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Podcast Transcript – Clackmannanshire Council 
I’m here with Paul Reilly, Secretary to the Accounts Commission, to talk about a new report on Clackmannanshire Council.  Paul, can you tell me what this report is about.
Yes. This is the latest of our Best Value Assurance Reports which look at how effectively councils are managing changes in services, involving the public in decisions, ensuring enough skills and time to deliver clear priorities, and providing good information so the public can gauge improvement.
And what have you found?
The Commission has serious concerns about the council’s financial position as it faces making savings of £29 million over the next three years. And to give that some context that is out of an annual budget of £118 million.
What does this mean for the public?
Well, people in Clackmannanshire rely on the key services like schools, roads, and social work. Like all councils it has to provide these services within a budget. So sound finances are vital for maintaining them. 
What are you calling for?
The Commission is clear that urgent and decisive action is required now. That needs strong leadership following previous political instability. And also it means closer working between councillors and officers. All councils are legally obliged to demonstrate Best Value in what they do – and that duty needs to be fulfilled by the whole council by councillors working collectively.
This means taking difficult decisions it has put off in the past. Not taking these decisions now is not an option and will only make things worse in the longer term.
This is a really big challenge for Clackmannanshire and it may benefit from some help. So the Commission also recommends it seeks external support, for example from other councils.
What else did you find? 
The council works well with other organisations to identify local priorities and deliver services. Against a backdrop of budget reductions and service cuts, it has maintained service performance and customer satisfaction in a number of key areas, although this isn't the case across all services.  
So what do you want to see happen next? 
The council will be considering our report on February 8. After that Commission will be meeting councillors and officers to discuss its findings. The Commission has asked for another report on progress at the council by June 2019 or, if needed, earlier. 
Paul, thank you