Local authorities in Wales must do more to encourage and grow community resilience against a backdrop of cuts, auditors have said.
A new report by Audit Wales has praised local authorities in Wales for a ‘positive track record’ in adapting to challenges, such as austerity and COVID-19.
However, they warned that councils are facing their biggest challenge with the current cost-of-living crisis and so needed to do more to equip people to do more for themselves and be less reliant on the state.
The Welsh government is planning to increase council budgets for 2023-24. However, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) estimate that local authorities will have to manage £1.2bn of unfunded cost pressures between April 2023 and March 2025.
The economic pressures have forced councils to take an increasing interest in growing community resilience, the auditors said. But they had to go further.
‘While it is clear local authorities have a strong track record in some key areas that can help create more self-reliant individuals and resilient communities, we found that local authorities are not using resources to effectively encourage community resilience,’ they said.
‘In the current economic climate, this is unsurprising, with an uncertain future, switching resources from often over stretched services is no easy thing. But unless local authorities encourage people to do more for themselves and find their own solutions, services are likely to be unsustainable.’
Auditor General Adrian Crompton said: ‘The pandemic showed communities can play a more active role and become less dependent on public services but sustaining this requires local authorities to change how they work. I recognise how difficult this is in the current climate but also believe that change is necessary. Our report makes the case for change and provides recommendations to help authorities make the transition.’
