Damning report into Moray Council's performance

MORAY Council has admitted that a damning performance report this week which highlights a deterioration in services makes "difficult reading".

The wide-ranging Best Value Assurance Report (BVAR) into Moray Council said its performance had declined over the past five years – particularly in educational attainment.

In education Moray was one of the lowest performing – 29th of Scotland's 32 local authorities – a significant drop since 2014-15 when Moray was placed 12th.

Moray’s school buildings were ranked worst in Scotland.

The audit was carried out at the end of 2019 by local government spending watchdog the Accounts Commission for Audit Scotland. It looks for continuous improvement in the delivery of services.

The five-yearly report was officially released yesterday, Wednesday, August 26.

A council spokesperson said today: "Whilst it makes difficult reading, the council welcomes the report and commission findings, which acknowledge the good work already under way in the areas highlighted by inspectors."

Council officers have begun work on an 18-month plan and more than £3 million has been earmarked from council reserves to address the issues raised in the report – including staff capacity and the slow pace of improvements.

The council called for "greater collaboration" to transform the school estate and the delivery of community services.

Local Conservatives expressed "extremely deep concern" over the findings and have requested an urgent special meeting of the full council to seek clear answers as to "why, yet again, we face such a damaging report".

However, council leader Graham Leadbitter said: "I am pleased that the report has identified a strength of leadership in the timeframe of our administration and I am grateful to councillors that have set aside differences and worked with us on critical budget, restructuring and transformation issues in the last couple of years.

"The report also identifies a number of key areas that are challenging for the council and which will need considerable focus in the months and years ahead.

"Some of those areas, such as school attainment, are already being tackled by a renewed focus on numeracy and literacy and a more in-depth, forensic assessment of attainment that enables schools to focus in on where support is most needed."

Cllr Leadbitter added: "A major positive is that the report identifies a renewed focus to drive forward strategic change and we will continue to focus on those leadership responsibilities that must be at the heart of what all elected councillors do."

Conservatives said the report laid bare that the council lacked inspirational and innovative leadership.

Councillor Tim Eagle (Buckie), leader of the Conservative group on the council, said "nothing has really changed" since the last audit in 2015.

Cllr Eagle said: "The failure to even recognise the shortcomings in performance, never mind implement change, has been a huge source of frustration to the Conservative group and, I believe, many operational managers working for the council.

"We have amazing staff working so hard in Moray across many different areas, but I have had a hunch for a while that what we lack at the very top of the council is the kind of inspirational and innovative leadership necessary to drive change."

Shadow Education Minister Jamie Halcro Johnston said the report must be a "wake-up call" for those responsible for schooling in Moray.

The report said the council recognised its key challenges and had a consistent vision and overall priorities, but had been slow to make progress due to political instability and lack of focus.

However, it said recent progress had been made towards some significant strategic decisions.

Although workforce morale was good the capacity of staff to deliver change was a limiting factor in several areas, the report added.

Read the report here .

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