Brentwood Borough CouncilCorporate Peer ChallengeFeedback from the peer challenge team

9 – 12 November 2021

12 November 2021

The peer challenge team

• Bill Cullen, Chief Executive Peer - Hinkley and Bosworth Borough Council

• Cllr William Nunn, Member Peer - LGA Regional Peer, Breckland District Council

• Sarah Gobey, Officer Peer - Chief Financial Officer, Adur District and Worthing Borough Councils

• Andy Wood, Officer Peer – Service Lead for Growth Development and Prosperity, East Devon District Council

• Annabel Crouch, Officer Peer - Policy Manager, Elmbridge Borough Council

• Kirsty Human - LGA Peer Challenge Manager

• Rachel Stephens - LGA Project Support Officer

Thank You

The purpose of peer challenge

• Peer challenges are improvement-focussed and tailored to meet a council’s needs.

• They are designed to complement and add value to a council’s own performance and improvement focus.

• The peers used their experience and knowledge of local government to reflect on the information presented to them by people they met, things they saw and material that they read.

• The team provide feedback as critical friends, not as assessors, consultants or inspectors.

The process of peer challenge

• Peers reviewed a range of information to ensure we were familiar with the council, the challenges it is facing and its plans for the future

• The peer team gathered information and views from more than 30 meetings, in addition to further research

• We spoke to more than 90 people including a range of council staff together with members and external stakeholders

Scope and brief for the peer challenge

We have considered the core components looked at by all corporate peer challenges, namely:

1. Local priorities and outcomes

2. Organisational and place leadership

3. Governance and culture

4. Financial planning and management

5. Capacity for improvement

In addition we also considered the following area of focus:

6. Shared Services/Partnership arrangements

Quotes“Brentwood is trying to

do the right thing”

“We are one organisation”

“We have briefings

– not debate”

“I was too scared to say it”

“We punch above

our weight”

“ASELA is about place

making at scale to deliver

real impact across South

Essex”

“ASELA has been

titanic in bringing

leaders together on

economy and

housing”

“Brentwood is

more in your

face – less

traditional”

“Our asset team is not

adequate to do all that we

need to do”

Chris and Jonathan are

a “dynamic duo”

“Easiest council to work

with in South Essex”

“What are the 2/3 key

things that Brentwood

want to deliver well?”

“Don’t see the

County Council as

a pain in the

@rse”

“Be more outward

looking – beyond ASELA”

Overall messages and observations

• Brentwood Borough Council is ambitious, daring and has strong leadership – last two years has seen a step change

• #Team Brentwood – “The Brentwood way” – embracing change

• Good approach to growing your own talent

• Punches above its weight – ASELA, strong leadership roles

• Emphasis on community engagement – Be proud of this

• Effective response during the pandemic, recognised by business and communities

• Underselling yourselves

Overall messages and observations

• There is an over reliance on commercial focus

• Meeting the budget challenge – beyond commercial initiatives

• Expectations vs reality

• Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise

• Develop capacity, workforce plan and training

• Be clear on your objectives for shared services

• Behaviour at public meetings is impacting on the council's reputation

Local priorities and outcomes

Strengths

• New corporate plan 2021 – 2025, developed with stakeholders

• Secured £11m via ASELA across South Essex for regeneration and infrastructure

• Delivered on projects/leisure strategy e.g. new recycling scheme, parks/recreation, Brookfield Close (zero carbon)

• Responded effectively for businesses and the communityduring the pandemic

• Invested in place for the benefit of residents e.g. Baytree and Childerditch Business Park

Local priorities and outcomes

Areas for consideration

• Place narrative needs to include more than just business and economy (Community and High Streets)

• Be clear on your priorities and communicate them (service plans/forward plan)

• Be clear about what you will stop doing

• Ensure new economic development strategy reflects supports recovery and adaptation to a post pandemic world

• Maintain momentum on transition to a zero-carbon economy

Organisational and place leadership

Strengths

• Leader and CEX provide strong leadership and are respected by partners

• Exceptional relations with business community e.g. during pandemic and with grants

• Business showcase is a stand out

• Economic development team are well regarded

• Leadership of ASELA is recognised by partners

• Effective CSP delivering positive outcomes e.g. school programmes

Organisational and place leadership

Areas for consideration

• Engage your partners in delivery of corporate plan ambitions

• Need for more provision of incubator/small business spaces (creative industries)

• Further develop strategies for town centre recovery

• Consideration of BIDs for town centres

Governance and cultureStrengths

• Committees are generally well chaired

• Swift response to pandemic in setting up emergencycommittee

• Officers and committee chairs jointly setting agendas

• Governance and regular reporting in place for SAIL

• Friendly welcoming, can do and supportive culture

• Staff awards appreciated by staff

• Scrutiny has a strong role in budget development

Governance and culture

Areas for consideration

• Councillors feel briefed rather than engaged

• Behaviour within some committees is inappropriate

• Embrace the skills of senior political leadership team

• Consider establishing a consultative staff forum - HR policies, staff initiatives, Equality and Diversity

• Requirement for a new workforce development plan

• Council need to manage the risks around SAIL and JV

Financial planning and management

Strengths

• Financial arrangements are fundamentally sound

• Good and experienced team in place

• MTFS identifies all cost pressures and resourcing challenges

• HRA can support the delivery of 500 homes

• Budget monitoring is owned by the organisation

• Good sets of accounts and clean opinions

Financial planning and management

Areas for consideration

• MTFS should more explicitly align to the corporate plan and capital programme

• Continue to develop plans to meet the budget gap

• The finance reports need richer narrative to explain service pressures

• Continue to risk manage investments in property portfolio

• Further invest in capacity to manage the investments and delivery

• Consider the future of Brentwood Development Partnership

Capacity for improvement

Strengths

• Loyal and committed staff

• Continue to grow your own staff

• Aspiring managers programme highly regarded

• Have built capacity at strategic level and on climatepriorities

• Opportunity for resilience with Rochford partnership

Capacity for improvement

Areas for consideration

• Additional capacity required for HR, ED, Estates andPlanning

• Develop the appraisal process

• Building on success of Aspiring Manager programme broaden the learning and development offer

• Consider further front line capacity

• Develop and support future council chairs

• Fix member case work process – “case work portal”

Shared Services/PartnershipsStrengths

• Securing positive outcomes from ASELA

• Opening up opportunities with Government – national stage

• Leader brings focus to ASELA

• Partnerships are high performing e.g. revs and bens, planning

• Partner of choice in South Essex

• Actively developing partnership with Rochford – building resilience and learning from each other

• Leaders looking at the BBC/RDC partnership though same lense

Shared Services/Partnerships

Areas for consideration

• Opportunities for further strategic partnerships with other councils

• Consider offer from Essex CC re: capacity for data analytics

• Opportunity to work with the county on levelling up agenda

• Review of partnership benefits vs cost

• Explore the wider strategic benefits of the Rochford partnership – beyond back office

Recommendations

1. Build your capacity to deliver your ambitions

2. Prioritise on your key projects

3. Invest in success – workforce strategy, pay, L&D

4. Grow your political leaders – succession plan

5. Develop a more diverse budget strategy

6. Rationalise the investment structure

7. Promote the “Brentwood way”

8. Have a plan for partnerships – review existing arrangements

9. Consider wider opportunities - others want to work with you

10.Demonstrate good standards in public office – the “Brentwood way”

Next steps

• Opportunity for questions and discussion now

• Public feedback report to follow shortly

• Council to publish an action plan in response within eight weeks of the CPC report's publication

• 6-month check-in to be scheduled – an opportunity to discuss progress and next steps