Must do much better

Council Leader Howard Sykes and Councillor Kay Knox with the reports

‘Adequate’ report puts council near bottom of table

QUALITY of life in Oldham remains below average and improvements in council services lag behind performances elsewhere.

That’s the view of the Audit Commission’s corporate assessment which rated Oldham Council as performing “adequately overall” — no different to its verdict four years ago.

Every category was rated as adequate, leaving the council as one of the worst performing authorities in the country.

However, from April, a new rating system called the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) will be introduced — giving the council a chance to demonstrate improvements and move up the table.

The inspection looked at performance up until March, 2008, before the Lib-Dems took control from Labour.

It found progress had been slow and the borough still faced significant challenges.

Other weaknesses included the financial crisis — a £17.3 million budget black hole that will result in hundreds of job losses — being poor at communicating with residents, not taking enough account of people’s views and not being clear enough about its aims.

But the report also found the council has clear and challenging ambitions for improving quality of life while providing good leadership in promoting the borough’s interests.

Strengths also praised include diversity and performance management.

Audit Commission senior manager Pat Johnson said: “Oldham Council has been slow to modernise its operations and has much to do to become an efficient, well-run organisation.”

In a frank assessment, council leader Howard Sykes blamed resources, not having the right people in the right job and opting for quick fixes in the past.

He added: “I think it’s a very fair report and accurate reflection of where we were when inspected.

“They could have written a much harsher report, which they chose not to. This would not have helped anyone. I read this and it feels like the Oldham Council we know.”

But Councillor Sykes pointed out the areas of good service praised and the council’s potential to improve. He said many of the negatives are already being worked on, such as the transformation of the management structure and work to ensure a sustainable budget.

He expects to begin to see improvements by the summer.

The council had previously claimed that being rated excellent by 2008 was a possibility — but Councillor Sykes said that was setting themselves up to fail.

“I think people in this borough will be happy with cost effective, good services,” he said.

Labour leader, Councillor Jim McMahon, said, on balance, the report was a fair reflection and highlighted things done well such as investment in education.

He added: “There is, however, much to do in order to have a council which responds to the needs of the people of the borough.”

Conservative leader, Councillor Jack Hulme, said the report points the way forward to major improvements that he is confident the next report will show.




Child services boost

THE council had better news in its first ever joint area review in children’s services, which was conducted at the same time.

Safeguarding of children and looked-after children were rated good, with learning difficulties and/or disabilities service management and capacity to improve all rated adequate.

At a time when child protection scandals have hit other authorities, council chiefs said they were delighted their safeguarding of children was well rated.

Veronica Jackson, executive director of adult and community services, said it was a considerable improvement from four years ago when children’s services were deemed unsafe.