LGA Corporate Peer Challenge: Taunton Town Council

Taunton Town Council came into existence on 1 April 2023 (Vesting Day) when Somerset was reorganised into one Unitary authority; Somerset Council, replacing Somerset County Council and four district councils. Taunton had previously not been a parished area and the town council now covers Taunton, the previous parish of Comeytrowe, the urban area within the Maidenbrook Ward of Cheddon Fitzpaine Parish and the majority of Staplegrove Parish. The population is in the region of 58,300 (2021 Census) with around 26,200 households. The majority of the population is White (92.7 per cent) with an ethnic population of 7.7 per cent.

Members and officers of Taunton Town Council have achieved a great deal in the setting up of the new council from 1 April 2023. This is something that should be celebrated. With new responsibilities for services over the coming months the council now needs to develop a council which has the capacity and capabilities to support staff and members to deliver on its election promises. It has begun this process by agreeing a corporate plan for 2024-2027 which has five priorities:

• A prosperous town
• A sustainable environment
• An engaged community
• A vibrant culture
• A council that delivers

There is still considerable work to be done to further develop plans that will deliver these priorities and the communities of Taunton are yet to be fully engaged in how they want the priorities to be delivered. A community review has been commissioned and consultations will start in September with residents and other stakeholders.

There has already been positive feedback on what the town council has delivered in the past year and the visible improvements it has contributed to, especially the work of the Town Wardens who are active in the community. 

Performance management will be key in ensuring that the priorities of the council and associated projects are delivered in a way that demonstrates value for money and delivers results.

There is strong political leadership, particularly from the Leader who is seen as an asset to the council by external partners and community groups. Members are visible and engaged in their communities and are passionate about what they want to see improve in the area covered by Taunton Town Council.

Member and officer relationships are good and there is a willingness to challenge in the political arena.

Taunton Town Council is a new organisation and currently leadership and management at an officer level has significant room for improvement. It is important that Taunton Town Council prioritise the continuation and acceleration of this area. Plans are in place for all senior managers to receive Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) training in the future. A mentor has also been identified for the town clerk. Clear direction and communication are key for staff, and they need to see the ‘big picture’, so they fully understand their roles in the delivery of the council’s priorities. 

The staff at Taunton Town Council are a major asset and they are committed and passionate to do their best for the communities in Taunton. There is a real opportunity to harness the talent within the organisation in a structured way and for the council to be an employer of choice. 

There is a proposed new staffing structure to significantly increase the workforce. Currently capacity is stretched, although it is recognised that the staffing structure could not be increased due to budget constraints for 2023-24. 

A training plan for both staff and members will ensure that everyone has the skills and capabilities to deliver the priorities of the council.

There is a need to increase the credibility of the town council within the community, stakeholders and partners, such as Somerset Council, and build the Taunton Town Council brand. There is confusion over who delivers services for residents and businesses and this needs to be rectified, although it is recognised that Taunton is not unique in this regard. Taunton Town Council are currently located in Somerset Council offices which only adds to the confusion as does the lack of prominent Taunton Town Council branding within the reception area.

The current governance arrangements do not enable swift decision making. This is a combination of short time scales for reports, the report format and the timing and frequency of meetings. This should be reviewed.

Delegations have been in place since Vesting Day and it would be appropriate to review them as part of the annual review of all policies in May to look at whether there needs to be more oversight by members.

Now would be a good time to shape the culture of the council involving employees and members to develop core values and behaviours to foster a supportive, caring and inclusive culture.

During the period of the peer challenge the team repeatedly heard about the sense of civic pride for the town and the Mayoralty. Taunton is also seen as a military town and there are close links with the armed forces. However, this is a council that wants to be modern and ‘the best in class’, but, it has chosen to retain many of the traditional aspects of the mayoralty in council meetings. In the peer team’s view the mayoralty should be separated from ordinary council business.

There is a medium term financial plan which reflects the priorities of the council and includes the devolution of services and possible assets from Somerset Council. There is still a great deal of uncertainty around any asset transfers and there needs to be careful consideration around those assets and whether they have long term viability and do not incur significant expenditure.

Equality and diversity are areas that need to be further developed particularly in terms of service delivery. ‘Taunton Together’, an event being held in September will celebrate the diversity and culture of the town and promote inclusion and respect and is an event welcomed by external partners and within the council. This provides a platform to build on, demonstrating the town council’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. This commitment should then translate into equality, diversity and inclusion being an integral part of all Taunton Town Council’s work.

Community groups feel supported, and the council has a generous grant allocation to ensure that charities and community groups are able to offer opportunities for a range of activities targeting for example young people and arts and culture.

Communications are predominantly digital through the website and social media. A quarterly newsletter does get distributed to libraries and notice boards but there needs to be some thought given to those unable to access digital media and the hard-to-reach groups.

A great deal has been accomplished in setting up Taunton Town Council from both a member and officer perspective. However, there is still a lot to do in terms of delivering the priorities in the corporate plan and ensuring that residents can see that the increase in council tax provides value for money in terms of improvements in the area and the services that the council provides.

Taunton Town Council has taken the first steps towards continuous improvement by commissioning this Corporate Peer Challenge.

Undertaking the evidence-based process of quality accreditation from foundation through to gold will assist the council in responding to the Corporate Peer Challenge

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:

1. Consider removing the ceremonial aspects for council meetings which can be seen as barriers to inclusion.

Taunton Town Council wants to be a modern, ambitious and diverse council and the traditional aspects of the mayor and reflection session at the council meetings does not fit with this vision.

2. Review the meeting timetable, report formats and delegations to ensure effective decision making.

The current meeting frequency needs to be reviewed to ensure that reports for decisions are developed fully and that reports include an executive summary which includes implications for other parts of the organisation, e.g. HR and Equality & Diversity. A review of the delegations is timely now the council has been operational for a year to check that they are appropriate, and they have the right level of member involvement.

3. Initiate appropriate member and staff training by preparing a member and workforce training plan.

Following on from both the members’ skills audit and the proposed staff skills audit, develop a training plan that meets both current and future needs. The training plan should also include skills needed for the future workforce, and link to the council’s priorities.

4. Commission externally facilitated team building sessions across the council to include top team and staff.

The top team development should include the leader, chairs of committees and the senior management team and will provide an opportunity for both managers and members to agree how they can work constructively together and build on the skills of individuals. The staff team building should include individual teams and an all staff team building day. It will be better to arrange the staff team building sessions once the new structure is in place which will help new staff members to integrate into the council and individual teams. 

5. Ensure regular communication with the public to highlight responsibilities, spending decisions and activities/events in ways that are inclusive to all parts of the community.

Although the website and social media provide extensive information it will be important to look at ways of communicating with those parts of the community who do not access or have limited access to digital devices for a range of reasons.

6. Take time out to pause, reflect on the past twelve months and learn from the experience.

The past year has been frenetic setting up the council and developing all the systems and processes needed. Now is a good time to reflect on your achievements, review what has gone well and what would be even better if changes were made. 

7. Establish your core values and behaviours to foster a supportive, caring and inclusive culture.

The town council is set to expand in terms of staffing, and it will be important to look at how the culture of the council can be developed and evolve. Working with staff and members, develop some core values and the behaviours expected that demonstrate the values.

8. Develop a robust performance management system to ensure that both strategic and operational activities are monitored on a regular basis.

With services being devolved and an ambitious corporate plan, it will be vital to have a performance management system that can measure progress, risks, costs and workforce capacity.

The peer team

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

• Andrew Tubb (Chief Executive Officer – Cirencester Town Council)
• Mike Drew (Yate Town Council & NALC)  
• Jane Moore (Senior Solicitor & Legal Manager – NALC) 
• Jill Scarr (Peer Challenge Manager - LGA)

Scope and focus

The LGA and the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) corporate peer challenge offer for local councils utilises the strengths and experience of the LGA’s expertise, working with peers from the town and parish council sector, and with the engagement and support from NALC. For this peer challenge, the team spent two days onsite engaging with a range of stakeholders.

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

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

The peer challenge process

Peer challenges are improvement focused; it is important to stress that this was not an inspection. The process is not designed to provide an in-depth or technical assessment of plans and proposals and is based on a position statement provided by the town council. 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 and observed a small number of council meetings via You Tube in order to ensure they were familiar with the council and the challenges it is facing. The team then spent two days onsite at Taunton Town Council, during which they:

• Gathered information and views from more than 12 meetings, in addition to further research and reading.
• Spoke to more than 30 people including a range of council staff together with members (although we only saw five members from a total of 19 and had a written submission from one) and external stakeholders.

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

Taunton Town Council agreed its first corporate plan for 2024-2027 in January 2024. This was developed from the Liberal Democrat election manifesto and reflects the vision for the future of Taunton. There are five clear priorities:

• A prosperous town
• A sustainable environment
• An engaged community
• A vibrant culture
• A council that delivers.

The council’s budget for 2024/25 reflects its ambition. The budget for 2023/24 was set by Somerset Council prior to the council’s Vesting Day of 1 April 2023. With Somerset Council’s financial issues, a number of services have been subsidised in the current financial year by Taunton Town Council, although liability for the services has not been accepted. With an ambitious vision and set of priorities the Council agreed to increase its precept from the 2023/24 figure of £2.14m to £5.90m in 2024/25. However, there is an understandable degree of uncertainty due to Somerset Council’s financial situation.

There has been some initial engagement with residents and other stakeholders through attendance at events, but more community engagement is required. In order to shape delivery of these priorities the council has commissioned a community review to begin in September 2024 to engage with the communities and to ensure that all sections of the community are involved, including hard to reach groups. Some work has been done to identify the immediate priorities of the community which includes improving public toilet facilities in two locations and the budget for 2024/25 was developed in line with the council’s priorities. It will be important to ensure that the intelligence from the community review feeds into delivery plans and budget preparations for 2025/26.

The council is at an early stage in developing its delivery plans to achieve the key priorities. It will be important to ensure that the plans are focussed on time scales, resources and success measures. 

Performance management at both a strategic and operational level will be vital to ensure that projects stay on track and the council can demonstrate the progress being made and value for money. A suite of key strategic and operational performance indicators should be developed which will include corporate health indicators, equality information and operational performance.

There are visible signs and positive feedback from the public and community organisations that the town council is making improvements to Taunton. This includes the work done by the town wardens who are actively engaged in improving public open spaces and the continuation of CCTV in the town centre in conjunction with other partners.

Equality Impact Assessments are not currently used (although the peer team were told there are plans to introduce them) when developing projects and they should be incorporated in all aspects of service delivery. There seems to be a focus on disability, particularly around accessibility of play equipment which is currently being investigated. Other protected characteristics and how they relate to service delivery are not yet visible and this needs to be developed. 

There is a major event at the end of September – Taunton Together – which is to celebrate the town's diverse cultural heritage, foster unity, understanding, and appreciation of each other’s differences. It aims to highlight the richness of the town’s ethnic communities and the importance of embracing cultural differences and diversity. Its aim is to strengthen friendships, relationships and create an inclusive, harmonious community where everyone feels valued and respected. This event will be free which will enable everyone to attend irrespective of their financial position.

The awarding of grants to community organisations has been well received and covers a wide range of groups including young people and the arts. A selection of groups were asked to present how grant money had been spent at the annual town council meeting.

Events organised by the town council were commended by the community organisations and were seen as well organised and a credit to the town. The events particularly singled out were the Remembrance Day Parade and the carols around the bandstand.

The peer team saw evidence of strong political leadership. The leader is passionate and driven and members are visible in their wards and engage with the community. External stakeholders have positive relationships with the Leader and see him as an asset to the council.

There is a clear vision for the future of Taunton and members talked passionately about the changes they wanted to see.

Taunton Town Council is a member of the Local Community Network for Taunton which was set up by Somerset Council to bring partners, particularly voluntary and community groups together in localities. The Young People’s Working Group is chaired by a councillor from Taunton Town Council.

There is a question around how well the council knows its communities and the issues that they have. Going forward it will be important to ensure that services reach those communities that need it the most and are not always focussed on Taunton town centre.

There are also forthcoming challenges with new housing estates being built and the prospect of a stewardship agreement which involves Taunton Town Council. Any risks on taking on these responsibilities should be robustly assessed in terms of both capacity and any financial implications. The existence of Estates Management Companies (which run many facilities) which elsewhere are the responsibility of the councils, and which charge residents for those services, can exacerbate divisions as they are also paying through their council tax for the same services elsewhere in the town.

A members’ skills audit is currently being carried out which will provide a starting point for a training and development plan for all members. Training events have been arranged for members in the past but have not been well attended. There may be some merit in looking at including in the council’s standing orders or committee terms of reference that relevant training is undertaken before being appointed to committees, particularly the role of chair.

Top Team development including chairs of committee and senior managers would enhance the understanding of roles and responsibilities and effective working relationships which is vital for the effective running of the council. A way of strengthening the top team operationally and organisationally, at such an important time for the council, would be to consider introducing lead members and lead officers across each service area.

There are concerns that leadership at the managerial level needs to improve. Staff need clear direction and meaningful communication to enable them to carry out their duties and for them to understand the ‘big picture’ and how their work fits into this. Staff need to know they are valued and given the opportunity to contribute their skills, knowledge and ideas in a meaningful and constructive way, supporting the delivery of the corporate and operational objectives of the council.

Leadership and management need to be consistent across the council ensuring that standards and expectations are commonly understood, and communication is open and transparent. It has been recognised that managers need to be appropriately trained and there are plans to invest in Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) training at different levels for the Senior Management Team. Mentoring for the town clerk is also being proposed and will be considered at the next personnel committee. From our observations of meetings, it would also be advantageous for those managers who are expected to make visual presentations or present reports at both council meetings and to external stakeholders to have some formal training on both the preparation of presentations and how to deliver presentations and reports that make an impact and increase their own confidence.

There are good partnership relationships at both political and officer level across all sectors. The relationship with Somerset Council is important due to the plans to devolve services and potential assets to the town council. The engagement with the business community is seen as positive and the town council is aiming to support small local businesses and community organisations through the provision of a pop-up shop.

Community groups feel supported by the council whether this is related to setting up new groups or supporting existing groups. This is particularly the case around ‘Friends of’ groups and local events.

There is a real pride in the mayoralty and its importance to the community. There were positive comments from a wide range of stakeholders who see the Mayor as a significant part of Taunton’s history and tradition. 

In terms of communication the council’s website is easy to navigate and information is easily accessible. Social media channels provide up to date information about a range of issues including council meetings, events and the work of the Town Wardens. There is a quarterly newsletter issued by the council – The Peacock Post -which is available on the website and to subscribers. Copies are also placed in libraries and on notice boards. However, external communication, including building transformational relationships, needs to reach all sections of the community and consider the impact of digital poverty and hard to reach groups. Consideration could be given to placing information in places where community groups meet and doctors’ surgeries etc. There is access to council meetings via You Tube although at times the sound quality is poor and closed captions are not always helpful. It should also be emphasised that the You Tube broadcasts are an insight into council business and some meeting protocols would be helpful e.g. people leaving or eating.

Councillors receive monthly information via the members’ memo which contains updates on what is happening in regard to council projects, information from wards, forthcoming activities and the mayor’s engagements. 

Member and officer relationships are good and the council has signed up to the Civility and Respect Pledge[1].

Taunton Town Council has established a clear, recognisable identity reflecting both the past and a new future. There was public consultation to choose a logo for the new town council where people were able to vote for their favourite. Local children were also encouraged to participate in a colouring competition, and the winning entry was turned into the mayor’s Christmas card. One stakeholder commented that ‘a unique identity is forming.’

The town councillors were elected on political party lines and all but one are from the same party. However, there is a willingness to challenge in the political arena with all councillors able to express their views irrespective of their party politics which fosters a positive apolitical culture that embraces a diverse range of views. The one opposition councillor is fully engaged and has been given a position of responsibility as the vice-chair of the finance and governance committee.

Taunton Town Council is a new council with some staff joining from other local authorities and others new to the world of local government. There is a great opportunity to shape the culture of the council by identifying core values and behaviours that everyone can be invested in. These need to be developed with staff and members to ensure buy-in from everyone.

The current governance arrangements do not enable considered decision making. There are often short time scales for reports which results in incomplete information and decisions not being made until more information is available. A recent example is the report relating to the pop-up shop discussed at full council on 12^th March 2024. The report format could be improved by the inclusion of an Executive summary and the implications of any decisions on other aspects of the council not already covered, particularly human resources and equality and diversity. The current frequency of committee meetings is contributing to the issue. Committee meetings are every quarter and full council meetings every month. Consideration needs to be given to committee meetings being held every two months and quarterly full council meetings. The peer team understand that this is in hand.

There is a lack of oversight of delegated decisions and the involvement of members in the process. Although the current delegations are legal it may be advisable to review them and promote a culture of transparency. The Town Clerk has a wide range of delegated powers which may have been appropriate at the time of Vesting Day but may need to be reviewed. One example given was the delegated authority to the town clerk on new staffing structures. The new structure is an agenda item to be noted at the next Personnel Committee, but it does not require a formal decision by councillors. Consideration should also be given to whether Councillors should be involved in the authorisation of payments. This is strongly recommended in the Good Councillors’ Guide to Finance and Transparency.

The peer team observed both committee and full council meetings and felt that the meetings are too long. Changes to the meetings cycle may help to prevent long agendas and meetings.

The ceremonial meeting aspects are not consistent with council meeting procedures and a new, modern, diverse council. The carrying of the mace by the Sergeant at Mace, the mayors’ robes, everyone standing for the mayor and the period of reflection at the start of the meeting may be a barrier for engagement on a number of equality and diversity levels. Consideration should be given as to the purpose of the reflection, its place in a council meeting, and whether an alternative option would be more appropriate, for example, the chair of council to read a reflective, civility pledge, at the commencement of each council meeting. 

Risk management needs a more robust approach to ensure strategic risks are fully understood and managed appropriately. Although there is a risk register it is focused mainly on operational risks. With the council precept being significantly increased there should be a strategic assessment of all risks.

There is a medium-term financial plan which reflects the corporate priorities. The council made a concerted effort to provide clear communication to residents on the needs to increase the precept and what this would mean in terms of improving services and facilities covered by the town council. However, it is not clear how transparent the budget setting process was. A task and finish group was set up to look at the budget which considered which assets may or may not be transferred as part of the devolution of services from Somerset Council to the town council. It is still not clear which assets will be transferred as the situation has changed since Somerset Council’s request for a capitalisation direction was agreed in principle by the government, which enables them to sell assets to secure its financial position. Some of the buildings discussed as part of the asset transfer need significant work and will come with on-going costs due to their nature and condition.

Linked to the asset transfer is the need to look at the long-term viability of assets that are both owned or leased by the council. This is critical to ensure that the investment in these assets will have long term benefits.

Members receive regular budget monitoring reports to ensure transparency on how money is spent and identify areas where there may be potential under/overspends.

As part of the Medium-Term Financial Plan reserves are planned to increase from £250k to £450k to ensure there are sufficient funds available to cover running costs for a three-month period in accordance with audit advice.

Finance staff have a good understanding of how the council works which enables them to carry out their duties promptly and effectively.

In terms of grant making, a sharper focus on key performance indicators for organisations will provide greater assurance that the financial and social benefits are clearly visible.

Prior to the peer challenge, the deputy responsible finance officer/finance manager resigned. The loss at this early stage to the council is a potential risk as there is a loss of organisational knowledge and professional credibility around budget setting, assets and the increase in precept, as well as management skills and business acumen. Interim arrangements are in place, but this has the potential to cause some instability and anxiety amongst staff.

Taunton Town Council agreed to have this peer challenge to assist in its improvement journey. It is early days for the council but with an ambition to achieve the Quality Gold Award for the town council it will provide a good starting point to look at what is required to achieve this award. There are still several steps to go through before applying for the Quality Gold Award including achieving the Foundation and Quality Awards. The peer challenge was also seen as an opportunity to celebrate what has been achieved in its first year but recognition that more needs to be done.

The town council has recognised that workforce capacity needs to be increased to deliver its priorities. A new staffing structure was due to be considered by the personnel committee on the final day of the peer challenge. As part of this new structure, it will be important to identify the skills and competencies needed going forward. It was impressive to see apprenticeship and T-level placements as part of the structure as a gateway to recruiting young people although it is recognised that apprenticeships cover all ages.

It is recognised that the current capacity is stretched and there is a risk of overload. We heard from a number of sources that staff are tired, and some have ‘lost their sparkle’. Despite this, staff are motivated, work collaboratively, are invested in their jobs, passionate and driven to do their best for Taunton Town Council and the communities it serves. A great deal has been achieved in the past year and this should be celebrated. Words we heard from staff about working for the council were ‘supportive’, ‘inclusive’ ‘working together’, ‘best place ever’ and ‘proud’.

As the plan is to increase the workforce significantly it will be important to integrate and welcome new staff to the organisation. A programme of structured and facilitated team building activities would be helpful and could be done on both a team and an organisational basis.

The town council accommodation is not ideal, and plans are in place to find larger accommodation in the medium term in the current location as well as depot premises for the current Town Wardens and any other outdoor based staff. A long-term solution needs to be found to provide a permanent home for the town council and the ability to promote its own identity. It is currently ‘lost’ in the Somerset Council building. It is an ideal project for staff to be involved in an accommodation working group so their views and ideas can be incorporated in any new offices. In the meantime, agreement should be reached with Somerset Council for Taunton Town Council to have its presence recognised with prominent signage for the reception area.

Staff appreciated being involved in the peer challenge and the opportunity to come together and see each other. The peer team feel that there should be in-person staff meetings for everyone to come together to generate ideas and improve morale.

It is recognised that senior political and managerial leadership will want to consider, discuss and reflect on these findings.

The CPC process includes a progress review, which will provide space for the council’s senior leadership to update peers on its progress against the action plan and discuss next steps.

It is important that the preparation of the action plan and follow up review is an inclusive process, drawing on the assets and strength of knowledge within the organisation and amongst elected members.

In the meantime, NALC is able to discuss any further support that the council may require by contacting Anders Hanson, member services manager [email protected].