LGA Review Endorses Council’s Tackling Inequality Agenda

AN INDEPENDENT review of the Council and its strategy has concluded that there is much for which the Council and its leadership should be proud, whilst recognising the great potential of Reading and endorsing the on-going need to prioritise tackling inequalities.

Reading Borough Council’s existing vision, as outlined in its Corporate Plan 2022-25, is ‘to help Reading realise its potential and to ensure that everyone who lives and works here can share in the benefits of its success’  (https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/documents/s21859/CorporatePlan-2022-25.pdf)

Now the Local Government Association (LGA), which undertook a ‘Corporate Peer Challenge’ of Reading at the Council’s own request in June this year, has confirmed that a ‘window of opportunity’ exists for the Council to help provide fundamental change in the lives of residents by leading the drive to tackle inequalities.

Reading ranks as the third most unequal ‘city’ nationally in terms of wealth distribution (Centre for Cities). Five neighbourhoods in the town sit in the 10% most deprived in England and there is a difference in life expectancy of seven years for men and eight years for women, between the most affluent and most deprived areas of Reading.

The LGA report urges the Council to ‘capitalise fully on the window of opportunity which exists to enable fundamental and profound change in the lives of residents in the borough.’ Among its recommendations are for the Council to build on its existing narrative and vision for tackling inequalities, develop a deeper engagement with Reading’s diverse communities and work with partners and communities to tackle inequalities with tangible action.

The full LGA report has been published at https://cdn.prgloo.com/media/9a5297aabf084a3780c33700136ff5bd.pdf

Welcoming the LGA’s report and its findings, Reading Borough Council Leader Jason Brock said:

“It is always important for local authorities to seek external validation to sense check their direction of travel and it is encouraging when those external voices endorse what has already been identified as a priority in Reading, in this case the tackling inequality agenda.

 “The soaring cost of living, and other external policy decisions taken recently at a national level, mean there is a real threat that existing inequalities in Reading could widen over the difficult months and years ahead, just as they did during the pandemic where we know deprived communities felt a bigger impact than more affluent ones.

 “This Council has long had social inclusion at the top of its priority list and we welcome the LGA recommendations to build on progress so far, including working towards a deeper understanding and engagement with communities who need our help the most and helping mobilise partner organisations across the town, including our incredible voluntary sector in Reading who have the knowledge and expertise to reach our diverse communities.”

Six experienced peers from different councils and organisations carried out Reading’s LGA Peer Challenge over the summer. Onsite interviews and focus group discussions were held with Council members, staff and partners. In total the LGA team met with nearly 120 stakeholders, both internal and external.

The LGA report states:

“There is much for the Council and its leadership to be proud of around what the organisation has delivered in the last few years.  This includes establishing a growing national reputation around the climate change agenda – reflected in being included as one of only 11 places in the UK on an international ‘A’ list of 95 cities classed as taking ‘bold climate action’. 

“The Council, with its partners, has also supported its communities through the pandemic, including setting up and supporting testing and vaccination centres; distributing over £50m of government support to businesses in the locality; establishing the Reading Community Hub; and assisting thousands of residents whilst they were shielding.  The Council has also been involved in dealing with a number of major incidents and their aftermath, including the Forbury Gardens terrorist attacks in June 2020 and the deadly fire at Rowe Court in December 2021.”

The report also highlights huge investment by the Council in key infrastructure for its residents including Reading’s biggest ever road repair programme, a brand new railway station at Green Park, the refurbishment of Reading West Station, new swimming and leisure facilities at Rivermead and Palmer Park, a £36 million annual investment in local schools, 300 affordable Council homes built over the past four years, and 350 more in the pipeline over the next four years, and securing £26 million of funding for bus service improvements

The LGA report goes on to say: “Tremendous hard work has gone in to ‘stabilising’ the organisation in recent years.  What has been achieved has necessitated the council having a strong internal focus over the last few years.”

As well as progressing its tackling inequality agenda, a number of additional recommendations were made by the LGA panel as part of its Corporate Peer Challenge. These were:

• Expedite the work reviewing the Constitution and Delegations Register and, in the process, ensure the opportunity is provided for key internal stakeholders to input fully 
• Develop understanding of, and challenge, the factors that generate the lengthy lead-in times and extensive number of ‘hoops to jump through’ in the Council’s governance processes
• Establish a comprehensive elected member development programme that supports councillors in all of their different roles and ensures they are fully aware of their statutory responsibilities
• Ensure that children’s services have the opportunity to be engaged much more fundamentally at the strategic level of the organisation
• Ensure the continuation of the rigour and disciplines necessary to deliver the agreed savings and income generation plans and maintain wider financial controls – in a context of the council’s sound financial base remaining vulnerable and the pressures and risks around this
• Continue the work to fully embed the TEAM Reading values

The Council has drawn up an action plan to help address the LGA’s findings and this will be reviewed regularly be senior management at the Council and Councillors.  The Action Plan can be viewed at https://cdn.prgloo.com/media/15150a5bf7dd493db4194fd1cce98f48.pdf