LGA Corporate Peer Challenge – Progress Review: High Peak Borough Council

The council undertook an LGA Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) during February 2024 and promptly published the full report with an action plan.

The progress review is an integral part of the Corporate Peer Challenge process. Taking place approximately 10 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 alliance’s CPC joint 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 High Peak Borough Council (HPBC) 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 HPBC took place (onsite) on 5^th November 2024 and focussed on each of the recommendations from the CPC.

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

• Rob Barlow - joint chief executive of Boston BC, East Lindsey DC, and South Holland DC
• Cllr Alan Rhodes – Labour peer, cabinet member for corporate & financial services, Bassetlaw DC
• Cllr Georgina Hill – Independent peer, Northumberland CC and LGA Regional lead peer for the North East and Yorkshire and Humber
• Jamie Sutterby - director of people and communities, South Norfolk DC, and Broadland Council
• James Millington - peer challenge manager, LGA

The peer team welcomed the opportunity to return to HPBC to see the progress made by the alliance in meeting the recommendations from the original CPC.

In preparation the alliance provided the peer team with supporting evidence which included a joint action plan detailing progress against each of the CPC recommendations. Overall the peer team were impressed at the level of progress against most of the recommendations made since the CPC and noted the detailed and methodical approach taken by the council for making improvements.

Through the progress review, and recognising that it has only been nine months since the CPC, the peer team saw how the council has accepted and moved forward making good progress. The overriding impression from the peer team remains that from the CPC in February 2024 - that the alliance continues to be impressive and effective – and it is utilising the ethos of sector led improvement to support its continuing improvement journey.

The following is the peer team’s feedback on each of the eight CPC recommendations:

Recommendation 1: The peer team consider that there is benefit in more clearly articulating a shared ambition for the future of the alliance – through an overarching plan - to understand the risks and benefits of the partnership.

The alliance is well established and HPBC and SMDC are ambitious and delivering impressive outcomes locally.  Through this recommendation the peer team were keen to ensure the very positive relationships formed as part of the alliance between the councils were further capitalised on, perhaps through the development of an overarching strategic plan. This may include the SMDC Cabinet and HPBC Executive working closer together and also exploring opportunities within joint scrutiny to create opportunities to work further across the councils.

Since the CPC the alliance has reviewed the working arrangements with the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations and a mapping exercise of sub-regional and regional bodies for engagement around shared priorities. In HPBC work is ongoing in the ‘High Peak Together’ partnership which brings together all community-based partners where the partnership is reviewing its focus and developing a work programme to focus on shared priorities. The alliance has also implemented a biennial place survey process to inform the strategic planning processes.

The alliance has developed a programme to review its governance and operations. This has commenced and once the new Concordat and joint governance arrangements have been agreed the alliance will identify the shared areas and ambitions as part of the Alliance’s strategy.

The peer team spoke to members and officers and reviewed current work. The peer team recognise that although there is more planned, the informal meetings where the councils are able to align their thoughts and knowledge are working well. The peer team were impressed with how the alliance is approaching this: delivering the joint awaydays and establishing the joint Cabinet / executive forum are good steps. However, these working arrangements will need to be considered in the context of the impact of future devolution (see recommendation 5).

Recommendation 2: There is a necessity through the digitisation programme and modernising the working environment to now pick up pace, and this will support the delivery of the council’s ambitions.

The peer team heard from staff how the modernisation programme is being rolled out and the positive impact this is having. The peer team also observed the positive physical changes which are starting to happen in the alliance’s office accommodation and newly refurbished rooms. Staff were supportive of the changes to modernise the office space, agile working and use of technology which facilitates joint working. Officers the peer team spoke to appreciate the opportunity of working in a smarter and more agile way and the development of the work environment.

To further support the alliance in strengthening its Organisational Development Strategy and associated transformation it launched the Alliance: Our Culture in May 2024.  The purpose is to “clearly define and articulate a shared culture and values of the alliance (the way people think about and do things) to ensure a healthy, flexible and continuously improving organisation”. This work is in progress and has already involved engagement with around 100 people across the alliance, the council controlled companies and members. The peer team heard positive feedback on this including the workshops led by the CEX. The alliance recognises that this culture change project is a medium term piece and that it will need to continue to focus on this.

Recommendation 3: The alliance can continue developing the positive impact of Scrutiny. There may be further opportunities, particularly on some large topics, to pool the expertise across the Member base of the alliance for undertaking joint scrutiny to expand the capacity and generate improved outcomes

Work to enhance the impact of scrutiny is being progressed and has included developing an approach to facilitate community engagement / involvement in scrutiny and identify ways in which the joint scrutiny arrangements could be expanded. The peer team heard how the executive are keen to work constructively with scrutiny colleagues to utilise the collective knowledge of members across the council, building on the positive experience from the joint scrutiny which considered the new leisure delivery model.

The alliance recognised that the improvements in scrutiny can be used to support the delivery of positive outcomes for both councils. The peer team were impressed with the alliance’s self-awareness on the importance and value of scrutiny and their commitment to ensuring this is effective, that non-executive members are able to play an active role and that executive members have the correct input into scrutiny too. The councils should continue to focus on how they can do this.

Recommendation 4: Council-controlled companies:

1. The planned Leisure LATCo should not lose the opportunity for wider benefits beyond the financial and support the alliance’s ambitions around culture and its health and wellbeing agenda.
2. The alliance should periodically review outside bodies to assure itself that these are operating effectively and delivering outcomes.

When the peer team were onsite in February 2024 the alliance was in the process of establishing its leisure company. The transfer of the operational management of the leisure service to Alliance Leisure Limited (ALL) was completed on 1st October. During the progress review the peer team met with colleagues who spoke about the wider benefits beyond the initial leisure offer and the important difference this will make to the future health and wellbeing of local communities.

In addressing the wider health and wellbeing agenda, the alliance has been keen to take a collaborative approach to service delivery through: the appointment of shared Marketing & Communications and Health & Wellbeing officers to work across both ALL and the alliance; securing funding to enable ALL to purchase new equipment associated with health and wellbeing programmes; and once the service and associated support services are operating as required, further opportunities are to be identified. The peer team recognise that this is the start of the journey in implementing this recommendation around the new LATCo and would encourage the alliance to continue to consider how it will maximise the benefits from this.

The alliance has developed a programme to review the performance of the council-controlled companies to ensure that they are operating effectively. For both the Alliance Environmental Services (AES) Commissioning Board and the Alliance Norse (AN) Commissioning Board this includes Member oversight with work being finalised to harmonise the Terms of Reference across the alliance's council-controlled companies. Additionally, local partnerships have been commissioned to undertake a strategic review which is underway and due to conclude at the end of the year. Following this, the local partnerships work will produce a revised approach to the frequency of the review of the council-controlled companies for the alliance.

Recommendation 5: The peer team heard about the devolution changes which are happening locally now and into the future. It would be helpful for the top team to reflect and consider where the alliance positions itself in response to devolution changes

In the February 2024 CPC the peer team referenced the position that that alliance is in – with the councils sitting in different county areas – which is an important factor for the alliance and its future relationships. Both councils continue to provide input into the different approaches to devolution in the two counties with the potential benefits to the council in supporting delivery of its priorities set out in regular reports and briefings to councillors.

The peer team are aware of the conversations which are regularly held across HPBC and SMDC to share the knowledge, appetite and perspectives around devolution. There is an acknowledgement of the changing future landscape and the councils are in constant dialogue on this, including at the recent Alliance’s Joint Executive awayday. Without knowing what the future will hold, the peer team agree that the councils are having the right conversations now to consider the future.

The peer team encourages the alliance to consider its assets and companies and any long term decisions around ICT and other investments, in the context of any local reorganisation or future devolution.

Recommendation 6: Increase the pace of delivery with more robust project and programme governance: in the depots; in ICT; its office estate; in its assets; and in the climate change agenda so external funding bids and internal growth bids can be made by officers to understand more clearly the budgetary impacts. These projects will also support organisational culture change.

The peer team previously signalled the number of ambitious projects being delivered by the alliance. This has continued to grow and includes its regeneration and climate change ambitions. In making this recommendation the peer team wanted to ensure the alliance had the capacity, understanding and toolkit in place for staff to manage these initiatives.

The peer team have been impressed with how the Transformation Team have taken forward this recommendation and how this appears to have been positively received by colleagues. This includes the revised performance framework, refreshed project management methodology and the Transformation Board providing important oversight. As the project management methodology is embedded, the alliance is also planning to revisit the value for money principles to ensure these align with project management requirements for business case development.

The refresh of the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) as part of the 2025/26 budget setting process will incorporate costs of emerging projects. The alliance is in the process of mapping the priority actions from corporate and borough plans and the transformation programme to the budget and the MTFP will identify these in the financial forecasts.

The peer team heard a lot about ‘projects’ and to build on the alliance’s approach further the team think there would be benefit in a defined and consistently understood clear ‘programme’ in place as this was not immediately evident. Further work to review and develop this programme expertise may be valuable to the alliance.

Recommendation 7: The alliance should ensure that capacity, including around transformation, is focused in the right places, with ongoing support in place for the CEX to deliver the change programme and the ambitions at pace.

Following the CPC, the alliance has reviewed the resources to deliver the modernisation agenda. The peer team understand that capacity is often a challenge for councils but were encouraged to see that additional posts have been established. This investment in transformation staff with data analysis and digital knowledge is important and will help ensure the alliance can drive improvement and maximise the impact.

In March 2024 the leadership and management arrangements for the alliance were reviewed and revised. This led to the creation of an executive director (community services) and service team structures were also reviewed to now include additional leadership capacity. In doing this, the peer team recognise that there are new heads of service in housing and assets and a new executive director. There is an opportunity now for the alliance to utilise these new external perspectives and this capacity and experience from elsewhere to deliver the change and transformation agenda.

Recommendation 8: In complementing the work already being delivered internally on the social regulator changes, there is benefit in having external validation on the HRA business plan.

Following the peer team making this recommendation in February 2024, HPBC was informed of the inspection from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). Notification was given in March 2024 and it was in the first tranche of inspections, with the council receiving its regulatory judgement of C2 which notes some weaknesses in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and where improvement is needed. HBPC has developed a regulatory compliance dashboard which is presented to the Alliance Leadership Team (ALT) and is also monitored at Risk Management, Transformation & Housing Boards. HPBC met with the Regulator in October and work has already commenced in areas including complaints handling.

The development of a new 30 year Housing Revenue Account (HRA) business plan has commenced with the outcome of the stock condition survey refresh to be completed – this is in process with 40 per cent of the stock being initially assessed. The condition survey will inform a key element of the business plan and the future likely costs of maintaining the stock. The latest position on the business plan will be included in the MTFP in February 2025.

The peer team recognise that there is a lot of change currently around the HRA so the council will want to focus on the finalisation of the business plan and set out any risks identified through this process.

The LGA would like to thank HPBC 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. 

Helen Murray (Principal Adviser) is the main point of contact between the authority and the Local Government Association (LGA) and her e-mail address is [email protected].