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South Ayrshire Council 

South Ayrshire Council 
Podcast  transcript June 29, 2016

I’m here with Douglas Sinclair, chair of the Accounts Commission, to talk about a report on South Ayrshire Council.
Douglas, can you tell me what this report is about…
Yes, it is a look at how South Ayrshire Council is doing, particularly in meeting the statutory requirement all councils have to deliver Best Value and continuous improvement in what they do. It follows up a critical report in February 2014 which  identified significant weaknesses. 
So what have you found?
Well, it’s a very positive report. South Ayrshire has made real progress over the last two years. There is now a strong culture of improvement across the council. Scrutiny is better. New staff have been recruited to fill key positions and working relationships have improved between councillors and clear leadership is making a positive difference. 
So what does this mean for the public?
The council provides vital services for the people of South Ayrshire. And all the improvement steps taken by the council will have an impact on those services and how they are delivered.  
What is encouraging is the way the council looked at other organisations for new ideas and fresh thinking which can be adapted for the needs of South Ayrshire. This is certainly an example other councils could and indeed should follow.  
So what do you want to see happen next?
In a nutshell, more of the same.  It is vital that South Ayrshire maintains the positive momentum it has built up.   There are difficult decisions ahead – as indeed there are for all councils – with reductions in funding as demands on services increase.  But it is in a much better position now to cope with this. 
The council has to keep on the course it has set  -  so that it can continue to deliver on the priorities that matter most to the people of South Ayrshire.
Douglas, thank you very much.