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Podcast Transcript – South Lanarkshire Council 

I’m here with Graham Sharp, Chair of the Accounts Commission, to talk about a new report on South Lanarkshire Council. 
Graham, can you start by telling us briefly what this report is about? 
The Accounts Commission’s reports on local councils cover many important issues that impact the lives of local people. This includes how effectively councils are managing changes in services; the extent to which a council is involving local communities in making decisions; whether a council is ensuring they have enough skills and time to deliver clear priorities and providing clear information, so the public can gauge improvement. 

For South Lanarkshire, what has the Accounts Commission found?
We found that South Lanarkshire Council is strongly led, has a good approach to the way the council manages its finances and has delivered improvements to many services. It is good that the council delivers major capital projects on time and on budget, including for example a significant programme to modernise and replace their entire primary school estate.

What areas do South Lanarkshire need to focus on in the immediate future?

South Lanarkshire Council must now do more to talk to and work with local communities as they look to redesign services for the future. The council’s approach to community participation and engagement need to be reviewed, including improving the consistency and quality of consultation with residents. This is essential for the council better to understand how local people view the services they use and receive. 

Finally, then, what challenges lie ahead for South Lanarkshire Council?

Like many local councils in Scotland, South Lanarkshire Council faces a significant increase in residents aged over 65. At the same time, there is in general a need to maintain and improve services when they’re facing increasing demand. And thirdly, this is all at a time when funding is likely to reduce in future. We know, for example, that the number of people aged over 65 is set to increase by around 10,000, over the next 10 years. This will clearly have an impact on key services such as health and social care, as well as housing. We are pleased to see that the council is preparing for this and is replacing existing care homes with new care facilities to reduce the reliance on nursing and residential care.  In facing future challenges, there is likely to be a budget gap of nearly £80 million between 2019 and 2022.  However, the council’s focus on continuous improvement and sound financial management means they are well placed to address these challenges.

Graham, thank you very much. And you can download and read the full report at www.audit-scotland.gov.uk