Scottish councillors elected in May need to ‘plan effectively’ for the long term and work with their local communities when deciding key priorities, auditors say.
In its 2017 overview published today the local government spending watchdog Accounts Commission said councillors starting in two months time must have the necessary training and tools to do an ‘increasingly complex job’.
The report — prepared by Audit Scotland — highlighted the long-term decline in Scottish government real terms funding, which makes up around 60% of council income, and pointed to the increasing pressures on services, particularly in social care and education.
In this context, it warned, determining local priorities, overseeing delivery of essential services and working in partnership with other public bodies to improve outcomes was going to be more difficult.
Overall, local authorities have maintained or improved their performance in the face of these various challenges, the auditors found. However, they warned public satisfaction was declining and complaints were increasing.
According to the report, some councils have ‘grasped the nettle’ in finding new ways to provide services more efficiently, but others have been ‘slower off the mark’.
Councils have made savings by cutting jobs but half of them still don't have organisation-wide workforce plans.
The Accounts Commission also called on local authorities to learn more from each other and collaborate better to improve services and reduce costs.
‘New councillors will require time to settle in and develop skills to make strategic plans, consider options for service delivery and scrutinise how well this is happening in practice,’ said Ronnie Hinds, deputy chair of the Accounts Commission.
‘But they have four years ahead of them, and they need to plan effectively for the longer term, work with their communities to decide key priorities and then make that plan happen.
‘We hope our report is helpful to councillors and officers as they strive to maintain or improve services for the public with reduced resources.’