Best Value Assurance Report: Falkirk Council

Urgent progress is needed at Falkirk Council. Since our 2018 report Falkirk Council has not delivered improvement needed to address future budget gaps.
Many services are performing well and continue to improve.
Councillors, senior officers and local partners, responded well to impacts of Covid-19.
Together they have a vision for local recovery.
But over the past four years they've not shown enough collective leadership to deliver a programme of change.
Urgently need to make and put into action big decisions to save £70 million over the next five years.
The Accounts Commission is not yet confident the council can do this.
What next?
Pace and depth of transformation need to be significantly improved.
The council needs to help empower communities...
...helping the council make decisions about services they use.
Locality plans must be agreed - vital to support those most disadvantaged.
Adult health and social care services need to be integrated to ensure services better meet needs of individuals.
"Change is required urgently at Falkirk Council. It is frustrating that there has been insufficient progress since our 2018 report... Councillors and officers must work together to deliver savings and deliver services differently." - Tim McKay, Interim Deputy Chair of the Accounts Commission.
What happens next? A further report in 2023 will cover what progress has been made.