The Government has today (1 December) published a report by the commissioners appointed to support Sandwell Council and help to resolve historic issues in the way the council is run.
The report was originally submitted to the Secretary of State in June, but publication has been delayed until now due to changes at ministerial level.
The commissioners were appointed by the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in March 2022. They were required to provide an update on progress after three months, and will provide further updates at six month interval with the next one due this month (December).
A comprehensive improvement plan was unanimously approved by Sandwell Council in June 2022, and updates on the progress made are reported regularly to Cabinet.
In a Best Value Review, carried out by Grant Thornton in 2021, auditors criticised Sandwell Council and the way elected officials and officers at the council have worked together. The review found the council was coming out of a period in which there was a “breakdown of trust, confidence and respect between senior officers and members”.
Government-appointed commissioners Kim Bromley-Derry and Jim Taylor, both former chief executives of other councils, have been in their current posts for around eight months at Sandwell Council. In the summer, they reported to the Department for Levelling Up that they have seen signs of ‘early improvement’ at the council.
In their report, the commissioners noted a number of recent achievements which they felt showed that the council was improving. These included the successful delivery of the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, the council securing £67.5m (£40m as of 22 June - the date of the report) of government funding via the Towns Fund, as well as balancing its budget without the use of reserves for the first time in a number of years.
The report details positive engagement with MPs, all councillors, as well as key partners such as the West Midlands Combined Authority and Sandwell Children's Trust.
The commissioners noted that the current leader Councillor Kerrie Carmichael had brought about greater stability among members.
Kim Bromley-Derry, Managing Director Commissioner and Jim Taylor, Best Value Commissioner, concluded their report with: “We are pleased to report that we have experienced and witnessed a culture of renewal within the council, and one that is forward looking and positive.
“Significant work is already underway, and we believe that the council is demonstrating its commitment to change its way of working, and to improve outcomes for the residents of Sandwell. We look forward to updating you further in our December letter to you at which stage we anticipate describing further improvement.”
Since the report in June, Sandwell Council has recruited Shokat Lal as the new, permanent Chief Executive who is due to start in this role in the coming months.
Lee Rowley MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Local Government and Building Safety has responded to the Commissioners report. He says:
“In your report, you indicate that you are starting to see early signs of improvement in ensuring the Council is more functional as a body for the residents it serves. The arrival of new officers and the willingness to take decisions on key service issues highlighted by the Grant Thornton review are two such examples of the Council beginning to more adequately discharge its responsibilities.
“It will be important that the new Chief Executive, Shokat Lal, is able to build upon this early progress and champion an enduring culture of openness, collaboration and focus on improving the lives of local residents.”
Leader of Sandwell Council, Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, said: "We continue to make the necessary changes and we are very pleased to see the commissioners reported in such a positive way to the Government in June.
"Since this report, we have worked on a number of areas where we needed to improve and have made massive progress across the board. This includes recruiting a new permanent Chief Executive, the successful procurement and roll-out of new contracts for school transport for our children with special educational needs and disabilities, moving children's services out of 'inadequate' - the first time this has happened in more than a decade and establishing a positive way forward with our leisure service, to name but a few successes.
"We are working together on all areas of our ambitious improvement plan to ensure Sandwell is a borough that is totally focussed on the needs of our residents, where everyone can fulfil their potential and be proud to live and work here."
The improvement plan was unanimously agreed at a Full Council Meeting on 7 June and sets out the council’s proposals to improve in a number of areas. This includes delivering better value for money for Sandwell residents through a more efficient approach to procurement as well as improving key services including such as waste and leisure.
The Commissioners will be providing a further report to the Secretary of State this month (December). In addition, the council will also be publishing reports shortly from the external auditor, Grant Thornton, from the LGA and from CIPFA, who have all returned to Sandwell this Autumn to review progress made since their previous reports in 2021/22.
The report and reply from the Minister for Local Government.