A Southampton City Council inspector was excluded from many senior management meetings and the way other officers sought advice from lawyers was at times ‘confusing’, a report commissioned by the local authority reveals. became.
The Center for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) stated in it: Governance and decision-making review at Southampton Council Attorneys were sometimes instructed “last minute” when they should have been involved much earlier in the decision-making process.
After several years of Labor government, the Conservatives won Southampton in 2021, but have been reverted to Labor this year. While the report mostly concerned the Conservative era, he said there were continuing lessons for the council.
The CfGS said the Conservatives were eager for immediate action to implement their plans and that “leading MPs were frustrated with their officials and the existing system. [they] It was seen as holding the need to act quickly and decisively. “
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Trustees felt there was “resistance and backlash from officials on some issues” [and] That officer may not be “on board” with the new agenda. “
Officers’ concerns about the lack of clarity and assurance in decision-making first appeared under the previous Labor government, but have become more important over the course of the Conservative government.
According to the report, the Tories are in power “with a well-developed sense of what they want to achieve” and that “pace is more important than some other considerations, and they are determined to achieve their objectives.” want to cut down on bureaucracy and fall short of reasonable cop advice that in some cases a ‘more considered’ approach is needed accordingly. “
Southampton’s oversight officer did not regularly attend meetings of the management team, a change that has since occurred, but “it will take time to address this underrepresentation of legal expertise”.
CfGS states: Either the proposed decision was “legal” in a technical sense, or it was not, hoping to take into account the Council’s broader obligations (particularly those relating to the highest values). plug.
Little understanding, especially from former Conservative government members, of “how legal and financial advice is combined to help aldermen approach their duties in order to deliver the best value.” It wasn’t. sometimes followed.
“Formal arrangements exist for the provision of legal (and other) advice and approval from lawyers and other professionals, but are often not followed,” the CfGS said.
“The nature of the ‘signature’ of the report itself is also unclear, and the circulation of draft reports by officers may not follow the required procedures. leads to a broader issue about “
The report was particularly concerned about the timely provision of legal, financial, and equality advice to city council members, stating that “the manner in which other officials sought advice from lawyers was sometimes chaotic. The last moment when you need to be involved in the entire decision-making process.”
Trustees’ expectations regarding decision-making, including the approval of officers on legal matters, may be “distorted and constrained.”
There has been a lack of planning by officials for a possible new government in 2021, and as a result, Trustees’ impatience with the pace of decision-making and policy-making has resulted in “in a few instances, a reluctance to take on and accept officials.” evolved into “advice”.
Similarly, relations between senior officials and members of the administration “did not allow these conversations to be conducted with the necessary candor and candor”.
The report states:
“We have already noted that the aforementioned challenges regarding resilience in decision-making were exacerbated by the lack of pace in which officials adjusted to the new political environment in 2021, and that the Council’s method of thinking has resulted in prioritization is likely to change
Overall, however, the CfGS found no fundamental and systemic flaws in the Council’s governance framework, largely related to “work on relationships rather than undertaking a fundamental overhaul of processes, structures and systems.” said it needed improvement.
Southampton chief executive Mike Harris welcomed the findings of the review and the view that there were no fundamental or systemic flaws in the governance framework and that there were “several areas for improvement”.
Mr Harris said: By senior officials on policy development and cooperation with leaders of all political parties.
“Through these actions, we hope to improve the quality of our decision-making process and look forward to working closely with elected members of all political parties to continue to improve the way we work for our residents and businesses.” I have.”
Mark Sumrian
