areas.

The council have RAG rated this recommendation green and peers can see, particularly from the position statement, that progress is being made. A mapping and review exercise to ensure key strategies and policies are up to date and aligned to the Corporate Plan was undertaken. Peers were pleased to hear how work has also started to rationalise and prioritise key strategies to help bring focus, and to consolidate into fewer documents and ensure they are aligned to the new Corporate Plan, resources and capacity to deliver. As outlined on page 11 of this report (recommendation 2.7), the council has also been working to strengthen its corporate capacity, particularly in the corporate centre.

A Transformation Board has now been formed which is overseeing and prioritising major change projects across the organisation. This Board is chaired by the Deputy Chief Executive. Building on this work, it will be important for the council to re-start its work to review/agree its future operating model (as outlined in recommendation 2.7). This should focus on strengthening corporate capacity, particularly in core services, to ensure delivery of the council’s agreed missions as outlined in the Corporate Plan.

In summary, peers can see it is still early days for the work taking place in support of this recommendation. The Transformation Board (at the time of the progress review)  had met just a couple of times, but work is progressing in a positive direction. It will be important for the council to continue to push forward with this work and the work to rationalise key strategies. Given this, the council may wish to consider rating this recommendation as amber (in their action plan). Again, to help reflect how this is ongoing with positive progress being made.

The council have RAG rated this recommendation green. A new performance management framework, with a revised suite of 39 key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned to the Corporate Plan, is now in place. The new KPIs, including RAG ratings, were reported to Council in November 2023. Peers were pleased to see that detailed exception reports are being produced for those areas (currently three areas) that are rated as RED. The council’s position statement shows how these KPIs are reported to Corporate Assurance Board each quarter and an outturn report taken to Executive Board. 

Peers were pleased to learn how each council department is now required to bring a report to the Corporate Assurance Board on a six-monthly basis covering performance, opportunities and challenges across their service areas. Senior officers told peers that this is welcome as it is helping to strengthen corporate oversight and constructive challenge on each of their respective service areas.

This recommendation relates to the need to ensure the council’s ambitious growth plans are underpinned by robust business cases including options appraisals, detailed financial modelling, risk analysis and legal implications. The council has RAG rated this recommendation green. 

The position statement shows an on-going commitment to undertake extensive business case development for all major growth opportunities to ensure all initiatives, including council funded and co-funded projects, are subject to robust business case development and transparent internal and external governance processes. This is important.

As outlined above, during the progress review the council received news that a proposed anchor supermarket chain had withdrawn a proposal to move from their existing location in Blackburn town centre to a new town centre location. This scheme was a key element of the council’s Blackburn town centre master plan. Whilst disappointing, Lead members and officers remain committed to reviewing plans and other development options for the master plan. It will be important to ensure any new options are underpinned by robust business case development, particularly given how this element of the master plan was clearly a key factor during the time of the original CPC.

During the Progress Review, peers had an opportunity to speak with the council’s S151 officer. Peers welcomed the opportunity to explore and learn more about the measures in place to ensure growth plans and associated developments take place in line with the council’s stated financial strategy.  An example includes how the most recent Section 25 statement (produced as part of the latest budget papers) had been used to highlight the volatility in business rates which means that, for 2024/2025, the budget has assumed no growth in the Business Rates Taxbase.

During the CPC, peers had been impressed with the council’s impressive growth agenda and recommended that the council strengthen its narrative to residents to ensure regeneration schemes are not viewed only as physical regeneration schemes but also articulate how they are aligned to improved opportunities and outcomes for local people. The council has RAG rated this CPC recommendation as green and it is clear to peers that progress is being made. 

Work has taken place to strengthen targeted communications activity to local communities. Examples highlighted include celebrating key milestones for the borough’s new Local Plan, communications on key Levelling UP projects including the Darwen Town Deal, targeted press releases, media statements and photo calls with partners - all involving clearer messaging around the corporate priority to create 'a more prosperous borough with no-one left behind'. 

During the progress review, peers spoke with a range of both officers and councillors who told us about the borough’s second Partnership Conference which had been themed around the concept of 'No-one left behind'.  A number of 'all-staff briefings', had also been held 'inclusive growth' as the key theme. Peers were given a copy of the latest annual borough magazine which also featured an article (from the Leader) on inclusive growth.  

During the progress review, peers met with a range of staff who demonstrated a clearer idea of what inclusive growth means to the residents of the borough, and though this was understood previously at senior level, it was positive to see how this is now being articulated across wider staff and forums in a manner that will resonate with residents.

Peers heard how communication and engagement on the proposed Lancashire Combined County Authority (as outlined earlier in this report) has included events with residents and businesses to explain the benefits of proposals to local communities. 

In summary, peers could see clear progress is being made in relation to this recommendation and encourage the council to continue with this approach.

The CPC found that, similar to other councils, rising demand in both children’s and adult social care social care presents a key challenge for the council. It recommended that the council should maintain focus on these core services including the ongoing improvements in children’s social care following the Ofsted 'requires improvement' judgement in 2022.

The council have RAG rated this recommendation as amber, acknowledging that work is already underway and this needs to continue. Examples include work to develop and strengthen joint commissioning approaches, development of Family Hubs and place-based Integration and workforce transformation with health colleagues. Work is also being undertaken to procure a series of automated performance dashboards for both Adult and Children's Social care to help develop a consistent set of measures to compare progress, share and embed best practice across social care.

The position statement highlights additional investment in social care for 2024/2025 including £8.227m for Adult Social Care and £3.330m for Children’s Social Care.

As part of the Progress Review, Peers were told that the Improvement Board, established for children’s social care, is helping to strengthen corporate oversight of performance in this area. It was positive to see that both the portfolio holder and chief executive are members of the Board and peers were told by senior officers that cross directorate working is now stronger. Examples shared include a project with the Place Directorate to build connections between young people and local employers to help them pursue their aspirations and get invaluable work experience. The Strategic Director, Growth and Development, had also participated in the council’s recent annual conversation with Ofsted. Peers also heard from front-line staff who were able to articulate how a back-office project their service had delivered (an on-line e-portal for foster carers to facilitate the claiming of expenses) was helping to support the council’s corporate parenting approach. Peers were impressed that frontline officers were seeing this connection.

The council should continue the work to maintain a corporate focus on social care in the context of the council’s ambitious growth plans and rising demand.

This recommendation related to a need to ensure that work to review the council’s future operating model includes a specific focus on the capacity of core services. The council have RAG rated this recommendation as Amber.

Peers were told that whilst this work had started, it had been paused whilst the council considered the impact of the local government financial settlement on the council’s financial position.

Following agreement of a balanced budget for 2024/2025 and the updated Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), the council are now committed to re-instating this work which will be aligned to the council’s ongoing digital and transformation programmes.

Peers were pleased to hear that the council has been working to strengthen its corporate capacity, particularly in the corporate centre. A number of workstreams are underway to review back-office functions, including the council’s approach to utilising IT systems and Data and Intelligence. Additional resources have also been invested into the council’s Strategy and Intelligence functions to strengthen capacity in these areas.

It will be important for the council to maintain momentum on delivering this recommendation.

This recommendation relates to the need to build greater clarity (for staff and councillors) on the council’s vision for transformation and how this will lead to measurable improvements in efficiency, effectiveness, and resident satisfaction. The council rated this recommendation as amber. Progress made includes the development of a road map to capture/agree priority transformation projects. A Transformation Board has recently been established which is chaired by the Deputy Chief Executive. As outlined on pages six and seven of this report (recommendation 2.2), this board is overseeing and prioritising major change projects across the organisation. A range of activity is required, and a priority list of issues will need to be agreed. The intention is that this work will be aligned to approaches to digital and ICT Transformation. which is overseeing and prioritising major change projects across the organisation.

Peers were clear that work undertaken to date is helping to strengthen the understanding of the approach to transformation. However, there is more work to do to strengthen the understanding amongst senior managers so that they can help inform the approach.

This recommendation relates to enhancing and embedding a culture of effective Overview and Scrutiny across the council and consideration of the officer resource required to support this. The council have RAG rated this action as green – highlighting work which has taken place to review the Overview and Scrutiny function since the original CPC, with recommendations considered by the Council Forum in March 2024. Considering that this is still early days (implementing the recommendations arising from this review) the council may wish to consider rating this as amber to help reflect the ongoing focus on this programme of work.

These recommendations include new mandatory training for chairs/vice chairs, as well as scrutiny training for all scrutiny members and relevant council officers. It also includes a proposal to review the representation from Independent Members on each committee (working with committee chairs). Outside of the formal scrutiny functions, this work has also involved the creation of a new Corporate Parenting Panel. The Panel had its inaugural meeting in January 2024. It has an important role in scrutinising the council’s corporate parenting role. Work to establish this panel has been supported by the LGA.

During the Progress Review, peers met with scrutiny chairs and officers and members involved in Overview and Scrutiny. Those who meet with peers were supportive of the work taking place (as outlined in the report to the Council Forum in March 2024) and particularly welcomed the strengthened training offer.

As it is still early days (particularly with the report outlining the proposals only being agreed in March 2024), it isn’t yet possible to get a sense of the impact and how it is enhancing and embedding a culture of effective overview and scrutiny across the council. But councillors and officers who spoke with peers fed back positively on the developing approach and it will be important to maintain momentum on this work. Building on this, peers also believe that all political groups should consider the need for succession planning, growing and nurturing future chairs of overview and scrutiny for the years to come.

During the CPC, peers recommended that the council should consider the officer resource required to support effective overview and scrutiny at the council. The dedicated officer resource (to support committees) involved just one democratic and scrutiny lead officer and a named head of service to provide some dedicated support to each scrutiny chair (in addition to their day job). As well as helping to build capacity around overview and scrutiny, this was also seen as a potential development opportunity for heads of service. During the original CPC, peers had questioned whether the ask of officers to take on this role in addition to their substantive posts was too great - in terms of their capacity and to ensure consistent, robust, high-quality support to the committees

During the progress review, officers and members provided positive feedback on how this approach, to support scrutiny chairs, was working. However, some hadn’t realised that the heads of service had volunteered to do this role as a development opportunity and fed back that they would welcome opportunities to provide constructive feedback to support this development. Peers still question the on-going sustainability of this model and whether it is making the best use of the resource of heads of service (given their other competing priorities) and whether it provides a consistent level of support for effective overview and scrutiny. However, peers were pleased that this is being treated as a pilot and will be reviewed regularly and fed back that a full review of this will be important. It will be important to agree clear timelines for this review.

This recommendation relates to enhancing the golden triangle of good governance by ensuring the council’s chief legal officer (monitoring officer), chief executive (head of paid service) and Section 151 officer are involved in all relevant senior decision-making forums. The council have RAG rated this recommendation green.

The council’s position statement outlines how chief officers are involved in the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) meetings as a key policy and development forum for the council. A Statutory Governance Officers Group continues to meet including the Chief Executive, Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer (MO).

During the progress review peers heard how there are also opportunities for the council’s three key statutory officers (chief executive, s151 and monitoring officer) to meet regularly outside of these meetings which is good practice. Peers heard how this has improved since the original CPC.

Statutory officers who met with peers during this Progress Review fed back positively on how they were being involved in decision making. They also fed back that ongoing training on governance (highlighted further below) is helping to further strengthen understanding of the role of statutory officers and how to engage them in decision making.

The position statement highlights the council’s commitment to continue to review this recommendation to help ensure all statutory governance officers are sighted on and involved in key decision-making processes and groups.

This recommendation relates to the need to increase the visibility of core governance practices, including consistency in the way minutes are published, publication of officer decisions and the development of the Corporate Risk Register. The council have RAG rated this recommendation as amber, acknowledging that, whilst work has started, there is more work to do.

Progress made includes the delivery of training to the council’s Extended Leadership Team (heads of service) covering the constitution, member-officer protocol and core governance practices including the quality and timeliness of reports, publication requirements and how to engage statutory officers in decision making. Peers received positive feedback from officers on this and there is a recognition that it is still early days, that this is a journey, and that there is still more work to do.

Work has also begun to begin to build a better understanding amongst officers on how best to utilise the Modern.Gov system to its full potential to ensure greater consistency and help to unlock additional functionality and transparency for users and stakeholders. Work is also continuing to ensure regular reviews and updates of detailed Corporate Risk Register entries, although the peer team did not have time, during the progress review, to consider both of these work streams in more detail.

The LGA would like to thank Blackburn with Darwen Council for undertaking an LGA CPC Progress Review.

We appreciate that senior managerial and political leadership will want to reflect on these findings and suggestions in order to determine how the organisation wishes to take things forward.

Under the umbrella of LGA sector-led improvement, there is an on-going offer of support to councils. The LGA is well placed to provide additional support, advice and guidance on a number of the areas identified for development and improvement and we would be happy to discuss this.

Claire Hogan ([email protected]) is the main point of contact between the LGA.

2.1 Financial management

Maintain focus on the delivery of the required savings and ensure council wide understanding and ownership of the on-going financial challenges and associated savings requirements. Develop clear, realistic delivery plans for 2024/2025 and future years savings with regular monitoring reports focussing on the delivery of those savings to both the leadership team and Executive Board.

2.2 Prioritisation

A wide range of strategies plans and frameworks have been developed and are in place or planned. The peer team were impressed with the ambitions of the council. Similar to many other councils, the capacity of the council is constrained with the on-going financial challenges faced and the capacity of ‘back office’ functions. The council should undertake a rationalisation and prioritisation exercise to help bring focus, where possible, and to consolidate into a fewer number of these whilst ensuring they are aligned to the new Corporate Plan, resources and capacity to deliver. This prioritisation exercise will also support the ‘grow or stop’ elements of the council’s Finance Strategy. 

2.3 Performance management

It is recognised the council is in the process of revising and finalising a suite of key performance measures aligned to the Corporate Plan (2023 -2027). The council should finalise this work at pace to enable it to report quarterly on progress and achievements against the new Corporate Plan to staff, residents, partners and stakeholders.

2.4 Growth

The council has exciting and ambitious growth plans aimed at creating a more prosperous borough. As schemes are brought forward, they should be underpinned by robust business cases including options appraisals, detailed financial modelling, risk analysis and legal implications.

2.5 Inclusive growth

The council should continue to challenge itself to ensure regeneration schemes are not viewed only as physical regeneration but are aligned to people, improved outcomes for residents and the boroughs wider priorities including health, housing, skills, climate change and business growth. The council should strengthen its narrative for residents in this regard.

2.6 Social care (children and adults)

Similar to other councils, rising demand in both children’s and adult social care social care presents a key challenge. The council needs to maintain focus on these core services and the ongoing improvements in children’s social care following the Ofsted ‘requires improvement’ judgement in 2022.

2.7 Corporate capacity

Ensure the work already underway to review and test the council’s existing operating model includes a specific focus on the capacity of core services. This will support the council in ensuring its ambitions and priorities are aligned with available people and resources. It will also be important, as this work develops, to engage wider staff and councillors and to set out the steps and resources to get there.

2.8 Transformation

Build greater clarity for staff and councillors on the vision for transformation and how this will lead to measurable improvements in efficiency, effectiveness and resident satisfaction.

2.9 Overview and scrutiny

Engage councillors and officers in work to enhance and embed a culture of effective overview and scrutiny across the council. Consideration should also be given to the officer resource required to support effective overview and scrutiny at the council.

2.10 Governance

Building on the Statutory Governance Officers Group, review opportunities to further enhance the golden triangle of good governance by ensuring the council’s Chief Legal Officer (monitoring officer), chief executive (head of paid service) and Section 151 officer are involved in all relevant senior decision-making forums.

2.11 Core governance practices

Increase the visibility of core governance practices. This includes ensuring greater consistency in the way minutes are published on the democratic services webpages and in the publication of officer decisions are published. It also includes opportunities to develop the Corporate Risk Register shared with the Audit and Governance Committee into a more comprehensive document which captures risks, impact, likelihood, mitigation actions and timeline for actions.