A SCOTTISH council has been urged to improve below-average services – but a watchdog has said it is making “steady progress”.
In a report published today, the Accounts Commission, Scotland’s local authority watchdog, says Scottish Borders Council must ensure it has the “senior officer capacity to fulfil its ambitions”, which include a multi-million savings programme.
The plan, named Fit for 2024, aims to save the local authority – run by a coalition of Tory and independent councillors – £30m within the next five years.
The commission said that while education, economic development and some social care services “continue to improve”, many services are “performing below the national average”, with budget cuts impacting on areas like leisure.
The national body said: “The council must do more to understand where and how these services need to improve.”
Today’s report also calls on Scottish Borders Council to ensure it has the “right mix of skills in its workforce to deliver services differently”, adding: “It is also crucial that all council staff contribute to the transformation plans.”
Working with other organisations, it is claimed, will be key to the council hitting its change targets.
Graham Sharp, chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “The continued progress Scottish Borders Council has made to transform services is encouraging. Now it must focus on several critical areas including tackling underperforming services, ensuring councillors have the right training to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities and getting to grips with both staff and community engagement.”
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Earlier this month the local authority faced criticism from the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) over a cost-cutting scheme in school libraries.
The programme, being trialled in Galashiels, Peebles and Kelso high schools, uses volunteers and pupils instead of school librarians.
If successful, it may be extended to six other secondaries around the region.
CILIP Scotland head Sean McNamara said all high school pupils should have access to a school librarian, while Pamela Tulloch, chief executive of the Scottish Library and Information Council, said the trained staff “improve educational attainment and promote a positive attitude to learning”.
However, the council said it was working on “pupil-owned and led social and library spaces” in response to demand from young people.
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