Report of the Chief Executive

Manchester City Council requested a Corporate Peer Review from the Local Government Association (LGA) which took place from 30 November to 3 December 2021.  The overall feedback from the peer reviewers was very positive for both the Council and the city.  The peer review report highlighted seven areas for improvement that align with the Council’s existing Corporate and Business Plan priorities.  An action plan has been drafted to address these issues.  A follow-up visit for the peer reviewers to check in on progress will be arranged for September 2022.

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Executive that described that Manchester City Council had requested a Corporate Peer Review from the Local Government Association (LGA) which had taken place from 30 November to 3 December 2021. 

Key points and themes of the report included:-

·                The overall feedback from the peer reviewers was very positive for both the Council and the city;

·                The peer review report highlighted seven areas for improvement that align with the Council’s existing Corporate and Business Plan priorities;

·                An action plan had been drafted to address these issues; and

·                A follow-up visit for the peer reviewers to check in on progress will be arranged for September 2022.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committees discussions were:-

·                Welcoming the many positive findings of the review;

·                Noting that the strength of scrutiny in Manchester was recognised and the Committee paid tribute to all of the officers who supported this important function;

·                The need to measure progress and outcomes against the action plan;

·                The need to ensure that all staff, regardless of grade were aware of the ambitions of the action plan and their role in delivering this, adding that this needed to be explicit within the actions;

·                Welcoming the commitment to address poverty and inequalities; and

·                Paying tribute to all staff working across the Neighbourhood Teams and recognising the important work they deliver on behalf of the residents of the city.

The Director of Policy, Performance and Reform advised that he action plan would be shared more widely with partners, including the Our Manchester Investment Board and all managers withing the Council would discuss the plan and the key themes with staff and would inform the ongoing 1 to 1’s with staff. This would further inform the approach to wider staff development initiatives.

The Leader welcomed the positive comments from the Members and paid tribute to the officers who had facilitated the peer review. She commented that the review had been undertaken in the spirit of a critical friend and they had identified many strengths and positive examples of progress and leadership by the Council to improve outcomes for residents, especially in the context of the budget restraints. She stated that the Council had been identified as being able to adapt and respond positively to challenges. She commented that one of the findings was that the Council needed to talk more positively and promote the many positive initiatives and improvements we had delivered, noting this was very unusual for a peer review to recommend.

The Leader stated that the strength, arrangements and approach to scrutiny in Manchester had been recognised as very positive, noting that scrutiny presented a robust challenge to the Executive.

The Leader commented that it was understood that the work to address inequalities and adverse health outcomes was a strand of work that cut across all aspects of the work of the Council, adding that this was informed and strengthened by the work undertaken with Professor Michael Marmot. She advised that progress against this work to reduce inequities and improve outcomes for residents was captured in the State of the City report and she recommended that each of the scrutiny committees would continue to monitor progress of the action plan throughout the year, adding that consideration would be given to include targets and reports outcomes.

The Leader stated that consideration would continue to be given as to how the Capital Programme Budget aligned to neighbourhood priorities.      

Decision

The Committee notes the report.