Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Corporate Peer Challenge

1. Sandwell Metropolitan Borough CouncilCorporate Peer Challenge Feedback from the peer challenge team January 2018 18th January 2018 www.local.gov.uk

2. The purpose of peer challenge Peer challenges are improvement-focussed and tailored to meet individual council’s needs. They are designed to complement and add value to a council’s own performance and improvement focus. The peers used their experience and knowledge of local government to reflect on the information presented to them by people they met, things they saw and material that they read. The team provide feedback as critical friends, not as assessors, consultants or inspectors.

3. The process of peer challenge • Peers reviewed a range of information to ensure we were familiar with the council, the challenges it is facing and its plans for the future • We have spent 4 days onsite at Sandwell during which we: • Spoke to more than 130 people including a range of council staff together with councillors and external stakeholders • Gathered information and views from more than 40 meetings, visits to key sites and additional research and reading • Collectively spent more than 250 hours to determine our findings – the equivalent of one person spending more than 6 weeks in Sandwell • Feedback session at end of onsite visit, followed by a short report and follow up activity (to be confirmed)

4. Scope and ‘brief’ for the peer challenge We have considered the core components looked at by all corporate peer challenges, namely: • Understanding of the local place and priority setting • Leadership of Place • Financial planning and viability • Organisational leadership and governance • Capacity to deliver You also asked us to feed back on whether the organisation is maximising opportunities through its external relations to deliver growth and development opportunities within the borough? www.local.gov.uk

5. Overall messages and observations • A clear pride in the organisation and the Borough – officers, councillors and partners who all want the best for Sandwell and its six towns. • A strong vision for the future articulated through Vision 2030. Good levels of awareness across the organisation and external partners. • Strong and stable financial management and a clear intention and track record of protecting frontline services. • Strong place leadership within the Borough across a range of partnerships.

6. Overall messages and observations • Less consistent and visible leadership in the wider conurbation • Recent and current standards issues have taken a lot of the headlines. The organisation needs to be seen to move on and be renowned more for the positive outcomes it enables through services and partnerships. • There is a clear vision with a need to move at pace to develop and plan the thinking and practice to support and deliver it (e.g. Children’s Trust, Vision 2030 delivery, Town Plans). • New top team presents an opportunity for a fresh start and momentum to take the new agenda forward.

7. Understanding of place and priority setting • A strong vision for the future articulated through ‘Vision 2030’ which is informed by a range of evidence and engagement • Good levels of awareness of Vision 2030. Momentum built and now needs to be maintained • A very ambitious agenda (10 ambitions, 6 town plans) • An opportunity to ensure Vision 2030 drives prioritisation, resource allocation and performance management to improve outcomes for Sandwell towns and communities • Now a need to co-produce with partners the short, medium and long term priorities, deliverables and outcomes

8. Leadership of place • A clear focus and desire to improve outcomes for people • New leadership team, a strong financial position and Vision 2030 provides a platform to balance the priority focus on frontline services and capitalise on the opportunities • Strong leadership and good partnership working focused on the six towns of Sandwell. Needs to be balanced with a wider leadership role in the wider conurbation • Sandwell has a potentially compelling offer. Is there consistent clarity and communication of this and your key ‘asks’ to maximise your potential and influence?

9. Financial planning and viability • Excellent financial management to date with a track record of delivering savings and balancing the budget • Strategy/approach to date has been predicated on re-structure/re-alignment of services, reduction of management and back office capacity, and vacancy management. • Is the current approach sustainable in the long run to continue to balance the budget, and deliver Vision 2030, while responding to new delivery arrangements? • Some examples of generating new and improved revenue streams. Thinking is at an early stage and potential to do more drawing on learning from the sector and elsewhere

10. Organisational leadership and governance • Recognition and respect for Leader and Chief Executive • Standards issues acknowledged but are not completely dominating or disabling the Council • Robust response to dealing with the specific issues and a strengthening of corporate governance arrangements (which now need to be communicated and embedded) • A new Member development programme which is linked to ethical standards • Top team has created space to work together. Scope to focus some of this on team development, model values and demonstrate stability to the organisation

11. Organisational leadership and governance • Some refinement made to the Constitution. An intention to do a more fundamental governance review • A range of established mechanisms for internal communications and engagement and a desire to develop and improve them further • Executive members appear to be on everything! • Children’s Trust goes live in April – relationship, arrangements (finance, governance, capacity) and impact on Council services will need to be continue to kept under review • Town Plan development and delivery not yet fully thought through and communicated. How does it fit with the organisation’s operating model?

12. Capacity to deliver • Committed, engaged workforce who feel invested in • ‘Facing the Future’ and ‘Vision 2030’ are seen as positive by the workforce • A number of positive workforce development initiatives (e.g. graduate development, Talent Connect, apprenticeships, etc.) • IIP Silver Status • The workforce experience of ICT is poor • Good examples of joint working, partnerships and relationships that deliver outcomes (e.g. VCS, Health, Business)

13. Growth and development • Good examples of delivery (e.g. housing, leisure, parks, college, Hospital, West Bromwich town centre) • Good relationships with businesses and funding institutions (e.g. HLF, Sport England) • Recognition of key future growth opportunities (e.g. Commonwealth Games, strategic transportation) • Getting benefit from membership of WMCA, ABCA and LEP • Working collaboratively across Black Country on Core Strategy and strategic transportation

14. Growth and development - opportunities • What is the broader strategic regeneration and skills plan for the Borough to deliver inclusive growth? What is the pitch and does everyone know the key ‘asks’ and ‘offer’? • Will the Town Plans have a role in terms of enabling inclusive growth? • Traditional approach currently. Scope to consider and develop other delivery and investment models – e.g. housing, site assembly and acquisition • A recognised need to continue to develop a corporate landlord strategy to maximise the potential of considerable assets • Additional capacity may be needed to maximise opportunities

15. Recommendations • Ensure Vision 2030 drives prioritisation, resource allocation, performance management and place leadership to improve outcomes for Sandwell • Engage with partners to co-produce the Vision 2030 short, medium and long term priorities, deliverables and outcomes • Develop a consistent understanding of the ‘offer’ and ‘asks’ that the Sandwell leadership can communicate to others. This will help maximise your potential and influence. • Consider how the current financial planning approach needs to evolve in the long run to respond to new delivery arrangements, Vision 2030 and a strategy for new and improved income streams.

16. Recommendations • Use some of the space you have created to work together as a top team to focus on development and model values across the organisation. • Complete and implement a fundamental governance review with Members • Implement the new and evolving Member Development Programme • Further develop the thinking on Town Plans – including their scope, purpose and function - and how the development and delivery of them will be managed and communicated • Ensure that the ICT infrastructure meets the current and future needs of the organisation

17. Recommendations – maximising growth and development opportunities • Consider and develop a strategic regeneration and skills plan for the Borough • Develop a corporate landlord strategy to maximise the potential of the Borough’s considerable assets • Continue to explore other delivery and investment models – e.g. housing, site assembly and acquisition

18. Next steps • Opportunity for questions and discussion now • Feedback report to follow • Follow up visit to be scheduled