Members of the Local Government Association, officers from the councils in Halton, Lambeth, and Warrington, as well as a council leader from Huddersfield, carried out a peer review of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council at the end of 2021 and the report has now concluded.
The main finding of the report was that the council had a good recent record of financial management and reporting, was well as being financially stable. One thing that was added, however, was the fact that the current cost of living crisis could drastically affect the delivery of council services. This will be something that the council must respond to, thanks to a reduction in income and a higher demand for the services that the council provide.
Local Government Association programme manager, Satvinder Rana, said:
“The council has made huge improvements and has an interesting story to tell. It should now begin the process of celebrating its successes and sharing learning and good practice with the wider local government sector.
The council has a good recent record of financial management and reporting, and it currently a financially stable organisation.
Doncaster Council is on a journey of continuous improvement with many good features, and if continued it will become an exemplary council. It has overcome some challenging times in its recent past and is now emerging as a strong organisation that is on a positive and upward trajectory.”
Head of policy, performance and intelligence at Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, Allan Wiltshire, added:
“The council would like to welcome the report and recommendations which recognises that DMBC is on a journey to being an exemplary council.
However, we know that significant challenges and opportunities remain and that this is a journey of improvement, and the council must continue to learn and adapt to ensure we are effectively meeting the demand now as well as being ready for the opportunities of the future.”
The report was conducted by gathering information from more than 35 meetings, as well as further research and speaking to more than 120 people. These people ranged from councillors and affiliated members, across a range of council staff.
