Agenda item

To consider a report on feedback and key reflections from the Local Government Association team following their remote visit in June 2021 to review progress of the six corporate peer challenge recommendations and to carry out a Covid-19 recovery and renewal challenge.

Cabinet considered a report on the feedback and key reflections from the Local Government Association team following their remote visit in June 2021 to review progress of the six corporate peer challenge recommendations and to carry out a Covid-19 recovery and renewal challenge.

As part of the national sector-led improvement programme, the Authority had taken part in a Local Government Association (LGA) corporate peer challenge from 18 – 21 June 2019. The Peer Team had made six recommendations for the Authority’s future planning in a written report. 

The feedback and key reflections from the LGA team were extremely positive and supportive of the Authority’s plans for the Borough to recover and renew from the challenges faced by the Covid pandemic

The LGA was impressed that the Authority had successfully delivered against the action plan it had produced in response to the six corporate peer review challenge recommendations during the very challenging times caused by the pandemic.

Feedback from the LGA described ‘great political and managerial leadership that balances passion and compassion’. The LGA report cited clear evidence of the organisation’s values beginning to embed and noted how long standing, positive relationships with many partners, had enabled agile and innovative decision making during the pandemic.

The LGA noted the work to analyse and understand the direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic on local communities and how this would inform a refreshed Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and Health and Wellbeing Strategy for the Borough, through the Health and Well Being Board. The Authority’s plans for Covid-19 recovery were found to be impressive, with a clear focus on people and customers.

The following four recommendations had been made by the LGA team, to support the Authority’s ongoing work on recovery and renewal:

1.    Complete work to strengthen the workforce and organisational development client function.

2.    Finalise all strategic plans, with buy-in from all stakeholders.

3.    Identify and consider further investment opportunities and integrated pathways with health partners, and

4.    Continue to play into the regional and sub-regional space, to bring in tangible benefits to the residents of North Tyneside.

Cabinet considered the following decision options:

Option 1: to note the feedback, key findings and four recommendations from the LGA, as set out in section 1.5.2 of the report and ensure that these are built into the ongoing work to deliver the Our North Tyneside Plan and the Organisational Business Plan.

Option 2: to note the feedback, key findings and four recommendations from the LGA and not build these into the ongoing work to deliver the Our North Tyneside Plan and the Organisational Business Plan.

Resolved that (1) the LGA feedback and key reflections set out in Appendix 1 to the report be noted; and

(2) the four recommendations from the LGA, as set out in section 1.5.2 of the report, be noted and these be built into the ongoing work to deliver the Our North Tyneside Plan and the Organisational Business Plan.

(Reasons for decision: the recommendations made by the LGA, are based on detailed discussions with the Elected Mayor, Cabinet and the Authority’s Chief Executive and senior leadership team during the course of the LGA’s remote corporate peer challenge follow up and recovery and renewal remote visit on 29 and 30 June 2021; and the recommendations reflect the feedback and key findings from the LGA.)